SWEDISH COMMITTEE FOR AFGHANISTAN. Annual Report and Final Accounts 2014 کمیته سویدن برای افغانستان د افغانستان لپاره د سویډن کمیټه

Transcription

1 SWEDISH Annual Report and Final Accounts 2014 COMMITTEE FOR AFGHANISTAN د افغانستان لپاره د سویډن کمیټه کمیته سویدن برای افغانستان

2 COVER Above: Midwife students Anjuma Khair Andesh and Nooruma Azizi at the SCA supported midwifery education in Aibak, Samangan. Below: Qurban, 15, is deaf. Through SCA support he has been able to go to school, and the whole family has been taught sign language so that they can talk to each other. Photo: Malin Hoelstad. CONTENTS A word from the chairperson... 3 Annual report Our vision, mission and values... 4 Afghanistan in 2014 the transition... 6 Commitment for change SCA s shift Access to quality health services Quality education Improved livelihood opportunities Influence and participation Public and political commitment SCA in Conflict, risk and security Corruption and criminality Management Organisation Staff The Board of SCA Editor: Gudrun Renberg [gudrun.renberg@sak.se] Photo (where nothing else is mentioned): Malin Hoelstad Layout: Johan Nilsson/ Kombinera Printed in Kabul June 2015, by Baheer (BPP) Final accounts Administration report Income statement Balance sheet Cash flow statement Notes Audit report Association auditors report

3 A WORD FROM THE CHAIRPERSON AT OUR 35 TH YEAR IN AFGHANISTAN THE YEAR that passed can be characterized by the word evaluation. Our donors have assessed the results achieved, but first and foremost the effects of our work. The results of the evaluations have been positive. We are on the right track and this is good news for the whole organisation, especially in light of the fact that our new strategic plan was launched in WE HAVE demanded an independent evaluation of Sweden s actions in Afghanistan, in total 13 years and around 16 billion SEK in assistance in various forms approved by the Swedish Parliament, including military spending. In light of promises made regarding increased funding for development assistance, such an evaluation is necessary especially with a focus on the connection between the military and civil society. SCA CONTRIBUTES to the development in one of the world s poorest countries. We target the most vulnerable groups girls, women, persons with disabilities and rural communities. During the year, we have developed a three-year plan and an application to our biggest donor, SIDA. We have also applied directly to the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan to service the health sector in two provinces. These are three applications that have demanded much from the organisation, and that we hope a lot will come from. THE YEAR that passed has of course to a large degree been characterized by the general events in Afghanistan. First, a presidential election with no clear winner and then a solution with joint rule between the two main candidates. Second, the withdrawal of foreign troops, which also has had a direct effect on the Afghan economy. The murder of Swedish Radio correspondent Nils Horner accentuated the security situation for many people who do not work in, or have reasons to have daily contact with, Afghanistan. SCA HAS during the year noted an increased demand for our knowledge of Afghanistan. Our own members magazine A-Nytt, read by a far wider circle than the presently over 8,000 members and monthly donors, has expanded to meet the demand, and many of our members have been interviewed in the media. But, at the same time as we see this increased interest in the SCA expertise, we have also noted a certain general Afghanistan fatigue. WE HOPE that this report of our work in 2014 can instill new energy in the commitment to Afghanistan outside of SCA. We must not forget Afghanistan now. Peder Jonsson Chairperson for the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan chairperson@sak.se 3

4 VISION, MISSION AND VALUES VISION AN AFGHANISTAN FREE FROM POVERTY, VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION The vision of SCA is an Afghanistan free from poverty, violence and discrimination, where human rights are respected and all live in dignity, enjoy equal opportunity and social justice. MISSION GIVING PEOPLE POWER OVER THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR LIVES The mission of SCA is to empower individuals, communities and local organisations, primarily in rural areas and with a particular focus on women, girls, boys and vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, so that they may participate fully in society and influence their own development. SCA will achieve this by working closely with communities, local and national civil society organisations and relevant levels of government, and by combining capacity development, advocacy and service provision. SCA IS CHARACTERIZED BY respect for the Afghan people s right to selfdetermination equal treatment of people regardless of religion, gender or ethnicity knowledge and understanding of culture and religion in Afghanistan, as well as respect for the importance that cultural and religious values have in people s lives compliance with universal human rights. SCA CORE VALUES RESPONSIVENESS We work in respectful cooperation with target groups to address their needs and legitimate demands with an emphasis on local ownership. IMPARTIALITY While upholding the duty to be inclusive and non-discriminatory in our approach, we do not take sides in conflicts and do not support specific factions or parties representing various interests in society. EQUALITY We promote equal opportunities and facilitate equal access to resources for all citizens, including women, girls, boys and persons with disabilities. SOCIAL JUSTICE We strive to be fair to all with whom we work. While working to affirm the rights of all individuals, we recognize that differences in gender, individual capabilities and identities give rise to varied needs and interests. INTEGRITY We are true to our mission, maintaining honesty and transparency in all of what we do and say, upholding a spirit of openness and sharing with stakeholders, while always prepared to be held to account for our actions. 4

5 AFGHANISTAN I R A N Herat Herat Farah Nimroz TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN 1. Jowzjan Sheberghan Mazar-e-Sharif Balkh Maymana Samangan TADJIKISTAN 3. Kunduz Kunduz 2. Baghlan Badakshan 4. Faizabad Taloqan Takhar Faryab Sar-e-Pul Panjshir Nuristan Badghis Bamiyan Parwan Kapisa Kunar Kabul Laghman Wardak 8. Nangarhar Jalalabad Ghor Logar 9. Dai Kundi Ghazni Paktia Khost Uruzgan Paktika Zabul Kandahar Helmand Kandahar Kabul P A K I S T A N # SCA Offices CHINA 1. Mazar-e-Sharif 2. Aibak 3. Kunduz 4. Taloqan 5. Mehtarlam 6. Jalalabad 7. Kabul Management Office 8. Wardak 9. Ghazni SCA works in 16 of 34 provinces. These are marked in blue. 5

6 AFGHANISTAN IN 2014 A DECADE OF TRANSFORMATION The period has been called the decade of transformation for Afghanistan. The term transformation refers to the shift to full Afghan responsibility for its security as the international troops withdraw, but also to the development of the Afghan state towards increased independence. 6 THE YEAR 2014 has been called a year of transition. Presidential and provincial elections were carried out and a Unity Government was formed in September, in spite of accusations of electoral fraud and large flaws in the electoral processes. Participation in the elections was widespread despite the Taliban s efforts to disrupt, more than 7 million Afghan citizens are estimated to have voted out of an electorate of 12 million. 36 percent of the voters were women. The numbers, however, are uncertain was also the year when most of the international troops withdrew from Afghanistan. In May, the Swedish military base in Mazar-e-Sharif was vacated according to plan. In September, the Bilateral Security Agreement was finally signed between the newly elected president Ashraf Ghani and the US and NATO. It states that about 12,000 foreign troops will remain in the country after year s end, as compared to 52,000 in the beginning of the year. In 2015, this number will be reduced considerably. These remaining international troops will train the Afghan security forces and conduct counterterrorism operations. The agreement is also linked to the ongoing delivery of aid that the Afghan government depends upon. But 2014 was also a year of dramatically increased violence. After having seen the numbers for violent incidents and killings go up substantially the year before, violence and turbulence continued to plague Afghanistan even more in The number of civilians killed was the highest since the UN began keeping systematic records in 2009: 3,699 people died. Another 6,849 people were injured, bringing the number of civilian casualties up to 10,548 a 22 percent increase from last year. Much of the violence was related to the electoral process. The months before the elections in April were plagued by attacks and killings, and these disturbances peaked again in June, when the second round of elections took place. A large proportion of the injuries and killings is to be found among either the armed oppositional groups (such as the Taliban) or among the Afghan Security Forces; both sides having initiated attacks on each other. But many incidents also targeted the aid community, UN and NGO staff, where more people than in previous years were killed and injured. The majority of the victims of violence were Afghans and the violence mainly occurred in rural areas where the local populations suffered with wider implications on development for individuals and communities than casualty figures can account for. Widows are left without their breadwinners and submitted to violence and stigmatization, their children taken out of school. Around 800,000 Afghans are now displaced as a direct consequence of the war and the instability. The most insecure regions are in the east, southeast and south of Afghanistan, along the border to Pakistan. THE POLITICAL SITUATION After the second election round in June, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah were the two remaining competing candidates, and a long period of both turmoil and stall in Afghan politics began. Abdullah Abdullah accused Ashraf Ghani of widespread fraud, and after fruitless discussions where the UN was involved, the candidates agreed to recount and audit all the votes. In August the two candidates agreed to form a national unity government after talks with US

7 Secretary of State John Kerry. The Independent Elections Commission announced Ashraf Ghani to be the elected president and Abdullah Abdullah as Executive Chief Officer later to become prime minister. On September 30, Ghani was sworn in and took office. The day after he signed the Bilateral Security Agreement with the US and NATO; something former president Karzai had refused to do. Ashraf Ghani spent his first months as president declaring his determination to bring about significant changes in Afghanistan. He took measures to attack corruption, and he has also been very vocal regarding women s rights and his wish to promote women within the administration. A great deal of hope is attached to the governmental agreement; that it will create stability and spare Afghanistan from being thrown into deep ethnic conflicts. Amendments to the constitution are on the agenda, and if almost all ethnicities and groups will be represented in the new government, including the warlords of the Northern Alliance, many argue that this will bring a measure of calm. Others worry that it will increase instability as a result of power pacts. There is concern that Ghani s Western management style and rush to stamp out corruption could alienate him from his political peers. Others speculate that Abdullah s political brinkmanship could balance out any concerns on the political front, and that the two leaders could actually be a formidable combination one administrative, one political if properly managed. ECONOMY At the ministerial conference in London in December, the commitments made in Tokyo in 2012 were reaffirmed. In Tokyo, the international donor community and the Afghan government agreed on a framework for mutual accountability and aid cooperation. The Afghan government now presented a reform package dealing with most sectors called Realizing Self-Reliance. The parties acknowledged the continued importance of dialogue and the involvement of the Afghan civil society as well as international NGOs in the process, as Afghanistan now enters the decade of transformation, The economic growth for Afghanistan in 2014 was approximately 3 percent a drastic dive from previous years. In June 2012, the level was as high as 14.4 percent, but the decrease had begun already in The overall performance of the economy looked promising The rate of inflation and the debt levels were low, while the international reserve was high (the level reached USD 7 billion and has been maintained until the end of 2014). The decrease in growth rate from 2013 can be explained by the withdrawal of foreign forces, a prolonged electoral process, fading business confidence and persistent corruption within the Afghan government. Factors like the unfavorable domestic and regional security situation, political instability, inadequate implementation of economic policies and, most importantly, donors fatigue affected the economy as a whole. The forecast for GDP growth for 2015 is 3.8 percent, while the inflation forecast is 6.6 percent for 2015 (compared to 6.2 percent in 2014). The growth of revenue for the Afghan state has not been strong in the last decade. An important reason for this is the widespread corruption. 3,699 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2014 an increase of 25 percent compared to percent was the level of economic growth in Afghanistan in 2014 a deep dive from 14,4 percent in June

8 SCA TARGET GROUPS AND PARTNERS Capacity building of CBO partners; 285,246 Professional exchange project; 28,908 Capacity building of provincial and district govnmt; 61,834 THE SITUATION FOR WOMEN There have been significant gains for Afghan women in recent years. Almost four million girls are in school; the highest number in Afghanistan s history. Furthermore, women, particularly in urban areas, work increasingly as professionals. Laws are in place to protect Afghan women and their rights, and the Constitution guarantees women s equality before the law, equal rights to education and women s right to work. Important gains have been made to narrow gender differences in education, and women s participation in public life and their political representation has increased. But the climate of persistent and extreme violence, in addition to a deteriorating human rights situation, in particular for women, continued in One indication is that the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission has seen a 16 percent increase in registered cases in comparison with the number of crimes committed against women and girls during the same period last year. The commission defines violence against women as one of the most acute problems when it comes to human rights in Afghanistan. This increase most likely depends on a variety of factors, such as the widespread insecurity. Another, more positive, possible COST PER SECTION WITHIN SCA s PROGRAMME FOR REHABILITATION OF AFGHANS WITH DISABILITY, USD Policy, advocacy and research; 97, MUSD Competence development; 774,224 Orthopaedic workshops; 960,351 Infrastructure (physio and ortho workshop construction); 201,084 Infrastruktur (sjukgymnastik- och otopedkliniker) Social 1,4integration 1,335,288 Physiotherapy; 727,751 Livelihood/ Employment support; 656,219 Special and inclusive education; 753,695 factor may also be an increasing awareness of human and women s rights and with that an increased tendency to actually report abuse. But the possibilities for women to have their cases of violence against them treated within the judicial system are minimal, and persistent negative social and cultural norms and attitudes continue to obstruct the realization of women s constitutional and human rights. Almost all of the reported violence (98 percent) occurs in the private sphere, by husbands and near relatives, in the home a place many Afghan women are strictly bound to most of their lives. However, several legal processes during 2014 open up for opportunities in the upcoming years for addressing barriers for eliminating violence against women. One is the comprehensive review of the Penal Code that is being carried out and which will include gender-based violence crimes, including sexual harassment. In addition, Afghanistan is expected to draft a new, comprehensive Family Code. Another encouraging development is the government s recent approval of the National Action Plan with regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which reaffirms Afghanistan s commitment to protect women and girls from all types of violence, particularly in conflict situations. An important ongoing process concerns the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women the so-called EVAW law. The law was sent to Parliament in 2014, but is yet to be approved. The year also saw two important and high profile conferences highlighting the international commitment to women s issues in Afghanistan. One was the symposium Women s Rights and Empowerment in Afghanistan in Oslo, the other was the London Ministerial Conference in December. SITUATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES According to the latest National Disability Survey of Afghanistan (2005), approximately 2.7 percent of Afghans live with severe disabilities. If less severe disabilities are included, the rate goes up to to 4.8 percent. Not surprisingly, war is the primary reason for physical disabilities, followed by accidents and various diseases. One in every five households has a member with a disability. Despite this, disability is still not high up on the agenda of the Afghan government. Disability services, both on the national and subnational levels, are mainly provided by national and international NGOs. Limited access to health services, livelihood, employment and education for the children are some of the obstacles facing persons 8

