Food is Step One for Afghan Women

CARE
Sunday, 3 February 2002

More than 23 years of war has made widows out of tens of thousands of women in Afghanistan. No one knows exactly how many, but their number has likely grown in the past six months of fighting. In Kabul, where there are an estimated 30,000-50,000 war widows, many women became beggars in order to survive. All are struggling to sustain their families in a place where both the economy and family ties have broken down. CARE is working with communities in Kabul to assist these families through our Emergency Feeding and Vocational Project. The project serves 60,000 people -- 10,000 widows and their children.

"We start with food because women and their families must have their basic needs met first, in order to move forward," says Sally Austin, assistant country director for CARE in Afghanistan. "CARE is working to increase the number of tools and avenues available for women to succeed in being responsible for their own lives. Food is just one of those instruments, education and jobs are also part of the toolkit. "

In a society shattered by war, there are few jobs to go around. In May 2001, the average household income in Afghanistan was reported as just $280 dollars a year by the World Bank. Opportunities were further limited for women under the Taliban regime, as there were few positions they were allowed to hold. CARE is seeking funds to bring more opportunities for women as they build a better life for themselves and their children.

For example, hundreds of women who learned how to sew at a CARE vocational training center now have jobs as part of a new CARE project sewing school uniforms for poor families. The families could not afford the uniforms otherwise, and without them they could not send their children to school.

"We have four vocational centers open and have been teaching women different skills such as sewing, knitting, animal husbandry and vegetable gardening," says Awadia Mohamed, manager for CARE's humanitarian assistance program for women in Afghanistan. "We taught women skills they could use at home. Now, we hope to open many more centers and teach more and more women. Skills are key to opening job opportunities for women."

The vocational training is a vital component of the CARE program assisting widows in feeding their families. One of the women involved in this program is 28-year old Mahjan. Three years ago, her husband died from injuries sustained in a Taliban jail. Suddenly, the young mother found herself alone with five children to support. Mahjan is fortunate -- she lives in district six of Kabul, one of three districts covered by CARE's Emergency Feeding and Vocational Project.

Traditionally, the extended family helps take care of a widow and her children, but war has split up families and left most widows to fend for themselves. "Before the CARE program, life was very difficult for me because there was no man to support us," says Mahjan. "When my husband was alive we had some vegetables, and meat once a month. We have not tasted beef or chicken since. I had to send the oldest three children to Pakistan to weave carpets because I could not feed so many mouths. They lived with a family I knew and made just enough money to stay alive there."

Mahjan worked at home, spinning wool while taking care of her two youngest daughters, ages 6 and 4. But in 10 days, Mahjan could only spin enough to earn about 15 cents in the market.

"The money didn't go very far. My neighbors also helped me at the time, with bread, rice and flour, but still it wasn't enough," says Mahjan. "The CARE ration made it possible for my [older] children to come back from Peshawar. We became a family again."

The CARE ration consists of 32 kg (70 lbs.) of wheat, 9 kg (20 lbs.) of beans and 4.6 kg (10 lbs.) of cooking oil. It provides a family of five with half of their monthly nutritional needs. Classes in basic health and nutrition are held alongside the food distributions every month so the widows have an opportunity to learn more about ways to keep their families healthy.

"We teach them about personal hygiene, water and sanitation, food and nutrition," says Mohamed. "The classes place special emphasis on children's diseases, including diarrhea, because each widow has between three and eight children."

"I have learned in CARE's class that children should wash their hands with soap every time after they use the toilet. Making things clean means the children don't get diarrhea or colds as easily," says Mahjan.

"We also teach the mothers about controlling and treating iodine and vitamin A deficiency, malaria and immunizations," adds Mohamed.

Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness in children, and iodine deficiency is a preventable cause of mental retardation.

"To help counteract vitamin A and iodine deficiencies, CARE distributes cooking oil fortified with vitamin A and iodized salt," says Mohamed. "There also is a pilot project we are hoping to expand that helps women grow leafy, iron- and vitamin A-rich vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes, spinach, carrots, radishes and onions. This project helps the widows to become self-reliant at the same time they are working to improve their families' nutrition."

Mahjan, like so many women in the program, wants to do more than hold onto the progress she has made. She wants to build on it.

"I am very glad to be learning all these things to keep my children well," says Mahjan. "I would like to do more for my family," says Mahjan. "I want my children to go to school and become educated."

For more information, or to contact CARE, see their website at: www.care.org