Afghanistan: I can grow vegetables to feed my family and from the surplus I can even make a small profit

Assadulah in his greenhouse. Foto: PIN Archive.

The EU funded project lasted for 28 months and in total supported over 1000 low income households, specifically focusing on women with particularly limited access to income generating activities.

People in Need Czech Republic
2017
(Must see. Mike)

Excerpts:

Assadullah has been selected as beneficiary of a project tackling urban poverty in Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan, undertaken by People in Need and funded by the European Union. One of the project activities is focused on kitchen gardening.

Assadullah’s life changed a great deal since he started cultivating the small garden behind his house. “Before I joined the project I did not have enough information about agricultural activities and did not know even know what a greenhouse is,” describes Assadullah. “Previously our daily diet did not include vegetables and if we had guests we had to buy vegetables in the market,” he adds.

Apart from training, Assadullah received some basic tools, vegetables, seeds and a greenhouse. “Now I am more familiar with agricultural techniques and I can do it alone. I save the money I spent before on buying vegetables in the market and by selling my surplus produce I am able to make a little profit,” Assadullah explains how the EU-funded intervention helped him. Part of his vegetable harvest he gives to relatives and neighbours.

“The most interesting part for me is the greenhouse. Because of it I have enough vegetables like cucumbers for my family,” he says about his new hobby. The rest of the community also profits from his success. “Some of my neighbours and relatives are also starting their own greenhouses and they come to me for help,” Assadullah describes the benefit for the whole community and adds that every visitor to his house wishes to have a backyard such as his. “Because of the greenhouse I became quite famous in the community which makes me proud of my work,” Assadullah concludes.

Read the complete article here.

See also: Over 1,100 Afghans living in urban areas improved their lives through vocational training, self-help groups and urban gardens.