9 with disabilities. They also often face negative attitudes and social exclusion. Furthermore, they are also, to a much higher degree than others, exposed to severe poverty. However, there has been some progress in the last years in terms of provision of services, raising awareness regarding the needs and rights of persons with disabilities as well as inclusion of persons with disabilities in their communities. There is also some legislation in place. For instance, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities has been ratified by the Afghan government. And, in 2014, the third Draft of Afghanistan National Policy for Persons with Disabilities was completed. In 2014, and for the first time in the country, the Afghan Cricket Board organized a cricket tournament for youths with disabilities. As a result, 30 youths with disabilities were identified and selected as members in the National Cricket Team for Persons with Disabilities. In addition, a hearing impaired cricket team from the Afghan National Association of the Deaf (ANAD) participated in a hearing impaired cricket tournament in Pakistan. These events were sponsored by SCA. CIVIL SOCIETY SITUATION Over the last couple of years the civil society s relations with the Afghan government has improved some, and the civil society is increasingly involved in advocacy efforts. Many organisations now openly criticize the government, especially with regards to corruption issues, but they still face many difficulties like some officials lack of recognition regarding the value of civil society programmes. The political turbulence, the violence and the withdrawal of international forces in 2014 were major concerns identified as political and security challenges affecting civil society. Many programmes and activities slowed down in various provinces mainly due to insecurity. Many organisations were also concerned about the effects of decreasing international presence and donor support. In spite of this, many organisations were very active in the electoral processes; both when it came to demanding answers from the candidates about their positions on various matters, but also when it came to monitoring how the elections were carried out. Nearly two thirds of the registered civil society organisations are based in Kabul, close to government officials and donors. But Afghanistan also houses more traditional organisations based in rural areas, for example elders groups and other community based shuras and councils. These are often not registered and do not receive donor funding, but they nevertheless have the potential to bring about changes in the communities they belong to. This is one point of departure for SCA s work with civil society partners. SCA targets rural communities with specific attention to women, children and persons with disabilities, in addition to local groups. SCA sees these community based groups can form an important force in the work for change and for influencing decision-makers at the local level. t SCA conducts schooling and rehabilitation for children with disabilities, in order to grant them their rights to education and health care. Farwa was born with celebral palsy and this makes it difficult for her to control her body. Each weak SCA special teacher Rahima visits her, teaches her and helps her train her body. 9

10 COMMITMENT FOR CHANGE SCA s SHIFT EVERYONE WORKS TOWARDS THE SAME OBJECTIVES From 2014 on, the sector programmes of SCA work jointly to achieve five strategic objectives, instead of, as done earlier, each programme works separately towards their own programme objectives. 10 EMBARKING ON A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN In 2014, SCA launched its new Strategic Plan The Strategic Plan is built on participatory processes, which are the foundation for the reorientation and the methodological and structural changes that then commenced for SCA. It is built on a deep understanding emanating from years of committed involvement from staff and members and on good relations with communities and external stakeholders. It is a plan that has critically analysed the changing context in which SCA operates, drawn lessons from the past, reaffirmed the target group focus and expanded the internal depth of the methodologies SCA wish to apply to achieve its development goals. At the core of SCA s attention and ambition are the most vulnerable groups in rural Afghanistan: women, girls, children and persons with disabilities. It is with them and for them that SCA works. Already in SCA s first Strategic Plan , the first steps towards a shift from an activity- to a results-based approach to empower key target groups were taken, as well as steps to move away from a needs-driven approach to a rights-based one. In essence, the strategic planning processes has been a process of change that has matured over time and has now become firmly established through three approaches: service delivery, capacity development and advocacy. The rights-based approach has been dissected from both a cultural and a religious perspective, which has gained acceptance and understanding among both staff and target groups. Gender mainstreaming has been approached in a similar way and gained increased conceptual acceptance and importance in both planning and implementation. It has also become increasingly clear for the organisation how capacity development of civil society groups and local governance structures is naturally linked to a rights-based perspective. The new strategic objectives challenge SCA to analyse its operations in relation to more sustainable changes. Important steps have also been taken to develop an advocacy framework to set the stage for more determined and focused advocacy work at the local, national and international arenas. New staff was recruited in 2014, but much work remains to be done in order to integrate advocacy in SCA operations. Our ambition is also to link a more formal research component to the programme and advocacy work. The new Strategic Plan is presenting the organisation with a fundamentally new objective design structure. In the past, programmes had a clear identifiable sector strategy that addressed

11 their particular programme area. The new design with five strategic objectives is addressing a combined effort of all programmes to jointly contribute to these. In the same manner, the results framework and the activities undertaken are structured to facilitate overall, extra- programme efforts. In the detailed work when specifying the objectives, there has also been a move to involve the target groups with more concerted efforts to capture their views and inputs. While stakeholder workshops have been part of the planning process for many years, their focus has been at a provincial level with a rather diverse group of stakeholders. To get closer to the target groups, more stakeholder consultations have been shifted to district or project site level. To involve the target groups more thoroughly in the planning and monitoring processes, this work needs to continue in the upcoming years especially when it comes to involving the most vulnerable groups of society. SCA s FIVE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1. HEALTH: Equitable access to and utilisation of health services by women, children, people with disabilities and rural communities. 2. EDUCATION: Equal access to quality educational opportunities. 3. RURAL LIVELIHOODS: Women, people with disabilities and vulnerable rural housholds are making a secure means of living that provides resilience against shocks and emergencies. 4. COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE: Community members are actively engaged in decision-making, influencing the development of their communities and are able to hold relevant stakeholders to account. 5. PUBLIC AND POLITICAL COMMITMENT: Public and political commitment in Sweden and in Europe for the rights of the people of Afghanistan. 11

12 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: Equitable access to and utilisation of health services by women, children, people with disabilities and rural communities. porthopedic technician Noorulhuda makes a leg prosthesis in the hospital of Jalalabad. ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES In two provinces, Lagman and Wardak, SCA had full responsibility for health care at 103 health facilities within the framework of BPHS (Basic Package of Health Services) and EPHS (Essential Package of Hospital Services), contracted by the Afghan government. In the Samangan province SCA undertook other health activities, such as the School Health Project and the Learning for a Healthy Life classes. The main donor of the SCA health work is the World Bank, followed by SIDA, Forum Syd and some other minor donors. 12 THE HEALTH SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN During the past decade, Afghanistan s health sector has seen certain progress for many Afghans, in particular for women and children. An increasing part of the population now has access to primary health care, and the number of cases of diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and tuberculosis is going down. According to WHO statistics, life expectancy has risen from 55 years in 2002 to 60 in More and more deliveries are performed by skilled staff, and the number of prenatal care visits is also increasing. Child mortality is also going down. In December 2014, The State of Afghanistan s Midwifery 2014 report was released. It shows a dramatic increase in the number of midwives during the last decade, and this has played a significant part in reducing maternal mortality from 1,200 per 100,000 live births in 2002, to 400 in 2012, according to WHO. In 2002, there were only 467 midwives in the whole country, but a decade later the number had risen to more than 4,600. Still, only 23 percent of the estimated needs for maternal and reproductive health services are currently met, and mother and child mortality is still high in global comparison. The health care in the country furthermore still shows large weaknesses when it comes to access to and quality of the services offered. Broad health actions in all areas are therefore still crucial. SCA DEVELOPMENTS IN 2014 In 2014, SCA had contracts with the Ministry of Health to carry out health services in what is called the Basic Package of Health (BPHS) and the Essential Package of Health (EHPS) in the two provinces of Laghman and Wardak.

13 During 2014, SCA developed its efforts to prevent illness in a longer perspective. To achieve this, it is important to make sure that the citizens have sufficient and relevant knowledge of their own health and of their rights, which is just as important as making sure that there are clinics and skilled health staff within reach. In order to reach this objective, SCA worked in several ways, at different levels and through various structures: through clinics and local health workers, but also through schools and by improving sanitation infrastructure. The focus, as always, was on the target groups: women, children and persons with disabilities. SCA health activities range from improving access to health facilities, ensuring that there is maternal and infant care, that there are physically accessible clinics for persons with disabilities as well as access to clean water. An important activity during 2014 was to deliver health education to rural communities, another one to educate health staff and to supply clinics and rehabilitation centers with medicin and equipment. However, during 2014 SCA faced difficulties delivering enough medicines to its health facilities. One reason was that the funds assigned to this within the agreement with the Aghan state was insufficient, another one that the distribution network did not function all the way. Medicine is furthermore often used to a greater extent than what is actually needed. Health education for rural communities SCA s health education during 2014 intensified. It focused on mental health, disability awareness, the prevention of common diseases and recognising warning signs, especially those associated with pregnancy and child birth. Information regarding hand washing, hygiene and the use of safe drinking water was incorporated into health education sessions. These were delivered at all SCA run health facilities the main channels for health information. Information was also disseminated through radio and TV to, primarily, persons with disabilities. Through so-called Family Health Action groups, community health workers carried out health education at family and village level. These groups are comprised of women, each representing households in her area. SCA continued in 2014 to work with 82 existing groups to distribute key material on maternal and child health, and to encourage visiting maternal care facilities. These groups function as a support mechanism for the community health workers, who play an important role when it comes to promoting health at the community level. Learning for a Healthy Life is a programme for women in the Wardak, Laghman and Samangan provinces. The programme combines literacy training with key health information in order to empower women to make informed choices about their own health, in addition to promoting reproductive and child health services. In 2014, more than 2,000 women attended these classes organised by SCA. Water and sanitation SCA implemented water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities in close cooperation with the provincial authorities in the Laghman, Wardak, Kunduz and Takhar provinces. Over 3,000 families have gained access to safe drinking water during the year due to SCA s construction of wells. The communities participated actively in selecting the well sites, where some of the criteria were that the site must be public and accessible, agreed upon by the users, as well as safe and secure for women. Over 900 households have also improved their household latrines, and awareness-raising campaigns and hygiene information have been distributed to households through male and female hygiene educators. SCA field staff mem- UNCERTAIN STATISTICS Statistics in Afghanistan are generally very uncertain. All data on the number of people or percentage of the population carrying a certain disease, going to school, being employed etc. must be used with caution. 17,105 persons (9,407 female) received hygiene and health information. Health shuras participated in awareness- raising sessions for the rights of persons with disabilities. 88USD the average cost per patient at SCA run orthopaedic workshops. AFGHANISTAN TODAY 77 infants out of 1,000 die before the age of one, 97 children out of 1,000 die before the age of five. Violence against women is widespread and maternal mortality is among the highest in the world. Only 23 percent of pregnant women have access to maternal care. Persons with disabilities are often discriminated against, are less healthy and have less access to health care than others. Access to health care is particularly scarce in remote and insecure areas, and there is a general lack of health staff especially female. This primarily affects women. SCA OBJECTIVES SCA target groups and communities have a better understanding of how to prevent illness and improve their health Health services increasingly meet the specific needs of the target communities with a focus on women and girls, with and without disabilities, and other marginalized groups Communities are more actively involved in the promotion of accountable and responsive health services. IN 2014 SCA provided 1,824,175 patients in two provinces with health care Diagnostic and treatment methods for infants with displacement of the hip improved through SCA s training sessions for health staff 21 midwives and 23 community nurses graduated from SCA supported education programmes SCA operated 4 orthopedic workshops and 26 physiotherapy rehabilitation centres. 13

14 Dr Mohammed Jousuof examines Subnallah, 8 months old, at the Kakass primary health facility, between Kabul and Jalalabad. u 27schools provided basic, age appropriate health education to the students. 703 health staff members (178 women) at provincial health teams, hospital management, health clinics and medical specialists received training. 3,450 families gained access to safe drinking water through the construction of 223 water points. By the end of 2013, SCA s contract with the Afghan state to provide basic health care in the Samagan and Sar-e-Pul provinces was ended. According to SCA s plan to consolidate its operations, the organisation can now put more effort into enhancing the quality of work in the provinces of Wardak and Laghman. The outcome objectives were however set before it was finally decided where SCA would have the responsibility for health care, which explains the significant difference between set targets 14 bers have observed changes in behaviour when it comes to hand hygiene in the areas that received the hygiene information, even though this is hard to measure in precise numbers. Health rights for persons with disabilities Persons with disabilities are often met with negative attitudes, which is a major obstacle when it comes to attaining their right to treatment, rehabilitation and health. After SCA conducted awareness-raising sessions with health shuras, the shura members have come to show increased understanding of the right to health for persons with disabilities, and of the shuras own responsibilities towards community members with disabilities. SCA also conducted awareness sessions on disability rights with health staff. As a result, knowledge and understanding regarding the rights and needs of people living with disabilities among the health staff has increased. Another obstacle for persons with disabilities when it comes to attaining their right to health is the lack of physical access to health services. The geographical distance to a clinic may here be a factor, but also the accessibility of the building itself. Even if persons with disabilities have access to a health clinic or facility within reasonable geographical distance, it may still lack ramps and railings, and services can be located on the second and third floors of buildings with no elevators. When constructing new health facilities during 2014, where SCA has been the provider, accessibility for persons with disabilities has therefore been a priority. In these buildings, there are accessible latrines, waiting rooms, delivery rooms and staff quarters. SCA is one of the leading providers of health services and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities in Afghanistan, as the services of the Afghan state are still insufficient. Among the services provided through SCA for persons with disabilities including children there is physiotherapy, access to orthopedic appliances and rehabilitation at clinics or in the patients homes through the home based training programme. Community level health structures The community level health structures are a priority for SCA, with the goal of actively involving communities in the promotion of accountable and responsive health services. Achieved 2013 Target 2014 Achieved 2014 No. of children under 5 screened for growth monitoring at health facility 478, , ,280 No. of children under 1 immunized for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitus and poliomylitis 82,039 42,151 47,609 No. of students receiving medical check-up 20,455 18,120 Proportion of health facilities with at least one skilled birth attendant 93% 93% 87% No. of women enrolled in Learning for Healthy Life classes 2,984 2,250 2,250 No. of deliveries at SCA facilities 39,330 42,151 13,548 No of patients in maternal care 64,513 42,151 33,614 No. of women receiving information on family planning 73, ,756 42,128 and results. Note: The reason for the number of persons in the various columns being significantly lower than the previous year is that in 2014 SCA had the responsibility for health care in two, instead of previously four, provinces.

