Highlights of the month – September 2015

Highlights of the month – September 2015

• During this reporting period, 57 new members (37 female & 20 male) were mobilized in to groups under “Reducing poverty and gender inequality by improving household income and financial resilience through enterprise and job creation” Project in Gosfandi and Balkhab districts of Sarepul province and the “Sustainable Livelihood Program III” in Keshindeh and Shortepa districts of Balkh province.

• Aiming to build new trainees/members capacity, 143 members (67% female) were trained in Group Management package, 6,015 members (72% female) were trained in Micro Finance package, and 2,143 members (69% female) trained in Business Development Services.

• During this reporting period, 60 new Microenterprises (54 female & 6 male) established in Dare-e-Suf Bala and Dar-e-Suf Payan districts of Samangan province, Aqcha district of Jawzjan province , Shortepa and Keshendeh district of Balkh province and Balkhab district of Sar-e-pul province. Furthermore, 85 (51 female & 34 male) Microenterprises that were already economically engaged in the market have expanded their enterprises in the above mentioned districts. The result of this engagement is creation of 175 jobs (75 % female).

• Number of 480 group members (458 female and 22 male) successfully completed different vocational skills trainings such as tailoring, livestock, poultry and cake-baking in Aqcha district of Jawzjan province and Dare-e- Suf Payan district of Samangan province. While 681 members recently started receiving Poultry and Beekeeping vocational skill training in Dare Suf Bala district of Samangan province.

• HiH-Af continuously conduct Mentoring Visits to the enterprises established/enhanced by HiH-Af technical staff, trainers and VEFs. As part of enterprises market linkage, 88 members were visited and received technical advises on poultry and beekeeping in both Dara-e-Suf Bala and Dare Sof Payan. A regular communication is maintained to enhance market linkage between poultry farms and butchers and provide environment for direct sells to consumers.

• HiH-Af vocational master trainer conducted meetings on Labeling and Packaging with several CIGs and assigned VEFs on value adding and to promote their honey productivity by applying improvements on packaging and labeling of products.

• Meeting held with the head of poultry farms to establish Association of Poultry Farmers in Dara-e-Suf Payan and Dara-e-Suf Bala.

• 1,473 illiterate group members (1230 female & 243 male) have been receiving Life Skills Training under “Supporting rural entrepreneurship and promoting women’s socio-economic empowerment” Project in targeted districts of Samangan province, “Sustainable Livelihood Program III) Project in targeted district of Balkh and “Improving Lives through Creation of Microenterprises and Jobs” in targeted districts of Jawzjan province.

• Sum of AFN 114,545 recollected as repayments of EIF loan from groups during the month which has increased the repayment rate to 2 %.

• Sum of AFN 2,663,350 saved within the groups by members in Dara-e-Suf Bala and Dar-e-Payan districts of Samangan province, Aqcha district of Jawzjan province, Shortepa and Keshindeh districts of Balkh province and Balkhab, Sancharak and Gosfandi district of Sar-e-pul province.

• 164 internal loans took place among the group members with a total value of AFN 992,920 in Dara-e-Suf Bala and Dar-e-Suf Payan districts of Samangan province, Aqcha district of Jawzjan province and Shortepa and Keshendeh districts of Balkh province and Balkhab district of Sar-e-pul province. The purpose of Internal Loans is to utilize group savings accumulated by members for creation and expansion of microenterprises.

• During this reporting period, Dr. Seema Ghani (Board Chairperson) and Abdul Rahim Nasry (Country Director) visited Mazar-e-Sharif regional office. The Board Chairperson visited on-filed activities in Dar-e-Suf and Sholgara districts of Samangan and Balkh provinces. She discussed on-going activities with HiH-Af staff and beneficiaries. She provided recommondations on approaches for Market Linkage and Skills Training.

• In order to build the capacity of HiH staff the Training of Trainers for 25 HiH Af staff district officers, district assistants and VEFs (11 female & 14 male) conducted for 8 days in Mazar regional office, the participants were staff from Kishendeh and Shortapa districts.