Income Generation Scheme in Afghanistan for widow families

Background 

Many years of war and civil strife has left Afghanistan in need of various forms of support. As in any country recovering from a war, the most vulnerable groups of a society that suffer the most are widows, children, elderly and disabled. Hunger, sickness, poverty and a sheer sense of hopelessness is a daily way of life for these people.

As you can well imagine, this turbulent past has left the country with a very high number of widows. These are poor women for whom daily life is a struggle; a struggle to feed their families, a struggle to educate their children and a struggle to keep their children warm in the harsh winter months. These are women who desperately need our help.

The average family size ranges from 14-16 people so this impacts on how much is needed to feed and clothe these families on a monthly basis.  In Afghanistan, it is the norm for 2-3 generations to live together and hence the large number of individuals under one roof. For a family of 16 people the average minimum income needed on a monthly basis for food, water, clothes, heating, rent, wood, and school fees is approximately 20,000 Afghani rupees ($260).

Income Generation Projects:

Livestock Distribution (in village Areas)

Ownership of livestock is a means to improving the lifestyle and livelihood of the widow families. The children of the family normally assist in caring for the animals. Most of the younger children, less than 16 years of age, go to school in the morning and assist with grazing the flock in the afternoons/evening while most of the older children graze the flock in the mornings as well as take the by-products to sell in the markets. These by-products would not only increase the income of the family but would also be a source of food and drink for the family. 

• Sheep Distribution

In village and mountain areas, we can distribute 5 sheep and 5 lamb per widow family, so that they can use the by-products as an income source. Uses include selling their wool, butter, milk, yogurt, meat and lamb for cash. 

From the 5 sheep we distribute, we will collect back 1 lamb per year from each family to self-sustain our sheep distribution programme, so that we can keep helping more families with existing resources. 

Potential Income Generation from the livestock

Quantity	Production	Potential Monthly Earnings
5 sheep & 5 Lamb	7 1/2 litre Milk per day from which they make Butter, Dry Yoghurt New Baby Lamb born Wool from the lambs	Wool every 3 months = 500 rupees for each sheep, therefore potential earnings of 2,500 rupees every 3 months 1kg butter= 500 rupees – approx. 10-15 kg can be sold per month 1kg Dry yoghurt= 500 rupees – approx. 10 kg can be sold per month

Monthly Income generated from this scheme could approx. be 13,000 Afghani Rupees which would be of great help to the family. This income in addition to the income generated from small jobs from other family members could potentially be sufficient to keep the entire family fed, clothed, educated and for medications. 

It costs approximately $150 for one sheep and one lamb depending on the province the livestock is being bought from. The total cost for 5 sheep and 5 lamb is approximately $750.

• Cow Distribution

In village areas, we can distribute 1 cow and 1 baby calf per widow family, so that they can use the by-products as an income source. Uses include selling of butter, milk, meat from produced calves for cash. 

From the 1 cow and 1 baby calf we distribute, we can collect back 1 calf every 3 years from each family to self-sustain our cow distribution programme, so that we can keep helping more families with existing resources. 

Quantity	Production	Potential Monthly Earnings
1 Cow & 1 Baby Calf	20 litre Milk per day from which they make Butter, Dry Yoghurt, cream	1kg butter= 500 rupees – approx. 10 kg can be sold per month 1kg Dry yoghurt= 500 rupees – approx. 10 kg can be sold per month 1Kg cream that cost approx. 5,000 rupees

Monthly Income generated from this scheme could approx. be 15,000 Afghani Rupees which would be of great help to the family. This income in addition to the income generated from small jobs from other family members could potentially be sufficient to keep the entire family fed, clothed, educated and for medications. 

It costs approximately $750 for one cow and one baby calf.

Sewing Training Centre in Herat

In order to provide training to sewing machine recipients, we need a rented building where the training can take place as well as 20 machines, tables and irons which will be used as a base to provide training to all sewing machine scheme recipient.

1 Machine with its table, iron and scissors costs $750.00 and the cost to set up the training centre with 20 machines will be $15,000.00. These will stay in the centre for all future training. Once a trainee will have completed their course, a new machine, iron, scissors and table will be gifted so that they can start their own business. 

• Sewing Machine

We want to distribute sewing machines throughout Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Balkh province to widows. The widows can use their artistic skills and make beautifully stitched garments to sell and make a living for themselves and their children. 

Training

The Training for this scheme takes place for 30-40 days for 30 widows per batch. Trainees who will be sewing machine recipients, once complete their course and are confident of their new skill, will also receive professional scissors as well as an iron which will be part of their package to start their own business. 

* This programme requires a base to provide training to the ladies and needs an investment of $15,000 which will be utilised for many years to come (details of Sewing Training Centre provide above in this document).

It costs $750 for one machine, table, iron, scissors and the required training.

This scheme provides employment to at least 4 individuals in the family as one cuts, one sews, one irons the clothes and the last one packs the clothes.

The material and the sample design will be provided by a contracted company that will be engaged by our charity. For each piece produced, the company pays 90 Afghani Rupees which is the contracted rate agreed.

Sewing machine recipients will be liable to pay a 5% commission for the total amount they earn from this scheme. This will allow the charity to invest in more machines and support training to new recipients to be able to provide support to other families.

An approx. of 15-18,000 Afghani Rupees can be earned per month from stitching less the 5% commission can leave the family with at least 14-16,000 Afghani Rupees. This amount in addition to income received from other family members’ odd jobs can meet the family’s necessities.

• Carpet Machine

We want to distribute carpet making machines to widow families throughout Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Balkh. Income generation scheme helps them become more financially independent and support themselves and their children to a brighter future. 

This scheme will be provided to those who are already skilled to use the carpet machine. Beneficiaries of this scheme would be those in employment with other carpet machine owners and earning very little for the work they have mastered and produced. This scheme will provide them with the means of starting their own business.

The arrangement for this scheme will be through a contracted company by our charity that will provide them with the material and the design to make the carpet and on completion will pay them the rate agreed with us.

A carpet machine owner through this scheme can generate approximately 20,000 Afghani Rupees on a monthly basis which provides adequate resources to support the entire family.

Each machine costs $1,500.

Carpet machine recipients will be liable to pay a 5% commission for the total amount they earn from this scheme. This will allow the charity to provide support to other families. After the 5% commission, the family would be left with approx. 19,000 Afghani Rupees which should meet the families’ necessities.

Micro Finance

We want to provide 2-year interest free loans of $100 to $500 to individuals to start their own business. Micro finance helps people to start generating income for their families and supporting themselves as well as the surrounding community. The agreement will be for the recipient to provide a 5% commission on their profit for life and for the capital to be returned within 2 years.

The ongoing commission from the invested businesses will provide capital to finance other individuals in need of capital to start their own business.