15 MY GOAL IS TO SAVE THE LIVES OF MOTHERS Mazary Haqyaar, 20, arrives at the clinic at 8 in the morning and leaves at 4 pm. She works six days a week, eight hours a day, with a 30 minute break for lunch and prayers. But even at home she cannot find the time to take a break. When I return back home, I find a few women waiting for me, some of them pregnant. They all seek health advice, Mazary says. Mazary Haqyaar, 20, is a midwife at the Hazrat Sultan Comprehensive Health Center. The baby in her arms is the 17th out of the 19 deliveries successfully carried out by her. She is among the 21 midwives who graduated from the Community Midwifery Education (CME) School in Samangan. SCA has been training midwives since The graduates are working mainly in the Laghman, Wardak, Samangan, Sar-e- Pul, Kunduz, Paktika and Nuristan provinces, providing healthcare and maternity assistance services to the mothers and the newborn babies. Mazary says that every day 60 women visit the clinic and every week deliveries are performed. One important reason for why Mazary chose to become a midwife is a tragic incident in her family an aunt died when giving birth. She already had two children, and had her deliveries at home. But, during the third delivery, she died. Now, I don t want others to die while giving birth, Mazary says. She was enrolled in the CME School in October 2012 and graduated as a trained and professional midwife in She is working at the Hazrat Sultan CHC, where she will continue working for five consecutive years. The reason why women should be giving birth at a health clinic instead of at home is that giving birth at a health clinic is better for the health of mothers, explains Mazary. If a TEXT: MUHAMMAD SALAHUDDIN MOMAND PHOTO: HAJI MOHAMMAD woman is giving birth in her home, there is a risk that she will lose her life or her newly born baby as happened to my aunt, she says, remembering the tragedy. I am happy in my profession. My role is important when it comes to saving the lives of mothers and babies, she adds. Midwives in Afghanistan are paid USD per month. But Mazary says that the salary is not important to her, she has a purpose in her life to save the lives of mothers. The community health workers are the backbone of community based health care. Almost 1,000 community health workers actively provide health services in the provinces where SCA is the health service provider (Laghman and Wardak). SCA supports them through health education, basic medicine, equipment and information, in order to enable them to deliver community based health services and to strengthen the referral system. Through the SCA Community Based Health Care Programme, these community health workers target underserved women of reproductive age, children and persons with disabilities. The shuras are the traditional village level councils in Afghanistan. During 2014, SCA initiated a pilot project together with eight health shuras in the provinces of Laghman and Wardak, where SCA is the health service provider. The shuras received training and their capacities in different areas were assessed, after which a capacity development plan was put together in order to strengthen their work towards better health services. One important finding in the assessment was that the health shuras often see themselves as watchdogs over their health facility. The project also showed that these shuras need more support than what was anticipated, and that it is still a challenge to attain female participation. QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES The SCA target to increasingly meet the needs of our targeted groups women and girls, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups has moved forward during The utilization of services is increasing, the number of female workers (especially community nurses and community midwives) is rising and access to health care has expanded. For example, in 2014 SCA upgraded two comprehensive health centers so that they will have the capacity to provide caesarian sections for complicated deliveries, which will be important when it comes to decreasing maternal and newborn mortality. SCA trained physiotherapists and orthopedic technicians through different technical training programmes. Physiotherapists were trained in 2,250 female students were trained in literacy and health during 2014 by 90 female teachers in the Learning for a Healthy Life Programme. 992 community health workers (347 female) provided basic health care and health education. 15

16 Midwife education in Samangan. u A mentorship project for midwives, initiated in 2011 by SCA in cooperation with AMA, was evaluated by a third party during The findings show that the project has been very successful. It reached 85 health facilities in six provinces, which increased accessibility by 30 percent and doubled the number of members in the association. Last, but not least, the project also increased local acceptance of and demand for midwifery services. 18,120 students (9,993 girls) received medical checkups. new methods and can now offer better quality treatments. Another important improvement during the year, as far as health staff skills are concerned, was that many midwives are now trained to discover displacement of the hip in newborns, so that the babies can be referred for early treatment. School health project Important synergies between health and education were seen during A good example is the School Health Project: 27 schools in four provinces (Laghman, Samangan, Wardak and Balkh) integrated health activities into their education programme, such as age appropriate information on reproductive health, hygiene, environmental sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention, mental health and disability awareness. Over 20,000 students received medical check-ups, and those who needed help were referred to health facilities. The schools received direct support from SCA s school consultants in each province, as well as from the SCA project and health teams on the provincial level. The schools received direct support from SCA school health supervisors in each province, as well as the project teams at the provincial level and the health team at SCA. COST PER SECTION WITHIN SCA s HEALTH PROGRAMME, USD Afghan Midwifery Association; 81,769 Professional exchange project; 36,977 Capacity building of provincial and district govnmt; 47,157 Competence development; 161,669 School Health; 55,304 Samangan and Sari-e-Pul BPHS Projects; 52, MUSD Mother and child health care; 1,942,346 Health shuras; 7,306 Infrastructure (construction and repair Infrastruktur (sjukgymnastik- och of health facilities); 814,829 otopedkliniker) Wardak 1,4 BPHS Project; 2,505,198 Laghman EPHS; 625,587 Laghman BPHS; 1,660,057 Wardak EPHS Project; 619,068 MATERNAL CARE AND WOMEN S AND GIRLS HEALTH Through the support from SCA and other stakeholders, the number of midwives rises each year. In 2014, 21 midwives graduated after a two year education programme in the provinces of Laghman and Samanghan, and 50 are still in training. SCA also supports the Afghanistan Midwives Association (AMA) in its advocacy for the rights of pregnant women and girls, as well as its work with the safe motherhood campaign at the national and local levels. The security situation continues to make it difficult to attract and retain female staff in remote and insecure areas. In 2014, there were a few clinics in both Wardak and Laghman where SCA could not offer services that meet the specific needs of children and women due to a lack of female staff (in particular midwives). This is a great challenge for SCA, and in 2015 more efforts will be made to encourage female staff members to work in the above-mentioned areas by, for example, offering higher salaries, making it possible to bring along families and lending support in matters of accommodation and transportation. 16

17 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: Equal access to quality educational opportunities. QUALITY EDUCATION THE EDUCATION SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN 2014 Slowly, the rate of children enrolling in primary education is going up in Afghanistan, and the gap between boys and girls going to school is narrowing, according to statistics from the Ministry of Education. But, in general, statistics in Afghanistan are not very reliable. And even if more girls go to school than previously and the gap between them and the boys is narrowing, girls are still the single largest excluded group when it comes to education. Efforts to increase girls access to education are therefore still absolutely crucial. There are several obstacles for girls to go to school. A lack of female teachers is a significant one, especially for the older girls. Other problems include poverty, lack of safety, early or forced marriages, unsafe buildings and unhygienic latrines. The emphasis on the Millennium Development Goal regarding access to primary education could also have led to not enough focus on how to make girls stay in school after grade six. As many as half of them still drop out after grade six. SCA DEVELOPMENTS IN 2014 Last year, the number of children enrolled in school increased in SCA coverage areas by 5 percent, and the number of girls by 7 percent. There is also an increased demand for education from parents and communities, not least when it comes to girls and children with disabilities. In 2014, inclusive and quality education were important themes in Afghanistan s education sector and for SCA. On the national level, a Child Friendly and Inclusive Education Policy was adopted, and SCA played an active part in this process. The efforts to design a policy for the often marginalised nomad (Kuchi) children who are also included in the Inclusive Education Policy also made progress. The backbone of SCA s education work, as previously, are the community based education classes (CBE). These classes aim for all children in the rural communities to have access to education. The approach entails that schools for the lower grades are run either in proper school buildings, in homes or in the open, depending on resources and the situation. SCA supported 433 community based schools (in total 1,938 classes), 50 nomad schools, 28 coaching classes for older girls and 77 girls annexes. SCA runs schools in 14 provinces. 17

18 SCA runs preparatory education classes for children with disabilities at its rehabilitation center in Mazar-e- Sharif. Teacher Mamad Arin teaches children with visual impairment. u 32plots of land were donated by local communities for educational facilities. The former model schools were phased out in In their stead so called hub schools are organised, where SCA devlops resource centers for surrounding community based schools. SCA continued in 2014 to maximize the CBE model for rural children, and took important steps in reaching those most marginalized such as girls, children with disabilities and nomad children. SCA aims to have all CBE schools recognized as formal schools and handed over to the government. During the year, SCA therefore increased its focus on training and collaboration with district and provincial educational authorities, so that they will have the capacity to run the CBE schools. In 2014, SCA completed the phase-out of model schools and instead rolled out community based support schools, or hub schools. These hub schools are government-run schools with access to many CBE schools (all students are registered at hub schools). At these government-run primary and secondary schools, SCA will develop resource centres for inclusive education and train teachers and supervisors, with the goal of improving the quality of education both in the hub schools itself and in the surrounding CBE schools. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION This past year has seen some major advances towards giving all children quality education. SCA worked on all levels of society on the issue of inclusive education meaning, specifically, that children with disabilities, nomad children and girls of all ages also have the right to education. SCA notes a development among parents and community based organisations and groups in that they increasingly understand this, while also increasingly demanding quality education. Children with disabilities In order for children with disabilities to have a place in school, it is key to advocate their rights. Too many children are deprived of their rights because of negative attitudes towards them and their abilities to learn. Viewing them as individuals with rights is the foundation for everything else that needs to be in place for them to attain their right to education. SCA undertook many activities in 2014 to educate community based organisations, parents and teachers on this matter, and advocated successfully on the national level for inclusive education. To achieve this, SCA arranged training and awareness sessions for parents, school management councils, local education authorities and the teachers councils (TEC). SCA finds it essential to also invite mullahs, elders and other influential people in the villages to take part, to become informed and motivated, and to become advocates for the rights of children with disabilities. This has led to a noticeably increased understanding for children s rights and, as a consequence, an increased demand for education for all children. The teachers role in the process of increasing 104 teachers (45 female) received training in braille and sign language. AFGHANISTAN TODAY The shortage of teachers in the rural areas is substantial, especially when it comes to female teachers, which primarily affects girls. Children with disabilities are often excluded from education, especially girls with disabilities. The capacity in pedagogic matters is often weak in local authorities. SCA OBJECTIVES Strengthened delivery of education at the community level, adapted to the needs of all children. Increased demand for education among the target communities. Increased pressure from parents and communities for governmental accountability with regards to delivering quality education. IN ,743 children were enrolled in SCA supported schools. 66 percent of them were girls. The previous model schools were outphased by SCA and handed over to the Ministry of Education, which led to a reduced number of students in SCA run schools. 631 children with disabilities completed preparatory education and were then included in mainstream schools. 2,853 children with disabilities received preparatory education. 18

19 this demand was also crucial, often through their local and provincial level of the teachers councils (TEC). One positive and unexpected result seen here was the level of many teachers motivation. Several teachers and students volunteered to escort children with disabilities from their homes to school and back home. In order to facilitate that many of the children with disabilities later become integrated into mainstream school classes, preparatory education is conducted at many SCA community rehabilitation development centres. Here, hearing or visually impaired children receive training and preparation during two years, before being placed in regular classes. This preparatory education is a contributing factor behind the increase in children with disabilities enrolled in schools that was seen in Interestingly enough, the integration into mainstream classes for children from preparatory classes went so well that the preparatory classes could not fill up with new children as planned. For children with severe difficulties, SCA in many cases facilitates home-based education. SCA has noted a gradual development during recent years when it comes to the attitudes of parents, and this trend was further strengthened in Parents of children with disabilities have become notably more open, more responsive, and keener in attending to the learning needs of their children. They have been able to see the growing abilities of their children with regards to learning, personal growth, improved mental health and ability to socialize, as compared to when they stayed at home without any exposure to education. There has been a significant increase in the amount of children with disabilities now enrolled in school. A major success is seen in the increased willingness and openness of schools to include of children with disabilities. The downside of this success is that many school classes are too crowded and that the teachers do not have enough time to focus on children with special education needs. Another challenge is continued insecurity in some areas, which sometimes has led to schools having to temporarily close down. Furthermore, the traditional view of boys and girls respectively makes it even harder for girls with disabilities to access education, as compared to boys in the same situation. Inclusion of children with disabilities into schools requires buildings, rooms and schoolyards that are physically accessible for everyone. SCA undertook a number of improvements in schools physical environments during 2014, including the building of ramps, handrails and accessible toilets. Nomad children Kuchis are nomads, who by tradition have not been well-integrated into society structures, like the education system. However, during 2014, over 5,000 Kuchi children were enrolled in SCA supported nomadic classes more than half of the students being girls some of which turned into non-nomadic classes, as the nomad families now move around less than they used to. The education policy on the national level for Kuchi children has also taken important steps forward, partly due to SCA s advocacy work. Model schools; 393,277 Civil society education including TECs; 153,020 TEMP; 438,421 Capacity building of district and provincial authorities; 290,997 Girls annexes; Teacher training; 966,793 Infrastruktur 1,123,996 (sjukgymnastik- och otopedkliniker) 1,4 9 community based schools and 5 cricket pitches accessible to children with physical disabilities were constructed. 5,529 Kuchi (nomads) children (3,184 girls) went to SCA supported schools. COST PER SECTION WITHIN SCA s EDUCATION PROGRAMME (USD) 9.9 MUSD Community based schools; 3,399,681 Infrastructure (construction and repair); 2,584,562 Competence development; 556,723 19

20 509 girls and women attended coaching classes. Girls To get girls to enrol in school is always a priority to SCA and the numbers are steadily rising, at least in primary school. In 2014, the number of enrolled girls increased by seven percent in the SCA coverage areas, in both SCA schools and in others. Generally, the demand from the girls parents is strong and increasing. However, there is a big gap between what parents say they want for their girls namely to finish school and what actually happens after grade six. Many girls must marry young, and traditionally going to school is not seen as something a married girl needs to, or should, do. Another obstacle for teenage girls to complete their 12 years of basic education has to do with hygiene: Schools often lack hygienic latrines, information about menstruation or supply sanitary napkins. Girls interviewed in a study conducted by SCA name this as one reason for dropping out. This is something SCA could improve further in its operations. The work has continued successfully with the Coaching Classes, which target overage girls and young women who have not finished their education. But increasing the percentage of girls who complete their basic education continues to be one of SCA s major challenges. IMPROVING TEACHING SKILLS Training teachers, not least in inclusive education, is an important part of SCA s work. There is a general shortage of skilled teachers due to the increasing demand for education and a lack of quality teacher education opportunities. In 2014, SCA school consultants conducted a number of teacher training classes, both at the community based schools and at schools run by the government. Half of the school consultants themselves received training in new teaching methods by a specifically hired pedagogical consultant. Besides education in new pedagogical methods and the various school subjects, teachers and other school staff in mainstream schools received inclusive and special education training. This included basic information about disabilities, the reasons why people have disabilities and information regarding sign language and braille. As a result, many teachers are now READING IS SO MUCH FUN! The village of Khamari Khil is a nomad village. Here, the residents commute between Wardak and Nangarhar during spring and autumn, but in Khamari Khil, a section of mud houses is situated among the traditional tents. In one of the three school tents we find the children Ahmad Gul and Farzane Raz Gul. Both have already learned how to read and write, something their parents have not achieved. Reading is so much fun! says Ahmad. When I am finished with school for the day, I help guard the animals of my family. I would love to be an engineer, he states. Farzane tells me that her father has passed away and that the oldest brother is now taking care of the family. I have two brothers and two sisters, all of them attending school. It is my favourite thing and I come here every day. My dream is to become a doctor or a teacher, Farzane says. A big issue for the Khamari village is water. The same goes for many other nomad villages. Sometimes we must walk for several hours in order to get water, and some families send their children to do it, but we do not want it that way, says school management council member Haji Masjidi. School is so vital but life here is tough, and we do what we can so that the children can come here every day. I cannot read nor write. And no other adults in the village can do so either. But our children can! For every year that passes, a few more people in the village learn how to read and write and that means a lot, Haji Masjidi says. To know how to write a letter, to explain our worries and problems to the authorities and to make demands is important, he concludes. The Kuchi nomadic people have by tradition had practically no education whatsoever, and the illiteracy rate has been almost 100 percent. Since 2010, SCA has operated schools geared towards the Kuchi population, and now more than 5,000 Kuchi children are enlisted in SCA schools. Over half of them are girls. TEXT AND PHOTO: ANDERS ROSÉN/SCA 20

