Stability in Key Areas (SIKA) – West Weekly Report, April 23-29, 2013

Project Management Training was kicked off for 43 members of 10 Bala Boluk and Pusht-e Rod CDCs and three DRRD staff on April 29th. The training aimed to equip participants with skills to prepare project work plans, procurement plans, activity summaries, and timelines. In the same province, the 6th Pusht-e Rod DSC meeting was held on April 23rd, with participation from 41 individuals, including 7 DDA members, 17 line departments' representatives, and 17 observers. The meeting provided an overview of proposed mitigating activities and District Project Portfolio (DPP) status. DSC members also identified new projects, replacing postponed projects in Massow and Panj Goft Gow villages. The Bala Boluk District Governor received support to produce 300 posters disseminating a peace-related message. The posters were put up in mosques, quoting a peace message from the Holy Quran and a message from the District Governor, emphasizing community responsibility for security. Additionally, three Bala Boluk CDCs initiated vocational training courses, including tailoring for 15 women, mobile phone repair for 15 men, and auto-mechanic repair for 15 men over a five-month period. In Badghis Province, a volleyball tournament organized by the Qadis Youth Association concluded on April 26th, with over 200 participants, including district officials, parents, teachers, and students. The event aimed to encourage parents to send their children to school, with banners displaying education messages and the winning team receiving a trophy from the Department of Information and Culture. Feasibility surveys of six proposed projects in Qadis and one project in Muqur District were also completed during the week. In Herat Province, the District Governor sent a bulk SMS phone message to elders and Ulema requesting support for the government's poppy eradication campaign. The message highlighted the potential reward of USD1 million for stopping poppy-growing in the district, which could be used for provincial priorities, especially in agricultural development. The District Governor found the bulk SMS a quick and efficient way to inform key local actors about district government activities and decisions. In Ghor Province, preparations were made to conduct the Chaghcharan introductory DSC meeting scheduled for May 1st. A team from HQ traveled to Chaghcharan to facilitate the meeting on April 29th. Additional Herat-based HQ Support included advocacy training provided to 15 provincial and district communications officers on April 23rd. The training focused on using the new Service Provider Catalogue (SPC) to assist vulnerable groups in advocating for their needs. District Communication officers will cascade these skills to vulnerable groups, such as women, returnees, or people with disabilities, to encourage them to assert their rights and advocate for their needs. The baseline survey has been ongoing, with 167 villages surveyed in three provinces and over 1,800 people (40% of whom were women) interviewed. In total, M&E staff have conducted 23 data quality control spot checks. On April 27th, SIKA-West senior staff attended the Special Provincial Development Committee meeting organized by Herat Economy Director, with participation from Herat Provincial Governor, DRRD director, USAID representative, Herat Economy Director, and provincial government line directors. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss reports requested by the Herat Provincial Governor and Economy Director. Training on DSC Meeting facilitation and stabilization programming was provided to three PST Stability Officers from April 29th to 30th, covering topics such as report writing, work plan, stabilization strategies, and programming and implementation of mitigation activities.