SIKA-WEST WEEKLY BULLET POINTS NO. 115: May 27-June 2, 2014

The DDMC successfully prepared and submitted the report to the Provincial DMC, who responded by distributing food and emergency material items to the affected families. In Muqur District, more than 85 people from Jahandosti, Zargar, Mazid, Jalakan, and Niazi villages organized a Hashar, a public voluntary scheme, and cleaned their irrigation canal, which provides water for 415 Jeribs of land. This initiative demonstrates the unity and commitment of the community to their development. The SIKA-West Governance Department will continue to support vocational program graduates to start their own businesses and secure employment. The Guzara District Governor, Mr. Nesar Ahmad Popal, with support from the SIKA-West Stabilization Programming Department, successfully organized the first Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting on May 27th. Using the Stability Analysis Mechanism (SAM), participants identified poverty, unemployment, insecurity, drug addiction, and illiteracy as their major community problems and proposed flood protection walls, roads, and schools' rehabilitation projects as solutions. The SIKA-West Community Development Department will conduct feasibility studies next week. Engineering and technical training was provided by Herat DRRD personnel to CDC supervisors/project foremen from four CDCs in Shindand on May 27th. Topics included project planning, site mobilization, and construction material quality, which will assist the CDCs in properly implementing their recently awarded grant projects. The Shindand District Agriculture Manager (DAM), Mr. Abdul Ghafoor, initiated and launched a "Market Day" event to link district farmers with agricultural service providers. On June 1st, more than 100 farmers attended the event and established contacts with eight national and international organizations/companies. The SIKA-West Governance Department will provide further mentoring to improve organizational planning within the departments. The Shindand District Government Census Officer, Mr. Gul Aqa, the District Government Education Deputy Manager, Mr. Nazar Mohammad Sultani, and the Pusht-e Rod District Government Haj and Religious Affairs Manager, Mr. Ahmad Shah, were mentored on how to prepare Organizational Charts on May 27th. The SIKA-West Communications & Public Outreach Department (CPOD) will incorporate the comments of the Farah Public Service Introduction Committee into the revised Farah Service Providers Catalog (SPC). The Lash Wa Juwayn District Governor, Mr. Samad Yaar, with support from the SIKA-West Stabilization Programming Department, led the first Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting on May 28th. Applying the Stability Analysis Mechanism (SAM), participants identified their major problems, unemployment, illiteracy, and poverty, and proposed solutions, including culverts, flood protection walls, water dams, and schools' rehabilitation projects. The SIKA-West CPOD will invite the representatives of the Qarchaqai sub-district to attend the next Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting and advocate for their needs. The Badghis Deputy Provincial Governor, Mr. Qamaruddin Shakib, with support from the Stabilization Programming Department (SPD), led the first Komite Sobate Woleswali meeting on May 27th. Stabilization Analysis Mechanism (SAM) training was provided to enable the participants to identify their major problems and propose solutions. The Komite Sobate Woleswali members identified seasonal floods, poverty, unemployment, lack of government basic services, illiteracy, and insecurity as their major problems. The SIKA-West Engineers and M&E personnel conducted 47 project site visits. The Farah DRRD Director, Mr. Abdul Raouf, established the Farah Public Service Introduction Committee on May 29th. The main responsibilities of the committee are to update and revise the Farah Service Providers Catalog (SPC) and to organize the Farah Service Providers Fair scheduled for the last week of June. The SIKA-West Communications & Public Outreach Department (CPOD) will incorporate the comments of the committee into the revised SPC. The Holland Veterinarian Committee pledged to provide veterinary trainings and toolkits to district farmers, and the Babyee Zaferan Company expressed interest in providing saffron cultivation trainings to farmers and buying their harvests. The SIKA-West Governance Department will continue to support vocational program graduates to start their own businesses and secure employment. The SIKA-West Community Development Department will conduct feasibility studies next week.