SIKA-EAST Weekly Program Update: May 24 – 29, 2014

The program aims to improve stability and development in key areas of Afghanistan. The launches took place in Maydan Shahr District of Maydan Wardak Province, Muqur District of Ghazni Province, Nadir Shah Kot District of Khost Province, and three districts – Ali Khel, Mirzaka, and Sayed Karam – of Paktya Province. The events were attended by top provincial and district officials, DDA+ members, and representatives of CDCs, as well as tribal elders, religious scholars, and influential women from the various districts. During the week, six grant projects worth more than $241,000 were completed in Maydan Wardak, Paktya, Khost, and Logar provinces. Three grant awards valued at over $63,000 were made for projects in Gurbuz, Dih Yak, and Jalrez Districts. Thirty-two milestone payments valued at over $265,000 were made to projects in 14 districts. Five grant applications worth more than $262,000 were reviewed and approved by joint MRRD and SIKA-East Grant Review Committees. The approved projects are slated for four districts. Five engineering designs valued at almost $105,000 were completed for three districts. Training sessions were conducted for 163 men in seven districts, focusing on Grants Management, Infrastructure Project Implementation, Negotiation Strategy, and Operation and Maintenance. A two-day training course in photojournalism and video editing was conducted for the staff of PRRD, the Provincial Governor's Office, and DoWA in Logar Province, as well as staff from the District Governor's Offices for Baraki Barak, Mohammad Agha, and Khoshi. The training aimed to enhance the capacity of the governmental staff and entities in these technical areas. Women's participation in the program has been increased, with women participating in the identification of projects from District Development Plans in all six districts. Male participants identified female priorities in districts where women's participation was minimal. Projects included midwifery training and infrastructure improvements, as well as vocational courses. The program has also made changes to the stakeholder engagement process to improve inclusion of women from early stages of the program. The cumulative value of completed grant projects in SIKA-East-targeted provinces is over $4 million. Fifty-six projects, worth over $2.3 million, have passed the warranty period of 90 days and are officially closed. To date, 237 projects, with a total value of over $8.3 million, have been awarded to 21 districts. Four hundred and sixty-nine grant applications have been received, and 340 applications have been approved by USAID.