The ITL Silk & Saffron project focuses on empowering more than 4,000 rural women in Afghanistan to start independent silk production, and to begin saffron production, one of the few economic activities deemed culturally acceptable for women. In this newsletter article you have a chance to hear directly from our local partner, RAADA. We also share key findings from important work to determine the project baseline.
In conversation with RAADA
I’m Dr Nazir Ghafoori, Director of RAADA. Rehabilitation Association and Agriculture Development for Afghanistan is a non-government organisation. RAADA was established in 2002 and I have been working with RAADA since that point. We’ve worked in partnership with Christian Aid since 2005. We are trying to reduce poverty in Afghanistan, especially amongst women. We specialise in women’s empowerment, and we have implemented more than 150 projects on livelihoods, agriculture, horticulture and also disaster risk reduction.
What is the situation like for women in Afghanistan?
There is a lot of limitations on woman at the moment. Women can't go to school, can't go to university, can't go to work. You’ll know from media, that our women have less income. They are not involved in decision making. They are not a part of economical chain and social chain here in Afghanistan.
It’s affected RAADA hugely - around 60% of our staff were women – we want to work with women, through women. Day by day, women are becoming more marginalised.
My hope, and all women in Afghanistan hope, is that things will go back to normal.
Can you share an update on the Silk and Saffron project – what activity is happening on the ground and what impact is that making?
At the moment, we are focusing on saffron growing. We have reached participants across 12 villages. We started our training for them and then will distribute saffron bulbs and fertiliser, and, toolkits for each beneficiary. We’ve just distributed the bulbs. It’s very seasonal work. Bulb cultivation is going very well at the moment and it’s a green light all round. We have a trainer supporting participants on the ground daily.
In February, we will begin silk rearing. We’ve expanded our offering according to the market demand - they wanted to have natural dying. We arranged for a trainer from Italy to teach this skill.
The ITL silk and saffron project will lead to long-term change. It will lead to women being part of economic and social change, which we are beginning to see.
Project baseline
One of the key foundational activities that has taken place is the project baseline, which enables us to assess the current situation and how this changes by the project end. This part of the baseline survey focused on those we are training on saffron. A similar baseline survey will be conducted early next year before silk season begins, for those taking part in silk activities.
The baseline report clearly demonstrated the urgent project need as -
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83% of the project participants did not have food or money to meet their household’s essential needs and 92% of the project participants reported that they are in debt
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83% of the respondents reported that as a woman, they were not income earners, meaning that they are not able to help address household income needs
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92% of the project participants reported that they were affected by climate change and extreme weather last year
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79% of the respondents reported that they did not make any income from saffron cultivation in the last harvest, with 71% highlighting a significant knowledge gap on saffron cultivation being the key issue
I want to say a huge thank you to the ITL supporters for allowing us to support women who are living in this situation.