Overview

In Afghanistan, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in promoting development, providing inclusive and critical basic services, strengthening local community action and ownership, and responding in swift and flexible ways to the needs of the population. However, since August 2021, the Afghan civil society has suffered greatly from the dire economic, social and political situation. The NGO sector has faced significant organizational constraints and sectoral and institutional gaps, worsened by the current operating environment.

Supporting NGOs and CSOs in Afghanistan today is a critical development need. NGOs provide a critical voice for Afghans, expedite and target service delivery, and enhance social cohesion and local ownership of the development process, which are essential for sustainability and security. CSOs and NGOs are especially important for delivering services to Afghan girls and women.

The proposed project aims to sustain the activities of NGOs/CSOs in the short to medium term and enhance their capacities, to strengthen local networks, empower, and integrate community members, especially the most vulnerable, including women and girls. The key activities of the project are:

•  Mapping and Capacity Strengthening of select NGOs and CSOs
•  Provision of operational support grants to select NGOs and CSOs
• Development and Coordination of NGO platform(s)

Objectives

Given the central role of NGOs/CSOs in terms of basic service delivery, gender equality and life-saving support to the most vulnerable populations, the project aims to support NGOs/CSOs in the short to medium term by strengthening their capacities and sustaining their activities. Based on a clear identification and classification of existing CSOs/NGOs and the analysis of their challenges and constraints, the enhanced capacity of select NGOs/CSOs will contribute to the objectives of ABADEI (Area-based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives) and have direct positive economic and social impacts on communities. To develop meaningful and impactful engagements sustained over time, the proposed project will also create avenues for dialogue and coordination to strengthen the voice of NGOs/CSOs.