SIKA-West Weekly Bullet Points No. 110: April 22-28, 2014

The project involves the construction of a surrounding wall for the school. In a separate initiative, the Jan Khani CDC in Pusht-E Rod District is rehabilitating a 391-meter surrounding wall for Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Farahi High School. Additionally, the Mohammad Zai Mullah Khil Qarbandi CDC has rehabilitated a 1.15-kilometer road and one culvert in Muqur District. In Farah Province, the Pusht-e Rod District Governor, Mr. Ghawsuddin Noorzai, held a Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting on April 23rd. The participants rejected a request to use the district's allocated budget to construct a dam in Khogyani village, citing more pressing needs in the district. The Pusht-e Rod District Governor also conducted a monthly coordination meeting with the district line-departments, where he discussed issues such as the lack of pesticides for farmers and the need for advocacy training for female members. In Badghis Province, Mr. Abdul Hadi Badghisi, the Muqur District Governor, organized a Hashar, a public voluntary scheme, to clean an irrigation canal in Zad Naser village on April 22nd. A total of 64 farmers participated in the event. The Muqur District Governor also held a Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting on April 23rd, where participants discussed issues such as seasonal floods and identified flood protection walls and irrigation canals rehabilitation as solutions. In Herat Province, advocacy and concept note development training was provided to 25 members of Bala Shahr, Kah, Kariz Bibi, Deh MirzaQasim, and Khaja Nooh CDCs in Shindand District on April 26th. The CDCs will receive further training and mentoring to find financial resources for their proposed projects, including solar power, road and school rehabilitation, and irrigation canal improvement. Mr. Farhad Raufian, the Pashtun Zarghun District Governor, drafted his second-round communications plan on April 27th, highlighting the effectiveness of the first-round plan and seeking further support from the SIKA-West Communications & Public Outreach Department. The SIKA-West program has made significant progress in the region, with 285 projects valued at $6,367,306 approved by MRRD and IDLG in ten target districts. Currently, CDCs are implementing 125 projects valued at $3,637,163, while 138 projects valued at $1,825,277 have been completed. The program has also conducted 50 project site visits, with findings indicating areas for improvement, such as the need for better compacting of culvert rehabilitation in Khod Amada Ha village in Qadis District.