Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Populations (RAMP UP) – RC East Monthly Report: July 2011

The program focuses on improving the lives of urban residents through enhanced municipal infrastructure, public services, and community participation. Municipal infrastructure and service delivery projects supported by RAMP UP East were temporarily suspended in July due to funding constraints. However, by the middle of the month, the issue was resolved, and the green light was given for the restart of the projects. In several RAMP UP East-supported municipalities, the second phase of the solid waste management (SWM) projects commenced. For example, in Maidan Shar, 18 laborers, including two foremen, were mobilized to start trash collecting in commercial and residential areas of the city. In Charikar, the solid waste collection project employs 29 daily wage workers, collecting approximately 45 cubic meters of waste per day from 167 drop-off points. The need for solid waste collection programs has been repeatedly stated by local citizens in needs assessment surveys, citizen forums, and other public consultations. The support for SWM in the first year of RAMP UP East has had a positive impact on citizen satisfaction with their municipal government and is also reflected in municipal tax collection. For instance, in the Municipality of Maidan Shar, the revenue from the collection of Safayee taxes (mainly used for trash collection and city cleaning) has increased by 20%. The Asadabad Dam Kaley retaining wall project was selected by residents and village councils during local community consultations. This infrastructure project consists of the construction of a 300 meters long retaining wall alongside the Dam Kelay stream that traverses the village and will protect 1,200 houses against seasonal flooding. By the end of July, more than 80% of the construction was completed, and the project has provided 1,780 person-days of work for local laborers. In addition to infrastructure projects, RAMP UP East has also supported the construction of public latrines in Sharana. The two RAMP UP East-funded public latrine construction projects in Sharana were temporarily suspended on July 12 due to budget limitations. Construction work restarted on July 21. The latrines will have designated areas for women and men and will be constructed on an 82 square meter area located in the vicinity of the public hospital in Sharana. Each latrine will have 10 toilet cubicles – six for men and four for women – with separate access. One of the stalls will be suitable for use by the handicapped. RAMP UP East has also promoted active community participation through Citizen Forums. In July, citizen forums were held in many of the RAMP UP EAST-supported municipalities. For example, the Deputy Mayor of Mehterlam convened a meeting with 29 participants, including women, youths, shopkeepers, and market vendors. The local media, a USAID representative, and RAMP UP East team were also present. The pollution of the environment and the importance of public infrastructure maintenance were discussed during the meeting.