21 20 school applications were submitted in the Ghazni province, and 15 in Kunduz. more able to diagnose and respond to individual children s needs. These training sessions helped teachers build positive attitudes towards children with disabilities. An important step towards a national teachers association was also taken during the year, when SCA was asked to support the first national gathering to create this body. The meeting, which was held in Kabul in November, was highly publicized, and close to 100 provincial representatives attended. This created a momentum for a national movement, and increased the members understanding of the role and responsibility of such a professional organisation, which, in turn, is likely to indirectly enhance teaching quality. THE EVER-GROWING DEMAND FOR EDUCATION The demand for education among parents, teachers and community based organisations has increased enormously and is a very positive development. Most of this progress is part of a process observed by SCA during some time. And even if the demand is exceeding what can be provided at this stage, it is a positive trend which pushes supply. In 2014, SCA saw the school management councils strengthening their roles as rights- STUDENTS IN SCA SUPPORTED SCHOOLS holders, realizing their rights. The district and provincial educational authorities also delivered more than in previous years. SCA s role in this process has been to develop the capacity of both the local councils and of the district and provincial educational authorities, in addition to conducting training in planning, monitoring and pedagogical issues. But those who have played the largest part in pushing the government to be accountable have been the local school management councils, together with the teachers councils (TEC). It became clearer during this year than before that the TECs are not part of the governmental structure, but instead professional organisations that function as unions. What this means is that the teachers councils are part of the stakeholders demanding accountability from the government to deliver quality education. But women in the school management councils are still minimally represented, as well as persons with disabilities and youths. SCA sees the need to work further on the idea of inclusion in these forums for school management, and to further develop their capacities. This includes increased literacy, as many members of the councils are themselves illiterate. ACHIEVED 2013 ACHIEVED 2014 Total Percentage girls Total Percentage girls t Teacher Mujuma teaches youths with mental disability at the SCA rehabilitation center in Maza-e- Sharif. 135 staff members at provincial and district educational authorities were trained in inclusive education, in order to increase their capacity to design and implement inclusive education. 26 new teachers graduated in 2014 in the teachers training programme TEMP, a collaboration between SCA and Karlstad University in Sweden. Students in community based schools 50,067 58% 52,967 58% Nomad children enrolled in school 5,201 51% 5, % Girl students in girls annexes 15,574 95% 14,535 95% Children with disabilities who were included in mainstream classes % % 21

22 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: Women, people with disabilities and vulnerable rural households are making a secure means of living that provides resilience against shock and emergencies. p In vocational training in tailoring, Ahmadi learns the skill during 45 days. IMPROVED LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES SCA works with rural development in the marked provinces, with special focus on women, children and persons with disabilities. In the Balkh province, SCA initiated a pilot project in 2014 for improved livelihood and local governance in ten villgages with a total of 6,488 hoseholds. 22 RURAL SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN The majority of the Afghan people live in remote and isolated areas, most of them supporting themselves on agriculture. Decades of war and natural disasters have severely damaged the little infrastructure that was once there, such as irrigation, electricity and roads. As the means of livelihood have been severely affected, people and communities are often left in a state of disempowerment. In many areas, ongoing conflict is a serious obstacle to development. Access to services, such as education and health care, remains considerably more limited than in urban areas. This heavily affects the everyday lives of everyone, but especially for those most underprivileged and vulnerable women, children and persons with disabilities. For most people, the main priority is to find ways of improving their livelihood. But the low levels of both education and business skills, along with a lack of access to markets and functional infrastructures, limit the chances for people to develop or diversify their existing livelihood. In order for adult members of rural communities to have strengthened capacities and improved access to diversifying their household incomes, SCA believes that it is necessary to work with local communities to strengthen local governance and the community members livelihood. This support may be given to increase direct income, as well as to improve socio-economic development, governance, education, health, irrigation, transportation and water supply.

23 SCA DEVELOPMENTS IN 2014 During 2014, SCA introduced a new community governance and livelihood project as a pilot project in northern Afghanistan. Building on experiences from the SCA specific Northern Rural Project, the new project was rolled out in the northern Balkh province in the Mazare-Sharif area. The project s goal is to increase the capacity of individuals and communities to define their own needs, claim their rights and to implement projects independently. It is a good example of when collaboration between different SCA programmes and units is beneficial. After having only been in place for a year, it p Marcena Noor Muhammad in the village Paghmaneha in the Balkh province has undertaken one of SCA s vocational trainings in livestock. AFGHANISTAN TODAY Livelihoods are insecure and decades of conflict have left many communities in a disempowered state. Communities capabilities to initiate and lead their own development are very limited. The least insecure provinces see progress in development each year, while there is very little progress in the most insecure areas. In some areas, the living conditions are even worse than a decade ago. SCA OBJECTIVES Adult members of rural communities have strengthened capacities and improved access to resources to diversifying their household incomes. Community based organisations are promoting rural livelihoods. IN 2014 SCA initiated a pilot project for livelihood and local governance in ten villages in the Balkh province, in order to improve the capacity of community based organisations and diversify income opportunities for the population. The project builds on experiences from SCA s Northern Rural Project, which was completed during the year. 459 households received vocational training, such as tailoring, raising poultry, kitchen gardening, soap production and cattle breeding. 539 persons with disabilities (273 women) completed training through apprenticeships, group sessions and education at different centres. 668 persons (239 women) with disabilities received loans to start or develop existing businesses. 165 persons (117 women) received training in dairy processing. 48persons (all male) received training in kitchen gardening. 108 persons (89 women) received training in tailoring. 23

24 138 persons (94 women) received vocational training in poultry. p Bibi Shirin was able to get a stock of poultry through the SCA livelihood project in the Balkh province. Her husband is old and blind, so she intends to sell eggs to get a small income. Livelihood/ employment support; 97,137 is not possible to measure the outcome of this project at this point, but early indications show a good potential for improving the opportunities to livelihood for the people in poor, rural communities. The starting point with regards to the communities was for them to get to know their own rights, followed by vocational training and training in governance, democratic decision-making, management of loans and finances, marketing of products, evaluation and reporting. COST PER SECTION WITHIN SCA s RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, USD 3.1 MUSD Northern Rural Project (NRP); 997,251 Competence development; 303,215 Infrastruktur (sjukgymnastik- och otopedkliniker) 1,4 National solidarity programme (NSP); 1,111,278 Water and sanitation; 600,797 Developing livelihood skills for individuals By mapping and assessing ten villages, already in the Afghan Rural Enterprise Program, SCA initially developed an awareness-raising package in cooperation with local self-help groups. SCA provided knowledge on the rights for women and persons with disabilities, the Afghan constitution and law, international conventions and human rights, UN agreements and on Islam. The next step was offering vocational training in livelihood skills of various sorts: tailoring, poultry and livestock, kitchen gardening, carpet weaving, soap making and computer skills. SCA focused in particular on persons with disabilities and households headed by women. After only one year, their proportion is still comparatively low, but, even so, quite a few of them are now engaged in new and diversified livelihood activities. The training sessions were channeled either through self-help groups already established, or through the community development councils* (CDCs). SCA also provided many with equipment such as sewing machines, greenhouses, buckets, milk filters or tools for the businesses they intended to start or develop. Strengthening community financial structures The local funding mechanism in the communities is the village savings and loan associations (VSLAs). These function as a community bank, where the association members save small sums regularly, and are later eligible to apply for interest-free loans to start up or develop existing small business, according to the micro loan principles. In connection with the VSLAs, there are also self-help groups formed, which can undertake livelihood activities to diversify income opportunities. During 2014, SCA supported savings and loan associations in the above-mentioned ten villages. This support has resulted in these villages now being more active in their own support towards the self-help groups, which, in turn, have increased their productivity. It is too soon to measure progress in numbers, but early indications are positive. Examples of the support the self-help groups receive include marketing and creating networks and linkages to suppliers and markets. The village savings and loan associations received training in project management, sales and marketing, good governance, democratic decision-making and working from a rightsbased approach. Three out of ten of these loan associations were 100 percent women, and in the remaining seven VSLAs women s representation exceeded half of the participants. SCA also facilitated coordination between the village savings and loan associations and the community development councils (CDCs) in order to ensure sustainability and empowerment. The village savings and loan associations take full responsibility for the planning of activities in their annual action plans. They open bank accounts for receiving grants and loans, are in charge of designing and delivering vocational training, manage distribution and collection of loans for producer groups, support producer groups in marketing and look to other financial institutions for additional support. Level of women s representation exceeds expectations Throughout all of the different classes where livelihood activities were carried out, women made up more than half of the participants * Community development councils, CDCs, are village councils in the government structure. They can co-exist with, or replace, the traditional shuras. Most villages have a CDC. 24

25 NOW I CAN GET ON WITH MY LIFE TEXT AND PHOTO: MAREENA HABIB/SAK Mrs Turpekai is 37 years old and has been a widow for four years. She lives in the village of Qulltemor in the Balkh province. She has five children. When her husband was alive, he used to work on other people s land as a farmer. The family did not have their own land, but was still able to manage their daily expenses. When my husband died, life became very difficult for us. I faced a lot of financial problems and wasn t able to provide food for my children because my income was too small, says Mrs Turpekai. Some of this income came from relatives, and some from the work Mrs Turpekai did for others, such as cleaning and washing clothes. Due to the bad economic situation, her children were not able to continue their schooling. But one day, a neighbour told her that she had enlisted Mrs Turpekai in a project with SCA to learn soap production. This would supposedly give her a better livelihood and an increased income. Mrs Turpekai successfully completed the soap production course in six months and this has brought a lot of improvement and changes to her life. Now, I can get on with my life and I m no longer compelled to work in other people s houses. My children have resumed their education, and my monthly income has more than doubled. She buys raw material from Mazar-e Sharif and produces soap, which she then sells to her neighbours and to some local shopkeepers. She has also sold more than 350 bars of soap to SCA schools. in average 65 percent. This high percentage exceeded SCA s expectations, as it is usually difficult to attain a high level of female participation in many community and public activities. This will likely increase women s influence in decision-making directly in the family sphere, but in the longer run almost certainly also at the community level. When women targeted in this project were asked what kind of training or education they wanted the most, many answered that they want to learn a skill in order to become financially self-sufficient. According to them, earning their own money gives them more respect, in their families and in the community, and more freedom. The pilot livelihood project will expand in 2015 and then replace the former NRP. FACTS NORTHERN RURAL PROJECT AND CGLP PROJECT The Northern Rural Project (NRP), developed by SCA and financed by SIDA, started in 2011 and was completed in Its overall objective was to strengthen rural civil society by means of community mobilization and short-term financing of development projects chosen by the communities themselves. NRP was evaluated by an external consultant and was found to have achieved its objectives to a high degree and that the methods used were appropriate. The new Community Governance and Livelihood Project is building on the experiences from the NRP, and will serve as an umbrella for SCA s new strategic objectives 3 and 4. Some of the results described in this report have come out from the NRP work, some from the pilot project in the Balkh province. 25

26 INFLUENCE AND PARTICIPATION WEAK SUB-NATIONAL governance is an important but neglected factor that affects development in Afghanistan. But the government is presently implementing new district level bodies for governance, which means that SCA will further assess the progress of this objective when this process has matured. Nonetheless, during 2014 several steps towards more active participation in local governance have been taken in the areas where SCA works especially in the Balkh province. For true development to take place, it is crucial that representation and participation at community level, by all groups in the communities, is strong. SCA s focus with regards to this is therefore to develop the capacity of organisations and groups at this level, as well as the capacity of local authorities. INCREASING PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS Raising awareness when it comes to the rights of groups that have traditionally not had a strong voice, like persons with disabilities and women, is important for increasing their representation and participation in democratic community organisations and decision-making. SCA encourages the participation of persons with disabilities in all community based organisations, especially in the community development councils, but currently the main representative channel for persons with disabilities in community based organisations are disabled people s organisations (DPOs). But a gradual shift has been noted. For instance, the number of persons with disabilities being referred to SCA rehabilitation centres by their community development councils has increased. Also, the community development councils are increasingly making concrete efforts to reduce the stigma that obstructs the participation of persons with disabilities in democratic community organisations. Empowered women but unheard children SCA notes that one way of increasing women s representation and participation in democratic 26

27 In all activities, in all provinces where SCA is active, influence and participation for marginalized groups is a prioritized issue. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: Community members are actively engaged in decision-making, influencing the development of their communities and are able to hold relevant stakeholders to account. 27

28 CAPACITY DEVELOP- MENT TRAINING IN COMMUNITIES SCA has also carried out activities for the Afghan government*s National Solidarity Programme (NSP): In 2014, 492 community development councils, a total of 23,963 persons (10,749 women) in the Wardak province, have participated in training to strengthen their development and local governance role. 300 community projects were also successfully completed there through the community development councils for example in hydro power, water supply, roads, irrigation and construction. Through the completion of these local projects, 94,578 community members (52,019 women) have directly benefited. community organisations and decision-making seems to be by supporting women to increase their income through livelihood projects, as described in the previous chapter. This provides women with a platform for influencing the domestic decision-making and, in the longer perspective, for influencing the decision-making at the community level. But with a strengthened rights-based focus, it is SCA s conclusion that its work for children to have a voice and to be represented in community organisations has not come far enough. In the age hierarchies of traditional structures, this poses a big challenge for the organisation when it comes to re-thinking its approach and ensuring that children s voices are being included. CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS In order to strengthen the community development councils and other community based organisations, and thereby ensuring broad participation of all groups in society, a number of capacity development training sessions have been conducted during the year. The classes have for example been about social mobilisation, safeguarding the environment, gender awareness, basic project management and conflict management. SCA can already see signs that these activities have strengthened the capacity of the community development councils to lead their own development and to play the governance role in their respective community, even though the work to achieve this strategic objective is still in an early stage. In 2014, women have demonstrated active participation in some of the different processes that the councils have been carrying out, either as leaders of or as members of different committees. The community development councils have also demonstrated their capacity to lead their own development through the implementation and completion of their own sub-projects (small development projects in part funded by community contributions). SCA observes a development where the community development councils are increasingly managing and implementing their development projects in shorter periods, with better results and with less or no conflicts. This shows their progress towards becoming mature community development partners. Another positive development is that the community development councils and other community based organisations now, to a greater extent, ensure community access to information on human rights, laws, development policies and the roles and responsibilities of government structures. SCA notes that, as an indication of being on the right track, the Afghan Government s National Solidarity Programme will in 2015 will design its own community governance activities in a similar way as that of SCA in LOCAL AUTHORITIES INCREASINGLY RESPOND TO THE DEMANDS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES This year has seen an interesting change on the level of local authorities regarding their willingness to respond to the demands of the local communities. Although SCA has a long experience in dealing with local authorities, in 2014 major steps were taken to give them capacity development aiming to make them more responsive regarding community demands. In 2014, SCA facilitated, through its Northern Rural Project, training in public outreach, aid coherence and good governance for members of local and district authorities. (The Northern 28

