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Afghanistan
Past Projects
America's Fund for Afghan Children
With the highest infant and maternal mortality rates and lowest nutritional and literacy rates in the world, Afghanistan is among the most impoverished nations of the world, and its children are among the most vulnerable. In 2001, the White House created America’s Fund for Afghan Children (AFAC) and asked American children and their families to donate a dollar each to the fund. Under the directive of the President and in consultation with the U.S. Agency of International Development, the American Red Cross administered the fund through programs in Afghanistan and the surrounding region that were implemented by partner organizations and national societies. The emergency relief assistance, health care, and educational supplies were provided to over 1.5 million Afghan children and their families through AFAC. The following were projects of AFAC:
Teacher Training Program
This project aimed to improve educational opportunities for female teachers by providing assistance to communities through teacher training, material support, and literacy classes. The project aimed to achieve its goals by increasing the quality of educational services through extensive training of teachers in community and government schools.
Educational Opportunities Project
This project aimed to enhance and improv educational opportunities in Afghanistan. The project’s objective was to promote equal access to education for boys and girls and to improve teaching skills.
Community Health Program
Through a network of community-based health workers, Basic Health Centers, Comprehensive Health Centers, and a referral hospital in Bamyan Center, this project sought to improve access to health care for young children and women of reproductive age in the Baghlan, Bamyian, and Badakshan regions.
School Health, Nutrition, and Community Based Child Protection
This project addressed school health, nutrition, and child protection issues in 10 school catchment areas (~40 villages) in the Faryab and Sar-I Pul provinces. The project’s goal was to improve the well being of Afghan children by enhancing their opportunities for learning and development, both physical and psychological, through community-based, participatory activities.
Teacher Training and Capacity Building
This project involved the implementation of master teacher/trainer programs to improve the skills of teachers in the Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Herat areas. With the overarching goal of improving the quality of life for Afghan children, the project aimed to particularly enhance teachers’ skills in mathematics, science, and social studies/peace education.
Mobile Health Units
Four Mobile Health Units (MHUs), each equipped with a physician, a nurse, and medicine, provided assistance in areas of Pakistan sheltering Afghan refugees. In addition to curative care, the MHUs provided immunization, health education, school and mother-child health services, and transport to the nearest tertiary care center when necessary. The project’s goal was aimed at improving the health of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, assisting a total of 8,266 beneficiaries.
Support for Capacity Development in Public Nutrition
This project aimed to build the capacity development of the Ministry of Health, to demonstrate effective leadership in the sector of public nutrition, particularly with respect to policy and program development at central, provincial and district levels.
Other Projects
Afghan Libraries Project (May 2003 – April 2005)
Roll Back Malaria Campaign (March 2004 – March 2005)
Support to Therapeutic Feeding Programs (January 2004 – March 2005)
Vaccinator Capacity Building Project (March 2003 – March 2005)
Clean Water for Afghan Children (May 2003 – December 2004)
Support to Conflict Affected Schools (June 2003 – November 2004)
Strengthening Health Services in Afghanistan (January 2003 – April 2004)
Measles Vaccination Campaigns (July 2002 – December 2003)
School Supplies for Displaced and Refugee Children (August 2002 – March 2003)
School Chest Project (October 2001 – September 2002)
Emergency Relief Items for Displaced Afghans (October 2001 – February 2002)
For more information about American Red Cross relief efforts in Afghanistan, go to:
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