Islamic Relief worldwide – Afghanistan has been implementing education projects for vulnerable women for more than six years in the country through Home Based Education for Women in Afghanistan (HBEWA). The project was funded by IRUSA and its 4th phase started in December 2016 that provides literacy training, skill development as a mean of livelihood and health; hygiene and sanitation awareness for 6500 women of the most vulnerable communities in Nangarhar, Bamyan and Balkh provinces.
The project objective is to support vulnerable women deprived of education mainly due to cultural, social and security issues. Sanitation awareness will promote hygiene and nutrition practices among beneficiary families and will impact improvement in the child nutrition and reduce mortality rate caused by lack of literacy, awareness, and understanding.
To focus on the economic empowerment of targeted women and provide a mean of livelihood, the project will offer skill development training and provide relevant equipment to start a business as a source of income to contribute to the family economy.
The first phase of the project successfully completed in February 2018 and graduated 3250 women (3100 from literacy and 150 from skill development) courses in three target provinces. In a ceremony conducted by local community and district education department in Balkh, IRW has been appreciated for its effective and very well coordinated projects and honored an appreciation letter via community and education department.