Women in Government Internship Program Year 4 Volunteer Report

The program, established in February 2010 as part of the Economic Growth and Governance Initiative (EGGI) project, aims to provide exposure and work experience to recent female graduates. In Year 4, the program provided 256 internships, significantly increasing program activities from previous years. The Women in Government volunteer program is a key aspect of the internship program, promoting youth volunteerism and providing interns with opportunities to give back to their community. The program's goal is to promote youth volunteerism, and its objectives include providing each intern with a volunteer opportunity, building a culture of volunteerism, promoting environmental protection, and promoting teamwork among young women volunteers. In Year 4, the Women in Government team continued to provide volunteer opportunities to interns and expanded the volunteer activities in coordination with the Women in Development Association (WIDA). The team outlined the goals, objectives, and themes for the updated volunteer program, which included themes such as environmental protection, helping the poor, and promoting sports among young women. In Kabul, 153 Women in Government interns participated in four volunteer activities, including presentations at Lame Shaheed High School and Mehrabuddin High School. The interns developed and delivered presentations on hygiene and cleanliness, as well as the role of sports and exercise in health and nutrition. The team also organized a volunteer event at Dar ul Aman Farm in Kabul under Theme B: Go Green, where interns planted seeds and saplings and participated in environmental clean-up activities. The volunteer event at Dar ul Aman Farm was a collaborative effort between the Women in Government program, WIDA, the Horticulture and Livestock Project (HLP), and the Directorate of Home Economy. The event was led by a group of interns and included over 180 participants, including women farmers, Home Economy Directorate officials, HLP officials, and Women in Government interns. The event was based on the slogan "Go Green," and the participants took part in activities such as preparing land layouts, irrigating the land, and providing gardening equipment. In addition to the volunteer event at Dar ul Aman Farm, the Women in Government team also organized a volunteer event at Badaam Baagh Farm in Kabul under Theme A: Let's Keep the Environment Clean. The event was based on the slogan "let's clean up and green up," and the interns developed an understanding of planting, irrigation, and agricultural activities. The Women in Government volunteer program outcomes included the formal launch of WIDA social activities, with 202 interns participating in 7 volunteer activities in Kabul, Balkh, Herat, and Nangarhar. The program also provided moral and financial support to poor women and featured volunteer activities in local media.