Work for Wheat project provides employment for thousands in Takhar

KUNDUZ -- The United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) has created employment opportunities for more than 10,000 individuals in Takhar province to help relieve families from economic hardship and the risk of extreme hunger.

The WFP will distribute more than 122 tonnes of wheat to Takhar workers through an initiative called the Wheat for Work project, said Azmat Noor Mohammad, director of the Takhar Provincial Directorate of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.

"We have launched 26 projects, prioritising infrastructure projects, including repairing and rehabilitating rural roads and cleaning water intakes, dams and irrigation canals that have been affected by floods and other natural disasters, so that farmers can conveniently irrigate their land," he said.

"The projects have been launched in Taloqan, the Takhar provincial capital, and in 16 districts, where more than 10,000 unemployed individuals will find work and receive wheat in return for their work," Mohammad explained.

The projects started on April 21 and will continue for two months, he said, adding that each worker will receive 10kg of wheat daily.

Alleviating poverty, hunger

Such interventions are a positive step to create jobs and alleviate poverty and hunger, which have substantially increased throughout Afghanistan since last year, say the beneficiaries of Work for Wheat.

Mohammad Zahir, 45, a resident of Taloqan city, was working as a day labourer and could hardly earn enough to feed his six-member family.

Since he was unemployed for almost nine months, his situation has worsened.

"I would return home empty-handed every day and did not know what to do and how to feed my family," he said.

"Fortunately, since last week, I have started working on a project that involves paving the roads," he said on May 2. "I receive 10kg of wheat daily in return for my work."

Thanks to the WFP project, "I am better off now than in the past," he said.

The market price for 1kg of wheat is about 200 AFN ($2.29).

Abdul Samad Ahadi, another beneficiary of the project, said he is happy to be working.

"I had nothing to eat, nor did I have money to buy food. Now that I have income, I can put food on the table for my family," he said.

"I prefer to be busy and enjoy working so that I can earn a halal income for my family," he said. "I was very concerned about being jobless. I had hopes to continue working and to build my country."

"I work from 8am to 4pm now. All of the people who work with me are impoverished and vulnerable," he said. "These projects help us find a much needed alternative way to support our families."

Benefit of continued assistance

Many Takhar residents appreciate the timely intervention of international donor organisations that have been able to address most of the public's problems related to unemployment and hunger.

Such humanitarian assistance will alleviate the economic and food crises in the country, and also help stem illegal immigration to neighbouring countries, they say.

"The UN and donor countries did not forget the Afghan people as they are going through difficult times," said Mohammad Azim Rasa, a civil society activist in Takhar province.

"They have continued to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families to the extent their resources allow."

"We witnessed how these organisations provided humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families during the winter. Even now that the winter has passed, they continue to provide such assistance in other areas across the province," he said.