Village of Peace February 2020 Newsletter

If you look at the photo on the right, you see three very different Afghan boys. The middle one has guts and looks into the camera confidently. He is clearly not easily impressed. The boy on the left hides behind his friend and looks anxiously at the photographer. Maybe something has just happened to upset him? The boy on the right may stay a bit in the background, but his cheerful, modest gaze shows that he is confident. He raises his thumb. 

These three boys are the future of Afghanistan. Twenty years from now, they will work for the government or perhaps lead a company. Our job is to help these young men and their (often single) mothers to realize this future. In this newsletter you can read how we approach that. 

Recent Events

Solid Ground

Village of Peace has existed for almost five years now. In those five years, the foundation has been built thoroughly: the basis on which the Afghans can now continue to build themselves. We now have four well-functioning centers in the country. These centers form the DNA of the organization. Here Afghans can receive training, projects are started, and you experience the organizational culture and core values ​​in practice. Over the past six months, the four managers and their teams have grown exceptionally: their mutual trust has grown, they consult better with each other and collaborate much better. This is really noticed by others! 

The end of 2019 and these first two months of 2020 were dominated by the purchase of two pieces of land. This was already a lengthy and complicated process for Afghans, let alone for a foreign NGO. But in the end, it worked - a milestone! The purchase of land is the key to developing ownership, a principle that is of paramount importance at Village of Peace. After all, by making Afghan orphans the owners of land, they can build their own future and that of Afghanistan. 

Human Development Training

The Human Development training - our basic training that explains the core values ​​and practices in an Afghan context - is becoming increasingly popular. The number of registrations increases every quarter; many people from outside the organization who have heard about the training register. Below is the report of a visiting trainer from the Netherlands: 

"They are ready, in a large circle. Six men and almost twenty women. Some know each other, others they do not know. There are mothers with daughters, young people and some older ones. All of them came for training on five values: compassion, generosity, transparency, leadership and peace. 

The atmosphere is good. Curious eyes and careful smiles turn into fun conversations during breaks. My job is to get in touch with the women as much as possible and try to encourage them. I get into conversation with a young woman of 21. She is a fourth-year Social Work student. "What is your dream?" I ask her. She answers she wants to help women and children. 'What a beautiful dream! You will become a good social worker. How special that you may study from your mother, "I encourage her.

"My mother is here too," the young woman says. "She is 36 and has four children, two of whom are studying." She introduces me to her mother. Her eyes shine as she looks at her daughter. "How good that you came to the training with a large family and all the work that goes with it," I tell her. A big smile appears on her face.

The training is for the most part provided by Afghans. What affects and fascinates me during this trip is the impact that the training has. I hear examples of how the values ​​give lives a new twist and how they talk to others about what they have learned themselves. It is like a river that starts and splits into two, then flows further into quarters and branches further and further." 

Food Security Program

With the Food Security Program we combat malnutrition - a major and urgent problem in Afghanistan. In our own kitchen garden, we teach widows to grow their own vegetables. These vegetables strengthen the immune system and combat malnutrition-related diseases. And it works: the women say that they have more energy and that, for example, their anemia has disappeared. 

One of the women participating shared the following: "The lessons about healthy food and High Diversity Gardening taught me a lot. I also shared many of the lessons with my neighbors. In my immediate neighborhood there lived a girl who suffered from severe malnutrition. She was quite ill and had so little energy that she had been confined to bed, had no contact with other children and even lost her appetite. The girl's mother was desperate, and I told her about what I had learned. The little girl started to move her hands and legs again and not much later she asked for solid food. A little later the girl started to communicate and even to play with other children, a miracle. When she saw how her daughter's life had changed by eating differently, she also went to Village of Peace. She now wants to learn how to keep her children healthy. "

Other Projects

Chicken Farm : What started less than two years ago as a modest chicken farm has now grown into a large social enterprise with healthy revenue growth and margins. The impact of the chain is already noticeable: a genuine chicken industry is emerging in this area. There is good contact with the local government and farmers from the area. Together we discover how we can improve the market. Almost naturally, cooperative methods arise that strengthen the position of farmers, for example when it comes to purchasing raw materials.

The slaughterhouse is the newest extension and started just after the summer. With this we meet the high demand for the hygienic slaughter and processing of chickens.

Bakeries : Last year we started with small-scale bakeries. Based on the women's feedback, the approach has been adjusted on a few points. This way the groups become a bit smaller and there is extra support for the sale and promotion of the loaves. It is nice to see how these women are involved in what they do - they are proud of what they have achieved and are eager to help thinking about improvements for the future.

Sewing Workshop : You notice it immediately when you walk into the sewing workshop and you see it in the photo: you just want to work here. And not just because of the large chocolate cake that is on the table. With the cake, the women (and the manager) celebrate that they have achieved a very good result after a difficult start in sales. Together they came up with an improvement plan to sell more dresses: in addition to the regular points of sale, they went out to the women. The mutual involvement, the tireless efforts of the manager and the good atmosphere ensure that the sewing workshop is well-known in the area. In the past year they sold no fewer than 2,000 home-made items of clothing.

Community Center

Our first community center is open! We had to wait a long time for the government to approve all the official documents, but our patience is rewarded. The four supervisors have been living on the site since the summer, and the first orphans were selected in mid-December and moved there. More children will follow in the course of 2020. 

It is an exciting process: the design and form of this center will serve as a blueprint for future communities. The intention is that the widows also take care of one or more homeless orphans. In this manner we stimulate new social structures, so that women and children - who no longer enjoy protection and care from their biological family - can experience the safety and security of a family.