SIKA-West Weekly Bullet Points No. 125: August 25-September 1, 2014

The initiative is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by AECOM. The SIKA-West initiative focuses on community development, governance, and gender mainstreaming. Community development is a key component of the SIKA-West initiative, with a focus on improving infrastructure, providing vocational training, and supporting small businesses. In the week of August 25-September 1, 2014, several community development projects were completed or initiated. The Massow Barakzai CDC successfully advocated for their water supply project, and the SIKA-West Community Development Department completed a feasibility study for a road rehabilitation project in Chahar Borjak village in Guzara District. The SIKA-West initiative also places a strong emphasis on governance, with a focus on supporting sub-national entities to take a leadership role in development activities. In the week of August 25-September 1, 2014, several governance-related activities were undertaken. The Kohsan District Law Department developed a guideline on "How to get a marriage certificate" with the support of the SIKA-West Governance Department. The SIKA-West Governance Department also supported the Rabat Mirza Qala Nowak and Darwesh Ali CDCs in Kushk Rabat-e Sangi and Gul Khail CDC in Shindand Districts with project management training. Gender mainstreaming is another key component of the SIKA-West initiative, with a focus on promoting gender equality and empowering women. In the week of August 25-September 1, 2014, several gender-related activities were undertaken. A Regional Gender Coordination Workshop was held in Herat Province, which aimed to improve coordination among gender working groups and promote gender mainstreaming. The workshop was attended by DOWA Directors from Herat, Ghor, Farah, and Badghis, as well as SIKA-West Gender Officers. The SIKA-West initiative also places a strong emphasis on monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement. In the week of August 25-September 1, 2014, several monitoring and evaluation activities were undertaken. The SIKA-West M&E Personnel met with the MISTI GIS Specialists to discuss discrepancies in GPS coordinates of some projects. The SIKA-West has started purchasing smart phones to address this issue. In terms of results, the SIKA-West initiative has made significant progress in the week of August 25-September 1, 2014. To date, 305 projects valued at $6,951,151 have been approved by MRRD and IDLG in target districts. Currently, CDCs are implementing 64 projects valued at $2,859,191. The SIKA-West initiative has also supported the development of several guidelines and policies, including a guideline on "How to get a marriage certificate" and a guideline on "How to repair and maintain water pumps". Overall, the SIKA-West initiative is making significant progress in promoting stability and development in the Sika-West region. The initiative's focus on community development, governance, and gender mainstreaming is paying off, with several projects and activities being completed or initiated in the week of August 25-September 1, 2014.