Stability in Key Areas (SIKA) – West Weekly Report, April 2-8, 2013

On April 7th, a public meeting was held with 33 farmers to discuss agriculture issues in the district. The District Governor emphasized the importance of transitioning away from poppy cultivation, stating that farmers should "earn a Halal income for our families and not harm society by growing poppy." Farmers expressed concerns about the lack of proper irrigation systems and poor quality seeds as major obstacles to transitioning to other crops. The Bala Boluk District Governor received support to develop a district health fact sheet, which is part of a series of fact sheets highlighting government services across the district. Ongoing literacy and vocational trainings in Farah Province included tailoring training for 30 women and five literacy courses for 125 female beneficiaries in Bala Boluk, as well as six literacy courses for 150 students in Pusht-e Rod. In Badghis Province, the Qadis District Governor was provided with support and guidance to develop an education factsheet. The factsheet contains information on education facilities in the district and guidance on how parents can enroll their children for the upcoming school year. On April 8th, tribal leader information was collected from the District Governor as part of activities to implement a Tribal Engagement Meeting. Additionally, five DRRD staff received Conflict Resolutions Skills training, and computer capacity building training for 11 Badghis DRRD staff remained ongoing. In Herat Province, 30 Pashtun Zarghun DSC members received communications training on April 7th. Topics included messaging, identifying audiences, and choosing effective means for reaching different people. The next training will cover "How to Develop a Communication Plan." On April 8th, a second coordination meeting was held with the participation of 20 senior government staff, where the District Governor shared information regarding the poppy eradication program and school-book distribution in Shindand District. Community engagement in Pashtun Zarghun was improved when 60 people attended a meeting organized by the Pashtun Zarghun District Governor, where additional projects were proposed, including a bridge construction over the Heray Rod River. The SIKA-West Chief of Party and Senior Provincial Coordinator traveled to Chaghcharan on April 2nd to brief the Ghor Deputy Provincial Governor on the MRRD/Stability Program. The Deputy Governor expressed his readiness and support of the first DSC meeting, scheduled on April 29th. Recruiting interviews were also conducted for the Ghor PST Manager and Operations staff. A pilot baseline survey questionnaire was tested on 20 respondents in Herat Province on April 8th, with some minor changes proposed by the contractor. The baseline survey is expected to start in six districts of Herat, Farah, and Badghis Provinces next week.