29 ASSESSMENTS Assessments to identify development challenges, decision-making structures and mechanisms for participation in community life were conducted during 2014 in three villages in the Nangarhar, Balkh and Samangan provinces. The results will guide SCA in its future work regarding community governance. Rural Project ended during 2014, and this work continued within the framework of the Community Governance and Livelihood Project, which is described in the previous chapter.) Through the facilitation of ties between communities and other development organisations, on the one hand, and government institutions at the local level, on the other, SCA has witnessed improved communication and attraction of resources for further development in the communities. An example of this is that the community development councils in SCA coverage areas have succeded to attain funding for more than 100 of their own development projects. AFGHANISTAN TODAY The capacity of local and provincial authorities are in general weak, especially in the most insecure areas. Corruption is widespread and the level of education is generally very low. Female participation in decisionmaking is traditionally extremely weak. Women and men cannot participate in meetings together. Traditional age hierarchies impede the inclusion of children s voices in community matters. SCA OBJECTIVES Rural communities, including women, children, and people with disabilities are well-represented and increasingly participate in democratic community organisations and decisionmaking Local authorities are more accountable and able to respond to the demands of local communities. IN community development councils and 10 village savings and loan associations participated actively in decision-making and functioned well, with both women and persons with disability among its members. 81 persons (8 women) from the staff of local authorities received training, organized by SCA, in public outreach, aid coordination and good governance. A framework for good governance was established for the local authorities offices. Joint monitoring with local authorities was carried out regularly, which has led to solving both technical problems and local conflicts when implementing local development projects. 29

30 At the Book and Library Fair in Gothenburg, SCA participated with an exhibitions stand at the International Corner. The Vahid Reza family, from the Gothenburg local chapter, arranged Afghan breakfast for the visitors of the fair. Here served by Yeganeh Vasia Resa. u STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5: Public and political commitment in Sweden and Europe for the rights of the people of Afghanistan. PHOTO: LINNEA LARSSON PUBLIC AND POLITICAL Skellefteå COMMITMENT Skövde/ Skaraborg Göteborg Vänersborg Lund Malmö The local chapters of SCA in Sundsvall Uppsala Jönköping Växjö Stockholm Södertälje 4,598 km Kabul BEING A COMMITTED and experienced membership organisation, SCA has a duty to always be active in reminding the public, policy makers and donors of the importance of long-term support to the people of Afghanistan, and to highlight the civil society perspective. SCA and Afghanistan has had lot of media coverage during the year. The number of articles where SCA was mentioned more than doubled compared to the previous year. SCA s presence in broadcast media also increased, where SCA participated in a number of radio and TV news shows. The publicity was mostly neutral, with SCA appointed the expert voice by the media concerning Afghanistan. The symbolic year of 2014, with the international troop withdrawal and the presidential election, contributed to this development, and the brutal murder of Swedish journalist Nils Horner in March, which shook the Swedish public, tragically generated further media coverage on Afghanistan. POLITICAL AND DONOR COMMITMENTS The level of commitment, in terms of funds and if all policy areas are considered, from the Swedish government towards the Afghan people has not increased, but rather decreased after the decision to withdraw the Swedish troops from Afghanistan. Still, it is clear that most parties

31 within the parliament are of the opinion that Afghanistan needs long-term civil support. A loosely formed network of members of parliament who in the past have been working with Afghanistan s development held a meeting about the future of Afghanistan in March. On June 19, a new development cooperation results strategy for was approved by the Government, and Afghanistan is foreseen as one of the main recipients of Swedish development aid during the period. The activities in this strategy are expected to result in strengthened democracy and gender equality, greater respect for human rights and freedom from oppression. The target groups are marginalized people in rural areas, with a particular focus on women and children. At the 2012 international donor conference in Tokyo, Sweden made a comprehensive and longterm commitment that the Swedish development cooperation with Afghanistan should be seen in a perspective of years. During the period , Sweden s support to Afghanistan is planned to continue, with an estimated volume totalling billion SEK. SCA S ROLE IN INFLUENCING POLICIES SCA is often invited, both as an expert and as a civil society voice on the situation in Afghanistan, to lecture or take part in panel discussions in many important forums on different levels in Sweden. This gives SCA the opportunity to keep members, decision-makers and other NGOs informed, and these are then more likely to support the rights of the people of Afghanistan. In 2014, SCA demanded an evaluation of the entire Swedish mission in Afghanistan , both civilian and military, to in order to examine what has been fruitful and what has not. SCA states that it is important to evaluate the grey area between civilian and military actions in order to draw lessons on how not to jeopardize SWEDEN TODAY Most of the Swedish ISAF troops left Afghanistan. The Swedish government adopted a results strategy, which makes Afghanistan one of the most important recipients for Swedish development assistance The Swedish Afghanistan CSO network strengthened its cooperation. the security for humanitarian and development personnel. NETWORKS AND PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE The Swedish Afghanistan CSO Network, initiated by SCA in 2012, gained momentum in A core group of five NGOs are active, while ten more keep themselves informed. The network arranged a conference, where representatives from Afghan civil society organisations as well as members from the network met. The goal was to raise awareness among Swedish civil society organisations regarding the situation for CSOs in Afghanistan, and discussions focused on how to best cooperate and work together to enhance a human rights-based approach and the effectiveness of development initiatives. The network also held a public seminar, where the present situation in Afghanistan and Sweden s new development cooperation strategy for Afghanistan was discussed by an expert panel. The seminar was very well attended and the network became more recognized. In the European and international donor context, SCA took an active part in the ENNAnetwork. One important activity for the network was to formulate an NGO statement that was to be put forward during the London Conference on Afghanistan. A joint NGO media campaign Do Not Forget Afghanistan was created, to which SCA provided material and cases. SCA has also participated in producing the Barometer, a joint NGO assessment of the Swedish Policy Coherence Agenda, and was engaged in the Concord network to produce joint views on the negotiations in the OECD-DAC on a revised definition of public aid. Another important part of this strategic work is to facilitate and strengthen professional exchanges between relevant professional associations in Sweden and Afghanistan. During 2014, the Afghan and the Swedish Midwife SCA OBJECTIVES Well-informed SCA members, decision-makers and NGOs in Sweden increasingly raise public awareness, strengthen popular engagement and demand official support for the rights of the people of Afghanistan. Donors and policy makers make decisions informed by SCA s policy and advocacy work. IN 2014 SCA members and employees carried out more than 100 activities lectures, seminars, exhibitions, fundraising activities and film events. Increased the media coverage of SCA by three times compared to The members magazine A-Nytt was revamped, both when it comes to content as well as form. SCA received 7.3 million SEK from the Post Code Lottery in Among the many projects funded by this grant, two community based girls schools were constructed; one in the village of Acha Maili in Balkh and one in the village of Haidarkhil in Nangarhar. The schools were built in an area where there were no school buildings at all before, and the girls previously had to sit in tents or outdoors. Now with school buildings in place, the girls parents are more motivated to let their girls continue their education to secondary level. p The Swedish much appreciated Asia correspondent for many years, Nils Horner, was one of the victims of the increased violence in Afghanistan. He was shot dead in a street in Kabul on March 11. SCA has, together with Horner s sister Ingrid, established the Nils Horner Memorial Fund, earmarked for SCA s work to promote women s education and health in Afghanistan something Horner felt particularly strongly for. PHOTO: SWEDISH RADIO 31

32 FUNDRAISING SCA s fundraising activities resulted in 14,218,314 SEK. Of this, around 7.6 million SEK were contributions from the monthly donors and around 6.5 million SEK from other donors. Aside the organisation s own fundraising activities, Radio Aid contributed with 2,717,000 SEK. In 2014, SCA was approved as a beneficiary by the Post Code Lottery. 1,879 new donors in associations have established such a professional exchange. COMMUNICATION CHANNELS SCA communicates to the public through its websites and a range of other digital channels like , blogs, Twitter and Facebook. SCA has two websites SAK in Swedish and SCA in English. On Facebook and Twitter, many of our members, including seven local chapters, were active in the international campaign #DoNotForgetAfghanistan. The members print magazine Afghanistan News (A-nytt) was revamped during 2014, both when it comes to content and form, with more focus on trends and SCA operations in Afghanistan, and with more information on activities in Sweden. The vignettes were made stronger and more comprehensive and the design language more distinct. FUNDRAISING SCA s own fundraising aims to strengthen the independence of the organisation and form the basis for stability and sustainability. The members, local committees and supporters of SCA are incredibly important when it comes to making SCA visible as a relevant organisation and to ensure an active public commitment in Sweden. As before, SCA used a variety of channels for fundraising in Among these can be mentioned: requests attached to A-nytt, donor letters, text messages, and offers to become monthly COST PER SECTION, ACTIVITIES IN SWEDEN (USD) 1MUSD Fundraising activities; 556,313 Association activities; 148,490 Information activities; 292,385 donors. Feedback to donors about how their support is being used is provided through A-nytt, Aryana, the SCA webpage and donor letters. The support from individuals, companies and organisations in 2014 as always played a very important part in one of SCA s core tasks according to the statutes: namely to ensure the ability of SCA to spread knowledge about the living conditions and situation of Afghanistan and of SCA operations, and to promote solidarity with the Afghan people through informed public opinion. In 2014, SCA took part in the campaign Children of the World and in the FRII campaign The Good Will. Something that SCA also noted is that many of the organisation s donors show their trust by giving memorial gifts and tributes. THE SOLIDARITY PRICE 2014 The Solidarity Price was instituted in 2009 and goes to an individual or organisation based in Sweden, who works extraordinarily actively to strengthen the solidarity with the Afghan people; counteracts prejudice or strengthens tolerance and understanding for the Afghans and their country; or who works for peace, human rights and development in Afghanistan. In 2014, the Solidary Price was awarded well-known SCA profile Lasse Bengtsson. From the jury s citation: Through words and pictures, Lasse continues to inspire and spread knowledge on Afghanistan and the work of SCA. He lets the reader/watcher/listener interact with Afghanistan through positive images of a warm and patient people with a great sense of humour. Lasse s perspective and storytelling capacity gives an important counter perspective to the one prevailing in mainstream media. No one has like him reached outside SCA with such range and managed to make so many new groups of people get involved in Afghanistan. 32

33 t SCA revamped its magazine A-nytt in The magazine is printed in 9,500 copies and reaches members and monthly donors. Of particular note is the fact that the Post Code Lottery in 2014 gave SCA the status of beneficiary, which shows that SCA has managed to meet the given criteria. This is a very valuable opportunity for SCA s development. Challenges during the year has been to find efficient methods for reaching new target groups, and to establish ties and cooperation with contractors. Another challenge is to communicate the relevance of SCA operations in Afghanistan, since there have been many acute disasters around the world during FUNDRAISING (MUSD) MEMBERS THE BACKBONE OF SCA The members are the foundation of SCA. Without their commitment and outreach activities, public awareness regarding the situation in Afghanistan would be considerably lower, and this in turn could risk the commitment of the Swedish government, and as a consequence, possibly decrease the funds. SCA members conducted over 100 outreach awareness-raising events in a large number of cities and towns. More than half of these were lectures on Afghanistan and the work of SCA for the general public, which is a considerable number compared to many other CSOs. By arranging their own events, responding to requests and by actively reaching out to associations and schools, members reach a broad spectrum of the Swedish general public. At the outreach events, SCA tools and materials were used. In addition, highly qualified individuals affiliated with SCA have given lec- SEMINARS The Stockholm SCA office arranged a number of seminars in 2014, for instance: Hearings with international aid spokespersons before the Swedish elections: one during the Almedalen Politicians week, and one in Stockholm. The seminars were arranged in cooperation with other CSOs, like Concord Sweden. Nordic Forum in Malmö; the topic being Safety for Afghanistan s women 12 years later with the minister of foreign aid, Hillevi Engström, in cooperation with Society and Defence and the Swedish National Defence College. Foreign aid and business in corrupt environments a seminar on Swedish stakeholders, mutual challenges and responsibilities, during the Almedalen week and in cooperation with Forum Syd. A seminar on Sweden s continued commitment in Afghanistan. Thomas Ruttig from Afghanistan Analysts Networks, representatives from Sweden s Foreign Ministry and Sida discussed. The seminar was arranged in cooperation with the CSO network for Afghanistan, where among others Kvinna till Kvinna and Olof Palme International Center are members

34 At the Human Rights days, which were held in the 2014 EU capital of culture Umeå, the exhibition People that matter by photographer and former SCA intern Liza Brunzell was shown. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting was held in Stockholm and 71 official delegates were present. The total number of participants was 110. Dr Suraya Yousufzai, who works with the SCA supported midwifery education, was invited to the annual meeting. In dialogue with Gudrun Pålsson and Anna Nordfjell from the Swedish Midwives Association, she spoke on how midwives can be a changing force in society. 406 individuals participated in a survey on how to increase member commitment. NUMBER OF MEMBERS ,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 tures and participated in discussions all across Sweden. This is essential for ensuring that a clear and updated SCA perspective is communicated at events. SCA Stockholm office also lends out exhibitions to schools and cultural institutions. The exhibitions generally show everyday life in Afghanistan and help present a more nuanced picture of the country. During the spring of 2014, SCA made a push to increase the number of members, but the target to increase the number of members by 800 was not met. Instead, the number of members decreased somewhat and was 3,681 by the end of the year, compared to 3,723 the previous year. The SCA membership organisation is structured on 12 local chapters in Sweden and one in Kabul. At the Annual General Meeting, 110 members attended, of whom 71 were official delegates with the right to vote. In comparison, 59 delegates participated in All local chapters were represented, including Kabul. Regional meetings and one national member council were also attended by over 60 members. Young SCA, for members under the age of 30, has members from all over the country. Its ambition is to work with and for young people by showing that it is fun, interesting and meaningful to commit to Afghanistan, international development assistance, democracy and human rights. In 2014, Young SCA held one conference and one members meeting. At the Annual General Meeting in 2013, a democracy group was appointed with the task of analysing how SCA can increase membership participation and attract new members. Since then, the group has tried to find ways to do this. As a part of this work, a survey was carried out where 406 individuals have given their input. The democracy group will draw conclusions based on this and present their ideas at the Annual General Meeting of Learning by doing and learning from other active members are fundamental aspects for the SCA movement. SCA will need to increase efforts to create arenas for members to meet and share experiences as a part of its toolkit. SOME OF OVER 100 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN 2014 The working groups in Vimmerby, Örebro, Östersund and Järpen, and in Härnösand, have carried out activities during the year. The Gothenburg local chapter arranged several lectures with interesting speakers and has also been effective in outreach activities, such as spreading information about SCA at, for example, concerts with an Afghanistan connection, where many people interested in Afghanistan gathered. During the Book and Library Fair, 25 members informed about SCA, raised funds and served visitors Afghan breakfast. In Jönköping, several lectures were arranged during the year. One highlight was a lecture given by Lasse Bengtsson, which attracted around 80 persons. The Kabul local chapter participated at the Annual General Meeting in Stockholm, and in this context their delegate took part of information and suggestions about how to further develop the chapter s work. The Lund local chapter arranged a number of outreach activities and a study circle, and participated in larger contexts such as Girl Day. The local chapters of Lund and Malmö also collaborated to conduct a thematic week on Afghanistan around the region of Skåne. The Malmö local chapter, among other things, contributed by spreading information about SCA in connection with the Nordic Forum. The chapter also arranged several popular film screenings and talks during the Afghanistan week in Skåne. The Skellefteå local chapter toured with the exhibition Young in Afghanistan dreams of the future in libraries. They also arranged activities in for example Malå and Umeå. The local chapter of Skövde-Skaraborg continued its cooperation with the Helena School. Another activity undertaken was a talk in Mariestad called Focus Afghanistan: Afghans in Mariestad about the sorrows and joys in the home country. 34

