Helping the Afghan people through their livestock fghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 36% of the population below the poverty line. Of the 35.5 million Afghans, about 24 million are living in the countryside, being more or less dependent on agriculture and livestock.
Address:
Street # 5 of Syloo, House # 152-153, District 3, Kabul, Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, 73% of families live in rural areas and are dependent on livestock and subsistence farming. These families are the main beneficiaries of DCA. By improving the health and production of their livestock, we strive to lift them out of poverty and improve their quality of life. This applies particularly to the very poor, the women, and the Kuchi – the Afghan pastoralists. Many very poor farmers are engaged in subsistence livestock keeping, but cannot afford to pay for veterinary services. For them, DCA organises livestock vaccination and awareness campaigns. Moreover, these poor farmers receive in-kind and technical support to improve the production of their livestock. By developing livestock value chains DCA offers them new opportunities to improve their standard of living. Women in Afghanistan are marginalized and vulnerable. They are largely uneducated and illiterate. Many of them are confined to their homes without any economic prospects. To empower Afghan women, DCA organises special female extension groups and self-help groups. In these groups, the women are encouraged to improve the production of their livestock and were possible to start their own small business.
The nomadic Kuchi possess half of the total livestock population in Afghanistan. However, they have limited access to veterinary services. To solve this problem, DCA trains Kuchi paravets and Basic Veterinary Workers who migrate together with the Kuchi herds. In addition, sedentary VFUs are located where possible adjacent to Kuchi migration routes. Annually, more than 10 million families, farmers, and VFU staff benefit from DCA projects, either directly or indirectly. Some 20,000 Kuchi receive direct support from DCA, for example through training, in extension meetings, or in value chain development. Another million is indirectly benefitting, mainly thanks to the veterinary services and extension meetings provided by the VFUs. In addition, millions of families benefit from the DCA seasonal extension messages broadcasted by radio.
