Afghanistan Community Renewal Program, Phase 2

Current phase: 2009-2014
Project budget: $15.7 million

The Afghanistan Community Renewal Program, Phase 2, aims to achieve a sustainable reduction in the socio-economic vulnerability of rural communities in northeastern Afghanistan. Implemented through the Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s Community Renewal Program, the project is providing effective alternative livelihood options through community-based, integrated rural development in the context of concerted anti-narcotics efforts.

There are two main project components: Rural Livelihood Options and Local Capacity Building. The Rural Livelihood Options component supports an increasing range of legal income-generating activities for women and men. The Local Capacity Building component increases the capacity of village development committees to resource, implement, and sustain a range of community development projects in support of those activities. The project works toward preventative alternative development in three provinces (Bamyan, Baghlan, and Parwan) where poppy cultivation is on the rise or at risk of starting. Lessons learned are being shared with partners in the south and in the province of Dai Kundi.