35 EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE AFGHAN AND SWEDISH MIDWIVES ASSOCIATIONS INITIATED During 2014, an exchange between SCA long-term partner the Afghan Midwifes Association and its equivalent in Sweden has been established. In November, three members from the Swedish Association of Midwifes visited their counterpart association, the Afghan Midwives Association, in Kabul, Afghanistan. The idea is that both associations will benefit from each other s experiences, particularly in terms of organisational culture, but also in terms of health care ethics, research and the development of higher education for midwives in Afghanistan. While in Kabul, the main point on the agenda for the Swedish midwives Anna Nordfjell and Karin Reimegård was to meet with Executive Director Mursal Musawi and the rest of the Afghan Midwives Associations board, and to hold workshops for a couple of days with representatives from the association, who had come to the capital from the provinces where they normally work. In these workshops, the concept of professional associations and their strengths was discussed, as well as ethical approaches to the practice of midwifery. Lectures were mixed with group work and discussions. Visits to an academic institution that recently established a bachelor level midwife education programme and to a maternity ward at a Kabul hospital were also part of the programme. So was meeting with SCA s health programme management and one of the donors of the exchange at UNFPA in Afghanistan. SCA s former midwife trainer Gertrud Pålsson, who built up SCAs midwifery school in Wardak during , was also part of the group. Gertrud s presence PHOTO: MUHAMMAD SALAHUDDIN Karin Reimgård speaks, surrounded by Anna Nordfjell, left, and Mursal Musawi from the Afghan Midwives Association, right. also helped building bridges between the Afghans and the Swedes, as she is familiar with both cultures. Since the exchange has now successfully taken off, SCA is very hopeful when it comes to building a sustainable long-term relationship. The Stockholm local chapter arranged a popular series of lectures in cooperation with ABF. They also undertook a large number of lectures and other information activities, including a cultural bazaar, a kite building session and a cooking study circle. The Sundsvall local chapter mixed regular activities with lectures where invited speakers like Anders Rosén and Fawad Sultani from the Kabul office spoke. They also participated in the local immigration debate. The Södertälje local chapter arranged family meetings to discuss Afghanistan. A former Afghan chief of staff participated in one of these meetings. Several of the youth from the families have since become active members in Young SCA. Young SCA carried out several activities during the year; a cultural evening and a women s conference in Gothenburg being the highlights. They also contributed greatly by simultaneously interpreting the whole Annual General Meeting for the delegate from the Kabul local chapter. In Uppsala, the local chapter was visited by former foreign aid minister Hillevi Engström, who debated future challenges in Afghanistan with a special focus on the situation for women. The chapter also arranged a film festival with Afghan movies. The Vänersborg local chapter celebrated its 30th anniversary and arranged many activities. SCA former information coordinator in Kabul, Anders Rosén, gave a lecture at the celebration. Children of the World. Several local chapters took to the streets and squares to contribute to the fundraising for the world s children. In Växjö, much of the information work was festive, for example an informative Nawroz party and a women s party in connection with the International Women s Day. 35

36 THE RIGHTS-BASED PRINCIPLES PARTICIPATION EQUALITY NON-DISCRIMINATION TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY SCA IN 2014 PHOTO: SCA THE MALALAI AWARD The SCA Malalai Award is given annually to a department or unit within the organisation which has motivated and inspired contributions towards promoting gender equality through innovative and new approaches. In 2014, the prize was awarded to two recipients. One was the community development council in Khadija, Wardak, and the other to Nasima Sahak for her work with persons with disabilities. They were awarded at a ceremony on International Women s Day WHO WE ARE SCA adheres to a rights-based approach. The people in rural Afghanistan, whom we work with and for with a special focus on women, children and persons with disabilities are seen as active agents in their own change. SCA can assist in empowering local communities to claim their rights, as well as increasing the capacity of government institutions, communities and organisations to fulfil these rights. The rightsbased principles participation, equality, nondiscrimination, transparency and accountability are the foundation for SCA s work. SCA uses three strategic means: capacity development, advocacy and service delivery. Founded in 1980, and in the absence of a functioning state, SCA for a long time mainly aimed at meeting needs by providing basic services. By offering schools for rural children, educating midwives and supporting livelihood opportunities SCA created, and still does, conditions for change. Girls, women and other marginalized groups obtain knowledge that increases their possibilities to participate in decisions in society, and their ability to contribute to their families income becomes a driving factor for accepted change. But from 2001, when Afghanistan had an internationally recognized government, SCA needed to align its operations to national development strategies, while still supporting the marginalised rural communities. From then on, capacity development of organisations and authorities, along with advocacy, has become increasingly prominent themes for SCA. Capacity of target groups, awareness of rights holders and bearers alike and participation in decision-making are essential components for sustainable change. CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY PARTNERS SCA s capacity development approach for is set out to be more systematic than in the past strategic period. SCA cooperates with a number of civil society and community based organisations in rural areas of Afghanistan. In 2014, an assessment of the capacity development needs of 71 of SCA s partner organisations was carried out in a participatory process between SCA and the organisations. The aim was to clarify the purpose and objectives of the organisations, and their needs to develop their capacity in order to work effectively. ADVOCACY AN EVOLVING AREA FOR SCA Advocacy is central to a rights-based approach to development, as it is a strategic process to promote universal human rights. This is done by supporting and enabling the marginalized and 36

37 excluded to influence the policies, structures and systems that affect their lives. Advocacy efforts aim at influencing those in power as well as the design and content of policies, social structures and systems. For SCA, the rights in focus are those of our target groups, and the SCA advocacy work carried out in Afghanistan focuses on the sector areas of SCA operations. During 2014, SCA has enforced its advocacy work in order to take a more strategic approach. Important advances for the rights of persons with disabilities were made by supporting their own organisations. Through lobbying and advocacy efforts, this resulted in employment for a number of persons with disabilities. SCA also arranged workshops and seminars in special and inclusive education for teachers and local authorities. During the presidential elections, SCA was also active in advocating the rights of persons with disabilities for their access to and participation in the elections. In the health area, support of the midwives association AMA has enabled them to advocate for safe motherhood as well as for the midwifery profession. Regarding education, continued advocacy together with relevant organisations for the approval of the Policy for Kuchi Education a policy SCA worked out the previous year was carried out. SCA took part in the international campaign Don t forget Afghanistan ahead of the London conference in December, targeting donor countries in Europe in order to ensure that Afghanistan stays on the international agenda and that the needs of the Afghan people are not forgotten among other international crises. SCA also took part in developing the London Paper in the sector of women s rights. In Sweden, SCA brought forward positions on marginalized people in rural areas, and provided input on domestic economic integration before the Swedish government as it was formulating its development cooperation strategy for Afghanistan. SCA was also able to influence the government with regards to starting a process to assess Swedish military and development cooperation spending in Afghanistan since p The male part of a community development council in the Mazar-e- Sharif area. SCA was founded in 1980 and its operations during the first decades were primarily in service delivery, like health care, education etc. During 2014, SCA strengthened its advocacy and policy work, in Afghanistan as well as in Sweden. 37

38 HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER SCA today adheres to a rights-based approach in all its activities. GENDER MAINSTREAMING Gender in the context of human rights is a priority area for SCA. Given that women and girls in Afghanistan face discrimination and have little power over resources, the operations have to be analysed from a gender perspective so that they do not unintentionally uphold gender discrimination. All programming enforce both a rightsbased approach and gender mainstreaming, which are complementary and not competing approaches. This year saw more training conducted in the field of gender, gender mainstreaming and the SCA harassment free environment policy. A new training manual was developed and translated to both the Dari and Pashto languages. The activities were conducted for both male and female staff, and the fund started in memory of journalist Nils Horner was used for this purpose. It continues to be a big challenge for SCA to mainstream a gender perspective in the work among its own staff, and to recruit female personnel. MASCULINITY TRAINING To promote increased gender equality, both men and women need to be involved. An analysis of Afghan expressions for masculinity and patriarchy is necessary to successfully integrate and gender mainstream SCA operations. Thus SCA carried out both awareness sessions and training on masculinity in 2014, and is in this respect a pioneer in raising the issue in Afghanistan. The sessions were designed to provide a reflective rather than an instructive way of exploring the role of gender, to see how men s attitudes are shaped from an individual level to the gender structures that surround them from families to their places of work. The sessions enabled men and women to acknowledge and understand the linkages between inequalities, discrimination and violence related to gender, and the impor- From 2014, SCA strengthened its capacity development work of civil society partners and local authorities. 38

39 tance of acting upon these both within the work space and in the domestic sphere. GENDER AND ISLAM SCA operates in an environment where conservative traditions and interpretations of religion means that changes, for example regarding women s role in society, are often met with resistance. The picture is further complicated by the difficulties to separate religion and tradition frequently traditional practices are interpreted as tenets of Islam. SCA s experience is that support for change that gives the most vulnerable in society improved opportunities and rights is fully possible within the Islamic worldview that permeates Afghanistan. Islam opens up for change towards decreased social and economic inequality. SCA believes that the work to strengthen the most marginalized groups will reach further and be more sustainable if it integrates the positive forces, interpretations and wordings that can be found within Islam. Many national and international actors have refrained from referring to and using Islam in a rights-based approach. But in times when the UN declaration of human rights and other foundations for a rights-based work is seen with suspicion and as Western influence, other ways forward must also be sought. SCA works with these issues both among those the organisation supports and among those with power and resources. SCA discusses rights and obligations with religious leaders and elders to reach acceptance for change. They can then contribute to change in their own communities. It is important to emphasize that it is neither SCA in Sweden or international staff who lead these discussions or who make the interpretations of Islam. The approach entails experienced Afghan staff and is based on a deep knowledge and understanding of the situation in Afghanistan. Gender and human rights is still a controversial and difficult area; the prejudices are strong, as are the structures that oppose change. It is a persistent, consistent work that will require time before sustainable results can be seen. RESEARCH ON GENDER, GBV AND MASCULINITY SCA has, as the first organisation in Afghanistan, commissioned a study on masculinity in Afghanistan in 2014, in partnership with AREU (Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit). The hope is that the research will point towards a more sustainable and practical approach for promoting women s rights in Afghanistan. A research project on gender based violence (GBV) was undertaken this year. The objectives of the study are to explore different types of GBV, its impact and the root causes in the SCA working area, identify gaps in the health system in dealing with GBV and mapping existing services and programmes around GBV and their impact. The study will be completed in early 2015 and will provide recommendations to SCA on how to deal with GBV issues in the near future. A gender assessment was completed in December 2014 in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of SCA s gender mainstreaming systems. The recommendations will be used to strengthen the gender mainstreaming work of SCA in its programme planning and implementation processes. 39

40 CONFLICT, RISK AND SECURITY A VIOLENT YEAR 2014 was the most violent year in Afghanistan for a long time. The UN and the aid community were exposed to an increased number of attacks during the year. 40 THE YEAR OF 2014 was largely defined by increased insecurity and violence in Afghanistan. This situation also affected SCA activities and staff. In terms of civilians, 2014 was the deadliest year since the UN began compiling statistics in 2009: 3,699 civilians were killed and almost 7,000 injured, according to a report from UNAMA released in February Most of the victims were Afghans. The local population in the most insecure provinces along the eastern, south-eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan suffers from the violence to a large degree. Most of the violence occurred in these provinces. Those behind the killings of civilians mostly belonged to the Taliban and other anti-government groups (72 percent), and the majority of the rest were killed by military forces 14 percent by the Afghan security forces and 2 percent by international forces. The numbers of civilians killed by government forces increased significantly during Since the war continues between the Taliban and the government forces, there have also been significant numbers of casualties among these groups, with around 10,000 killed among the Taliban and almost 4,000 from the national forces. The Afghan national forces also lost many soldiers due to desertions and discharges, and it is estimated that the number of troops has been reduced by as many as 20,000 soldiers in The UN and the aid community were also affected by an increased number of attacks in 2014, and 2014 saw the highest number of NGO fatalities ever recorded. There were attacks on UN convoys, UN aircrafts, as well as a number of attacks on UN and NGO compounds in Kabul. In some cases, the Taliban claimed that the attacked organisations were covers for Christian missions and espionage. In the attack on the restaurant Taverna du Liban in January, 21 people were killed. And in an attack against the French cultural centre in November, the former SCA administrative director Frank Ehling was regrettably killed. Nine journalists were killed in Afghanistan in For Swedes, the most dramatic and well-known attack was the murder of Swedish Radio reporter Nils Horner on March 11. Another foreign journalist was also killed; while the other seven were Afghan journalists. Even if SCA still remains clear of direct hostile intent, the developments in 2014 affected the organisation. Staff was at several occasions caught in the cross-fire between armed groups and Afghan military or police, and a group of SCA staff members was abducted in the Wardak province. The insecurity in some areas makes it difficult to regularly visit and monitor activities. It has also affected SCA s abilities to recruit staff, in particular female health staff, in the most insecure areas. RISK MITIGATION The most important strategies used to mitigate risks include engaging with the community and negotiating access before initiating new activities. Acceptance and trust from the communities is essential. Refusing to implement activities until communities have successfully resolved conflicts is also important. SCA has so far been able to work relatively safely in areas where few

