Stability In Key Areas (SIKA) – West / Monthly Report – February 2015

The program, led by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), began on January 29, 2012, and is scheduled to end on August 31, 2015. The program's primary objective is to assist provincial authorities and district-level government entities in improving governance programming and increasing the provision of priority basic services, ultimately increasing citizen confidence in and support for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). The SIKA-West program operates in four provinces: Farah, Badghis, Herat, and Ghor, with a focus on 16 target districts. The program's area of operation includes Farah Province, where SIKA-West is active in the districts of Farah Center, Bala Boluk, Pusht-e Rod, Khak-e-Safayd, and Lash Wa Juwayn. In Herat Province, the program is active in the districts of Pashtun Zarghun, Shindand, Kushk Rabat-e Sangi, Guzara, and Kohsan. Additionally, the program operates in Badghis Province, where it is active in the districts of Qadis, Muqur, and Qala-i-Naw, and in Ghor Province, where it is active in the districts of Chaghcharan, Shahrak, and Du Layna. During the reporting period, 16 GIRoA-led Komite Sobate Woleswali (KSW) meetings were held, with a total of 136 male, 158 female, and 14 mixed participants. The KSW meetings were held in various districts, including Bala Boluk, Pusht-e Rod, Lash Wa Juwayn, Farah Center, Qala-i-Naw, Qadis, Muqur, Chaghcharan, Pashtun Zarghun, Kohsan, Shindand, Kushk-e-Robat Sangi, and Guzara. The meetings were led by the respective district governments and focused on discussing community problems, including access to potable water and educational facilities. The Governance Department handed over the male Bala Boluk, Pusht-e Rod, and Lash Wa Juwayn KSWs to the respective provincial and district governments. The Provincial and District Governors expressed their appreciation to the MRRD/IDLG SIKA-West program for the past support and stated that moving forward, the Komite Sobate Woleswalis would be conducted without logistical or financial support from the program. The SIKA-West program has observed the continuation of independent female KSW meetings in Pusht-e Rod, Bala Boluk, and Lash Wa Juwayn districts, which are continuing under the leadership of the respective district governments and the Farah Department of Women's Affairs. The district women gathered to discuss and share their community problems, including a lack of access to potable water in Massow Village, Pusht-e Rod District, and a shortage of educational facilities in Bala Boluk District. The respective district governments pledged to share these concerns with third-party donors and the Farah Provincial Government for further action. The program's achievements during the reporting period include the continuation of independent female KSW meetings, the handover of male KSWs to the respective provincial and district governments, and the expression of appreciation by the Provincial and District Governors for the past support. The program's challenges include the suspension of programming in Khak-e-Safed district due to the destruction of the district government office and the prevention of KSW meetings in Shahrak and Du Layna districts due to winter conditions.