Feed the Hungry,Warm the Cold-Support Afghanistan

Action for Development (AfD) is dedicated to supporting vulnerable families who suffer in poverty. Our focus further deepen towards the children who are working on the streets and are the sole providers for their families and are forced to work on the streets to survive and help their families survive.

In line with this mission, AfD undertook a winterization project aimed at providing assistance  300 families (nearly 2100 persons) in 2 provinces:

• 210 families in Kabul province: 190 of these were families of street working children and the remaining 20 were the families of widows with children under 6 years old, families with disabled members.
• 90 families in Parwan province: 30 of these were families of street working children and the remaining were the vulnerable families of disabled, widows or those in immense need of support.

During the month of December 2023 a rapid assessment was conducted to identify the needs and priorities of the families. During the survey we the dire situation of families with disabled and little children, as well as of those whose children spend the days on the streets were identified.  To ensure equitable distribution and effective targeting of resources, AfD categorized families based on their needs and distributed color-coded cards at distribution centers in Kabul. Subsequently, the team identified essential materials for distribution, including rice, oil, flour and coal, recognizing the economic challenges these families encounter, rendering them unable to afford basic necessities like food and heating fuel during the harsh winter months. The families in the more rural areas preferred to receive the four and oil mentioning these items as the core survival for them, however those closer to the urban settlement preferred to also have heating materials added to the kits. As per these categorizations the team divided the support items.

Distribution of the winterization kits took place on January 2nd and 3rd, 2024, in Kabul  and on 20-22 January in Parwan. The kits to be provided to the families:

1)    Families of street working children received 3 items: 10 kilograms of rice, 5 liters of cooking oil, and 49 kilograms of coal

2)    Families of widows and disabled received 2 items in larger quantity: 50 kg of flour and 20 liter of cooking oil.

The winterization aid provided by AfD proved to be a lifeline for 300 families in Kabul and in Parwan Provinces.

These provisions were distributed among families facing significant challenges, including those with disabilities, vulnerability, and widows who are struggling to make ends meet during the cold winter season. Through this initiative, AfD aims to alleviate the hardships faced by vulnerable families, ensuring they are better equipped to withstand the challenges posed by the harsh winter weather.