41 other international organisations go. SCA s impartiality, transparency and reputation usually provides the acceptance needed to implement projects also in areas and provinces that are under the control of the armed opposition. SCA is however by no means guaranteed safety, but always needs to be vigilant and attentive to the surrounding dynamics. SCA carefully follows developments in the security situation and the analyses made daily, and take measures accordingly. In order to further strengthen the security awareness in the organisation, SCA s Security Unit in 2014 developed a security training package for both Afghans and expatriate staff. To date, approximately 200 staff members have attended these security classes, which include topics like abduction training, landmine and weapon awareness from an Afghanistan perspective, women and security in the field, in addition to travel safety and security. EXAMPLES OF INCIDENTS IN 2014 This year SCA has been affected by 31 incidents, the majority of them (21) in the Wardak province, followed by the Laghman province (8 incidents). There were several incidents where SCA run or supported health facilities came under cross-fire between armed groups and Afghan security or police forces. Since this is a breach of medical neutrality according to the First Geneva Convention, SCA has addressed this issue to government officials and the UNAMA, and brought up the issue to the International Red Cross field delegates to raise the issue with the Taliban. EXAMPLES OF SCA INCIDENTS IN 2014 LAGHMAN On February 22, a dispute over a World Food Programme food distribution led to the killing of two local police officers and one infant inside a clinic. The dispute was initiated by Afghan local police. Two wounded women were relocated to the Mehterlam Hospital for treatment. WARDAK On March 19, Afghan forces conducted a clearing operation in the Dondakai Clinic in the Sayed Abad district. The forces scattered food and medicines and burned two motorbikes. WARDAK On May 11, during fighting between ANSF and insurgents, a special police officer was killed and the body transferred to the Shaniz district hospital in Sayed Abad. For reasons unknown, the police commander s body guard beat an SCA doctor with an AK-47 while a police entourage was visiting the body. WARDAK In June, five SCA National Solidarity Team members were abducted by a large group of Taliban and held for eight days. They were not harmed and they were treated humanely during the time of abduction. SCA formed a crisis management and negotiation unit, and engaged a group of community elders in the negotiations with the Taliban. After the release, the abducted staff received medical check-ups and counselling. They state that they believe it was SCA s good reputation together with the involvement of the community elders that led to their release. They see no problem continuing to work in the area. 9 journalists were killed in Afghanistan during of them were Afghan. Swedish Radio correspondent Nils Horner was one of the victims. SCA health staff members came under crossfire between armed oppositional groups and Afghan police or military forces at several occasions. PHOTO: AURORA PHOTOS/MASTERFILE/TT 41

42 ZERO TOLERANCE SCA applies a zero tolerance on corruption. CORRUPTION AND CRIME 172 out of 175 countries Afghanistan s ranking in Transparency International s country index in SCA employees were discharged in 2014 due to corruption or other irregularities. 42 AFGHANISTAN is one of the countries most affected by corruption in the world for the year 2014, it was rated 172 out of 175 countries in Transparency International s country index. Even if the index shows a slight improvement compared to the previous two years, the corruption level is still extremely high. What drives the corruption is the combination of military spending, international funding of development and the Afghan government, poor governance and a significant part of the economy related to drug production. This is a major obstacle for development and democracy in Afghanistan, and the most vulnerable are always those most affected. Corruption and crime is a constant threat against the rights of the people and communities with which SCA works. SCA is often recognized by communities, donors and authorities as being efficient in interventions and vigilant in matters of corruption, which may be the result of its activities being of good quality and by SCA showing accountability towards target groups and donors. But fraud and corruption easily take root, and no organisation is ever immune. SCA is highly aware of the fact that corruption permeates public and private structures, has strong links to the criminal economy and has severe consequences for the everyday lives of our target groups. In the end, corruption leads to human rights not being defended. ACCOUNTABILITY AS AN ALTERNATIVE SCA staff lives and works in an environment in which corruption is almost always a factor. Employees might be solicited for bribes when handling matters that demand authority involvement, when procuring goods and services on behalf of SCA or in their private lives. Pressure may also occur between employees within the organisation, often stemming from private relations. The SCA anti-corruption policy states zero tolerance in matters of corruption, and aims to provide a transparent working environment and to ensure the efficient use of invested time and funds from donors and the people the organisation works with. SCA management is firmly committed to dealing with corruption and other irregularities in a timely and decisive manner. SCA s emphasis is on preventive measures, and this is why in all SCA s rules, regulations and procedure manuals the preventive part has been given special attention. A corruption prevention committee as well as a comprehensive anticorruption complaint mechanism is in place. In the short perspective, SCA pays a high price for not accepting corrupt behavior. Not bribing officials will often cause both severe delays and significant extra costs for the organisation. However, it will set an example for officials that, in spite of this, SCA will not pay. According to SCA staff, the pressure is decreasing and a willingness from the relevant authorities to cooperate with SCA has been noticed. Taking a firm stand on anti-corruption principles further boosts SCA s reputation within the Afghan community and among those that SCA works with. The SCA Financial Regulations have been revised and the user-friendliness improved. All

43 employees are obliged to report any suspected cases of corruption, which can be done anonymously by or in writing. The Board is continuously informed about cases of corruption and embezzlement within the organisation. In cases involving partner organisations, SCA shall take all possible steps to ensure that the partner organisation takes appropriate actions. In all cases of confirmed fraud and corruption, SCA will, with great determination, try to recover the losses inflicted and demand repayment of embezzled funds. SCA will in all cases take appropriate internal disciplinary action, and regularly evaluates internal control procedures in order to avoid similar cases in the future. In 2014, five staff members were discharged, two staff members received written warnings and two other staff members were asked to resign immediately, due to corruption and irregularities. Some examples of cases of corruption and fraudulent practices in SCA in 2014 A finance manager in a field office was investigated by the internal audit unit and was found to have forged a signature in order to receive salary for another staff member who had left the organisation. The finance manager returned the money to SCA and his employment was ended in February. Two employees responsible for the maintenance of photocopy machines and stationary supplies at the Kabul office were suspected of fraudulent practices. When new spare parts were purchased, based on their demand, they did not install them. They also manipulated data in order to justify the demand for the new parts. The staff members were suspended in April 2014 and the supplier was blacklisted. SCA has a loan programme that provides micro loans to persons with disabilities. A loan officer kept the amount of a loan for three months instead of paying it out to the beneficiary. The same officer did not pay an allowance to a vocational skills trainee, who was a person with a disability. The staff member was suspended and his colleague, who knew about the matter, was issued a written warning. Their supervisor was also issued a written warning for poor supervision of staff. WHISTLE-BLOWERS All cases of corrupt, fraudulent or coercive practices should be reported to fightcorruption@sca.org.af SCA will take all possible actions to protect individuals who submit allegations of corrupt practices in SCA s activities and operations from reprisals. You will find the SCA Anti-Corruption Policy at 43

44 MANAGEMENT THIRD PARTY MONITORING SCA uses third party monitoring to evaluate its activities, especially in remote areas or areas which for security reasons SCA management cannot travel to. In 2014, 15 third party monitoring evaluations were carried out at four project and field offices (Mazar-e- Sharif, Wardak, Kunduz and Taloqan), which were chosen due to the deteriorating security situation there. SCA hires residents with local knowledge who are trained as field monitors in order to follow up and assess the activities. TPM is a good tool for SCA to detect problems that could otherwise stay unnoticed and is an important complement to the larger evaluations that are made. The information that emerges is used for planning and decision-making for coming activities. ANNA-KARIN JOHANSSON has been the Secretary General of SCA since Operations in Afghanistan were led by Country Director Dimitrije Todorovic until November. SCA Programme Implementations Director Jörgen Holmström was then appointed acting Country Director was the first year for the implementation of the new Strategic Plan Many new tools and methods were introduced in the planning process and programme design in order to better work with a rights-based approach. FINANCE The Finance Department has the overall responsibility for the financial management of SCA in both Afghanistan and Sweden. The main objective is to implement the Board s decisions in financial matters in accordance with internationally accepted accounting standards, as well as in accordance with the requirements of donors and other stakeholders. Another task is to maintain and develop SCA s financial management systems in order to strengthen accountability, transparency and financial control. POLICY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE The Policy and Quality Assurance Department at the Kabul Management Office consists of the four cross-cutting and methodology units Human Rights and Gender, Advocacy, Civil Society and Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The department is responsible for assigning and overseeing independent third party monitoring of programme field work. ADMINISTRATION The Administration Department is responsible for managing SCA property and office services, recruitment and training of staff in Afghanistan. It also handles procurement, supplies and IT. FIA (Finance and Administration) is a newlyestablished unit at the office in Stockholm that is responsible for managing SCA property, office services and IT in Sweden. It also supports other units in matters of procurement. The project and field offices in Afghanistan also have administrative functions. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPORT TO PROJECT OFFICES In 2014, the Programme Implementation Department (PID) managed, supported and monitored five project offices and three field offices through Programme Management Units and the Field Administration Unit (FAU). PID provided oversight support to programme management units and project offices to ensure that projects were implemented within the scope of agreed plans and budgets. AID COORDINATION The Aid Coordination Unit is based in Stockholm and is responsible for contract management of and relations with Swedish-based donors, as well as for policy analysis and development issues on the Swedish and European arena. INFORMATION The overall task for the Information Unit in Kabul and the Communication Unit in Stockholm is to increase awareness and disseminate information, externally and internally, about SCA s work and Afghanistan. Together the two units reach a broad external audience of civil society organisations, donors, media, members and staff. INTERNAL AUDIT The Internal Audit Unit was reinforced in 2014 with an international advisor. During 2014, audits were conducted covering all project and field offices, as well as departments working out of the Kabul management office, except for Human Resources Management and the Finance Department. The Internal Audit Unit will from 2015 onward focus on developing risk-based internal audit plans, which means that IAU will allocate more time and resources towards activities considered to be high risk. ENVIRONMENT SCA recruited an environmental officer in the second quarter of This officer is responsible for advocating and increasing the awareness of staff regarding environmental issues that are affected by SCA s operations in all of the Afghanistan offices. The goal here is to achieve effective environmental management of the organisation. 44

45 ORGANISATION Members Annual General Meeting Board Secretary General Kabul Management Office Stockholm Management Office Communication unit Aid coordination unit Finance and Administration Strategic Management and HR Country Director Security unit Information unit Internal Audit unit Policy and Quality Assurance Department Civil Society unit Human Rights and Gender unit Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation unit Programme and Implementation Department Deputy country director Administration Department Administration unit Human Resource Management unit IT unit Procurement and Supply unit Finance Department Finance Unit Deputy country director Education Programme Management unit Health Programme Management unit RAD Programme Management unit Rural Development Management unit Field Administration unit Project- and Field offices Mazar-e-Sharif project office Aibak field office Kunduz field office Taloqan project office Jalalabad project office Metharlam field office Wardak project office Ghazni project office 45

46 STAFF STAFF Stockholm Management office n Women n Men Kabul Management office Project and Field offices SCA staff in Afghanistan consisted of 25% women by the end of the year. It has been a challenge to recruit international staff. Field staff ,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 PROPORTION OF EMPLOYED/HIRED AFGHAN AND INTERNATIONAL (INCLUDING SWEDISH) STAFF IN AFGHANISTAN, AND EMPLOYED IN SWEDEN. Afghanistan, expatriot staff 13 Afghanistan, Infrastruktur (sjukgymnastik- och national staff 1,273 otopedkliniker) 1,4 Sweden 20 Afghanistan, project hired (nationals) 4,044 5,330 persons 46

47 THE BOARD OF SCA THE SCA BOARD The Board has the overall responsibility for all activities in Sweden and in Afghanistan. In 2014, the Board had nine regular members and two deputies. The Board held six regular and one constituent meeting. The responsibilities of the Board are regulated in a set of guidelines. The board members Anders Fänge, Vanessa Narges Mekrami and Shirin Persson travelled to Afghanistan in October November. PRESIDENT PEDER JONSSON: Chairperson since May 2014 and member since Contact person to the Jönköping Local Committee. Senior partner and communications consultant at Kreab, which specializes in energy and the environment. Head of research at the Department of Industrial Economics and Management at the Royal Institute of Technology. Lives in Stockholm. VICE PRESIDENT BENGT KRISTIANSSON: Board member since 2013, contact person to the Gothenburg Local Committee. Pediatrician with a solid background in development. Initiated the SCA programme for rehabilitation of Afghans with disabilities. Secretary General for SCA in Lives in Stockholm. INGER AXELL: Board member since Contact person to the Stockholm Local Committee. Lawyer with a long experience working with development and anti-corruption. Has been an advisor in human rights and gender to the EU special representative in Kabul. Lives in Stockholm. ANDERS FÄNGE: Board member since Contact person to the Lund Local Committee. Country Director of SCA for a total of 19 years since Has also worked in Ethiopia, Somalia and on the West Bank. In addition to his work with SCA, he lectures on Afghanistan on a professional basis. Lives in Viken. HANS LINDE: Board member since Contact person to the Vänersborg Local Committee. Member of Parliament for the Left Party, member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the joint committees that evaluated the issue of Swedish military presence in Afghanistan. Lives in Gothenburg. SIWITA M NASSER: Board member since Contact person to the Skövde/Skaraborg Local Committee. As an active member in Växjö, she became the first woman born in Afghanistan to be elected chair of a local committee. Active in Young SCA, lives and studies in Malmö. SHIRIN PERSSON: Board member since Lawyer in international law, human rights and gender, with 25 years of experience of international development assistance. She has worked internationally to promote peace negotiations, develop constitutions, educate judges and prosecutors in several countries among them Afghanistan. Lives in Falköping. ELISABETH BJÖRNSDOTTER RAHM: Board member since Contact person to the Skellefteå Local Committee. Trained nurse with 25 years of health care experience. Member of Parliament for the Moderaterna Party and on the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Lives in Lycksele. CARIN RUNESSON: Board member since 2014 and an active member of the Social Democratic Party. After her studies, she worked as a journalist for 20 years, parallel to political assignments. From 1992, she has been a full-time politician in her municipality. Lives in Smedjebacken. VANESSA NARGES MEKRAMI, DEPUTY: Deputy member of the Board since Contact person to the Uppsala Local Committee. Lawyer and investigator at the Swedish Migration Board, with an interest in human rights and with a particular focus on women and children s rights. Lives in Uppsala. FRESHTA DOST, DEPUTY: Deputy member of the Board since Born in Kabul in 1986 and has lived in Sweden since Member of the SCA local chapter of Gothenburg. She has an MA in media and communications and has been a trainee at Integrity Watch Afghanistan, which primarily works against corruption. Lives in Mölndal. 47

