- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report in hand is about the Need Assessment on Child Marriage from three provinces and four districts Badakhshan (Wakhan & Yawan), Samangan (Roi do Ab) and Takhar (Rustaq) were targeted. The activities financially supported by SDC’s partners Oxfam, Agha Khan Foundation, Halvetas and TDH. The nature of their activities are on improving daily of the people by skill development, awareness raising, income generations, and other lively hood projects.
First of all it worth to congratulate SDC for supporting such activities which improve daily life of people in the very remote areas where a very small step is very important and the proverb in Dari “ drops by drops can make an ocean” is very relevant to be utilized here. The livelihood projects are crucial for community mobilization, self income generation and self sustainability of the daily life by utilizing community resources. We practically observed that how women’s kitchen gardens, poultry, literacy, health education, dry fruit processing and gender trainings were a good practical example.
Afghanistan with long history of domestic violence and a society free from all international norms of gender equity is a place where women suffer a lot since child hood. When economic problems come up in men domination and culture based society helps in aggravation of the situation for women. The first person to be scarified for others family members better life is women and when she is young than she can be easier to be prey in the clutches of men.
Child marriage is a dilemma in over all Afghanistan, but in the above mentioned areas the situation is worse. We found and observed that with all support of SDC the issue of child marriage is still common practice widely up to 85-90% and it’s very difficult to challenge the topic as war lords, community Arbabs, Community elders are in support of the issue of child marriage and they are the first followers of the deed.
We are witness that how young girls’ small happiness about getting married is ruined with colorful cloths at the night of marriage when she is facing not only a selfish man but a selfish family members as counterpart to her life. She is not having a life more than a slave and a slave who has no right even to complain, she is gifted by drugs, SNUFF on the day of marriage where she should not feel the pains of new life. The children with bright eyes and talented mind can be only wasted for nothing in Afghanistan.
NECDO through a mutual contract with SDC was appointed to do the field visit and conduct the assessment on the child marriage that if the supported fund of SDC has brought any change in the issue of child marriage. Fortunately NECDO staff could successfully manage to have field visit after one day orientation and training. The field visit plan did not work due to sudden change in the climate and severe floods and rains. Conducting the assessment with all challenges was a great job, therefore, it’s worth mentioning to thank NECDO staff for being soldiers in the front line, I thank SDC for their understanding of the situation and supporting us with all sudden changes in our trips. I would like to thank SDC over all for their trust and financial support to NECDO for the completion of the task. Last but not the least I would like to thank SDC partners (TDH, HELVETAS, AKF and Oxfam) and their field staff who made this job possible and supported us to get access to direct & indirect beneficiaries of the LH projects.
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