48 ANNUAL REPORT ADMINISTRATION REPORT The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan is a non-profit organisation (registration no ). The purpose of its operations is to: support Afghanistan s national independence, conduct development work in Afghanistan to promote democratic, economic and social development in the country, conduct fundraising operations to obtain funds for SCA s development activities, disseminate information about conditions in Afghanistan and about SCA s development activities, and to shape public opinion and thereby promote solidarity with the people of Afghanistan. ( 1.2 in the Statutes of SCA) SCA ACTIVITIES IN 2014 In Afghanistan, SCA implements activities within the sectors of education, health, rehabilitation of Afghans with disabilities and rural development. Main target groups are rural populations, with a special focus on women, girls and persons with disabilities. Activities include capacity development, advocacy and service delivery and are carried out through five project offices and three field offices supported by the Kabul Management Office. The Stockholm Management Office is located in Sweden. The overall aim for SCA s operations in Sweden is to increase knowledge of Afghanistan, as well as the commitment and willingness to support the country, and to communicate SCA s experiences of development cooperation. A new Strategic Plan for was launched in The plan differs from its predecessor in that it is structured according to objectives rather than programmes all programmes contributing to all objectives. The new plan is also more clearly rights-based. IN SWEDEN In Sweden, SCA works with information, advocacy, association activities and fundraising, along with support in finance, human resources and aid coordination. Operations in Sweden are closely linked to each other and to SCA s activities in Afghanistan. Association activities include support to local committees and individual members. The communication unit produces the member magazine Afghanistan-nytt, the SCA website, social media and printed material, in addition to handling media contacts. Fundraising is carried out by staff and members among the public in SCA s database. SCA is a member of FRII and is granted the right to 90-accounts. The activities are reviewed anually by the Swedish Fundraising Control. SCA continued its European advocacy through European Network of NGOs in Afghanistan (ENNA). MEMBERS AND ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting was held on May 24 in Stockholm, hosted by the Stockholm Local Committee. All local committees were present, including Kabul. Out of 89 registered delegates, 71 were present. The annual meeting approved some minor changes in the SCA statues in accordance with the FRII quality code. The membership fee was kept unchanged. In 2014, SCA had 3,681 members. Six motions were submitted to the annual meeting. MOTION 1 requested that the SCA school exchange programme be resumed by the Stockholm office in cooperation with the local chapters and in a way that is attractive to young people. The Board argued that this work has already started. The motion was thereby found answered by the annual meeting. MOTION 2 demanded a new system for payment of the member fee and that it be reduced. The Board argued that the financial situation is strained, which was the argument for raising the fees in The annual meeting thereby found the motion for reduced fees denied, but decided to let the Democracy Group look into different alternatives for family memberships. MOTION 3 requested that the number of Board members be expanded to 11 and that local chapters be more broadly represented. The Board argued that the number of Board members recently changed, from 11 to 9, to give room for deeper discussions and to reduce costs. The motion s request to increase the number of Board members was denied by the annual meeting, but a proposal to rephrase the guidelines for the Nominating Committee was accepted. MOTION 4 was about access to information and participation in democratic processes. Five related requests were presented in the motion. The Board agreed that the flow of information should be improved, but that this work has started and will be taken into account in the new communications platform. The annual meeting thereby found this motion answered. MOTION 5 was about SCA s position on migration issues, and contained five related requests. The Board argued that the first four requests should be denied, but that the annual meeting should accept the last to make a statement. The annual meeting decided accordingly. The annual meeting also decided on a statement, directed to the Migration Board, urging the same to closely follow the quickly changing security situation in Afghanistan before making decisions about sending back Afghan refugees. MOTION 6 requested that the magazine A-nytt be translated into Dari, in two of the four annual editions. The Board pointed out 48

49 the financial limits and suggested that other channels be used for information in the different languages. The annual meeting decided in accordance with the Board s reply to the motion. IN AFGHANISTAN The working year in Afghanistan was, to a large degree, characterized by 2014 being the first year with the new Strategic Plan. The programmes for health, education, rural development and rehabilitation for Afghans with disabilities now all work towards every strategic objective, which has led to an increased degree of collaboration and synergy between programmes and supporting units. SCA education activities have included continued provision for community based education services, girls annexes and coaching classes for older girls. The year has also seen increased investments in teacher training in order to improve the quality of education. One important theme during 2014 has been inclusive education. Preparatory education for children with disabilities, in order to integrate them into mainstream classes, has expanded in A Child Friendly and Inclusive Education Policy was adopted by the Ministry of Education, and SCA took an active part in this process. SCA completed the phasing out of model schools, to be replaced with capacity development of hub schools, to which surrounding community based schools are tied. The health coverage areas in 2014 were the Laghman and Wardak provinces, where SCA had contracts for both BPHS and EPS, signed with the Ministry of Public Health for the period The health work in 2014 included broad efforts to enhance communities knowledge on prevention of illness and on health rights for persons with disabilities. Health education was carried out through health facilities, communities and schools. A number of awareness-raising training sessions have also been conducted for health staff concerning especially persons with disabilities, as well as training to improve health staff skills. SCA has continued educating more midwives and continued its support to the Afghan Midwife Association (AMA). The mentorship project for midwives, run in collaboration with AMA, was evaluated during 2014 and the findings point to large benefits for all the parties involved. In the rural development sector, the Northern Rural Project was phased out in A new area of strategic focus identified in the Strategic Plan is to strengthen rural livelihood, with a special focus on women and persons with disabilities. A number of training sessions in various vocational skills were carried out. Parallel to this, capacity development of village savings and loan associations have also been part of the overall goal to improve the chances that communities and individuals cease to live in extreme poverty, and claim their rights from duty-bearers. In accordance with the new Strategic Plan, the roles of the supporting units for capacity development and civil society were strengthened and much work was carried out by these units in assessing and training civil society partners, in addition to training local and provincial government staff in good governance. SCA has also made advocacy a priority during 2014, and recruited advocacy officers to further strengthen the advocacy work in the upcoming years. POSSIBLE RISKS IN THE FUTURE Insecurity in rural Afghanistan is likely to remain a risk factor for SCA operations for the foreseeable future. The outcome of the presidential elections may influence security issues in either way. The high degree of corruption in Afghanistan is another factor that affects SCA s ability to work efficiently, but it is also an internal threat that can seriously harm SCA s work. This risk has increased during the past years, as corruption in general has increased in Afghanistan. The poor level of Afghan banking continues to be a financial risk and a practical problem. For this reason, SCA uses Afghan banks as little as possible. RESULTS The SCA programmes and units report their results from 2014 onward in relation to the five strategic objectives and their outcomes. This is a new reporting model for this year and is also reflected in the structure of the annual report. The strategic objectives and targets are set for the period , and at the most specific level there is an annual work plan and a budget. Results in the sense of long-term change cannot be seen in such a short period of time as a single year. It is, however, possible for SCA to measure changes quantitatively on a yearly basis, for example in number of students, patients, clinics, etc. Measuring real change, however, requires a longer perspective. THE FIRST strategic objective concerns health. Here SCA has increased the understanding of groups and communities regarding how to prevent illness and improve health improved the health services ability to meet the specific needs of the target communities, with a focus on women and girls, with and without disabilities, and marginalized groups supported communities to be more actively involved in the promotion of accountable and responsive health services. In 2014, there has been significant progress in SCA s health service delivery. The number of midwives and community nurses continues to increase, and two comprehensive health centers were upgraded to have the capacity for caesarean sections, which may reduce maternal and infant mortality. Also through the Community Basic Health Care Programme, SCA continued to target underserved women, where community health workers not only provide basic health care but also play an active role in health education another important work carried out in 2014 towards communities and schools. The focus was on prevention of illness and awareness of health rights for women and persons with disabilities. Awareness-raising on disability rights was conducted to health shuras, and the fact that referrals for persons with disabilities to SCA rehabilitation centers increased is seen as a result of these efforts. SCA supported a number of training sessions to improve skills for health staff. Furthermore, well-equipped orthopaedic workshops and physiotherapy clinics served persons with disabilities and others. The support to the Afghan Midwives Association continued in The midwife mentorship programme was assessed and found to be successful, and increased the communities respect for the work of the midwives. The number of first antenatal care visits increased and is now 80 percent in the SCA coverage area, which is above target for the strategic period. 49

50 THE SECOND strategic objective concerns education. Here SCA has strengthened delivery of inclusive education at the community level increased the quality of education through teacher training increased the understanding of the rights to education for children with disabilities among parents and teachers promoted an increased demand for education from parents and communities enhanced structures for parents and communities for demanding accountability from the government for delivering quality education. The demand for education continues to rise, and the number of school age children enrolled in school in SCA s target areas increased by 5 percent last year, even though it is still a challenge to keep girls in school after grade six. An important theme in SCA s education efforts in 2014 has been inclusive education, and in this area there has been significant progress. The increased understanding from communities, parents and teachers of the rights of all children to education is a clear and positive development. The preparatory education for children with disabilities has been successful and many children have been integrated into main stream classes. This has also emphasized the need to train more teachers in skills needed to teach children with special needs. SCA has conducted a number of activities to assess teacher quality and to train teachers, both in special and inclusive education but also in general skills. One such effort is the ongoing Teacher Educators Master Programme (TEMP), in collaboration with Karlstad University, where 26 students graduated in An important step forward last year was also the increased activity from the school management councils, submitting many school applications and collaborating with district educational authorities in hiring teachers. THE THIRD strategic objective concerns rural livelihood opportunities. Here SCA has strengthened capacities of adult members in rural communities and improved their access to resources in order to diversify their household incomes supported community based organisations to promote rural livelihoods. Building on lessons from the Northern Rural Project, a community governance and livelihood project was initiated as a pilot project during 2014 in the Balkh province. A number of vocational training sessions, targeted to whole communities but with a special focus on women and persons with disabilities, were conducted. Parallel to this, capacity development of village savings and loan associations was carried out in order for the associations to function in a more effective way and become better managed. Results will be better measured at a later stage in the strategic period, but early indications show positive signs that communities incomes are becoming more diverse. THE FOURTH strategic objective concerns local governance. Here SCA has promoted rural communities to be well-represented and increasingly participate in democratic community organisations and decision-making pushed local authorities to be more accountable and able to respond to the demands of local communities. SCA s position is that for true development to take place, participation on the community level, with representation of all groups in the community, must be strong. SCA has therefore conducted a number of activities in 2014 in order to strengthen the capacity of community based organisations, as well as sessions on rights issues. Community development councils were trained in decision-making processes and showed increased capacity in carrying out their own development projects. SCA has also facilitated training for the staff of local and district authorities in public outreach, coherence and good governance, which led to improved communication and increased the flow of resources for development projects. It has also showed an effect on mitigating local conflicts. THE FIFTH strategic objective concerns public and political commitment in Sweden and in Europe. In Sweden, SCA has SCA PROGRAMME OPERATIONS (MSEK) SCA OPERATIONS PER PROGRAMME IN Health 28% RAD 21% Rural development 10% Education 35% Programme development 6%

51 kept SCA members well-informed on the situation in Afghanistan to increasingly raise public awareness, strengthened popular engagement and demanded official support for the rights of the people of Afghanistan informed decision-makers, by policy and advocacy work, about the developments in Afghanistan and the needs of the Afghan people, in order to influence political decisions concerning Afghanistan. In 2014, SCA had significantly increased media coverage in Sweden. Factors behind this are the withdrawal of the Swedish troops, the presidential elections and the murder of Swedish Radio reporter Nils Horner. SCA was on various occasions appointed the expert voice on Afghanistan by the media. SCA entered into several dialogues on the ministerial level and in the parliament, concerning the level of Swedish aid to Afghanistan and the role of civil society, among other issues. SCA also demanded an evaluation of the entire Swedish mission in Afghanistan, the civilian as well as the military actions. SCA had an active member base of 3,681 members in 2014, but the number has not reached the target of 800 new members. The members have conducted over 100 awareness-raising and outreach events all over Sweden, and thereby reached a broad spectrum of the Swedish general public. The financial result for SCA s fundraising 90-accounts, and , was 14,218,314 SEK, which is an increase by about 10.5 percent. Of the result, about 7.6 MSEK were contributions from SCA sponsors and about 6.5 MSEK other donations. A dividend from the Swedbank Robur Humanfond of 118,218 SEK is included in the result. On top of SCA s own fundraising, Radio Aid contributed with 2,717,000 SEK. The cost of fundraising was 3.9 MSEK, or 27.4 percent of the income. During 2014, SCA was granted the status of beneficiary to the Post Code Lottery. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND SITUATION SCA has a continued stable financial base. The total of the balance sheet was MSEK for 2014, compared to 86.9 MSEK for 2013, of which 61.4 MSEK relates to SCA working capital and fundraising funds entirely belonging to the organisation. SCA s working capital and fundraising increased by 1 MSEK from 2013 to Average exchange rate in 2014 was USD 1 SEK No major loss in cash or kind occurred in There was an increase in the organisation s balance sheet as several contracts with donors were renewed in POLICY FOR INVESTMENTS The SCA investment policy is to invest with low risk and with high ethics. Securities and similar assets donated will be sold within 6 months. In 2014, a new investment policy was developed which will be presented to the Board in Q ANTI-CORRUPTION Afghanistan is one of the countries in the world most affected by corruption. SCA works actively against corruption at all levels and applies zero tolerance of corruption. All employees are obliged to report any suspected cases of corruption, which can be done anonymously, and the Board is continuously informed about cases of corruption and embezzlement within the organisation. In 2014, a number of irregularities led to five staff members being suspended with immediate effect, two staff members receiving written warnings and two other staff members being asked to resign. Two senior staff members influenced the sub-contracting of construction projects to a construction company with whom they had relations, thus using their influence for personal gains. A finance manager in a field office was found to have forged a signature in order to receive salary for another staff member who had left the organisation. A supplier at a field office was found guilty of fraudulent practices when transporting school equipment from the SCA office to the district center. Two employees responsible for the maintenance of photocopy machines and stationary supplies at the Kabul Management Office were suspected of fraudulent practices with spare parts, which also involved the supplier. A loan officer kept the amount of a micro loan for three months instead of paying it out to the beneficiary, and did not pay an allowance to a vocational skills trainee, a person with a disability. SCA s financial losses were limited in all of these cases. SCA TOTAL REVENUE 2014 (MSEK) BUDGET AND TOTAL EXPENSES (MSEK) Fundraising and members fees 25,925 Others 8, Budget The World Bank 47, Expenses EC 0,058 Sida 164, Forum Syd including information 13,

52 According to a previous decision, direct internal audit reporting to both the Country Director and the Secretary General was implemented in During 2014, an expatriate senior advisor was also recruited to the internal audit unit. IMPORTANT EVENTS IN 2015 AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE In the beginning of 2015, a process of organisational development that started in 2014 intensified. The process is directly linked to the new Strategic Plan that was launched by the organisation during 2014, and aims to form an organisation that is more efficiently and logically linked to the strategic objectives. Decisions and implementations regarding this modified organisational structure will take place in SCA also signed a three-year agreement with SIDA in the beginning of For the upcoming years, SCA will further develop and strengthen its advocacy work. The work for the rest of the strategic period will to a large extent focus on consolidating and developing the efforts to reach the strategic objectives, after years of work to form them and their expected outcomes. STAFF SCA has a staff of approximately 5,500 working in both Afghanistan and Sweden. For Afghanistan, approximately 4,000 staff members are hired for specific projects. 240 persons were employed at the Kabul Management Office and a little over 1,000 in the field and project offices. In Sweden, 20 persons are employed at the Stockholm office. Of the staff in Afghanistan, 75 percent are men, whereas the gender imbalance is reversed in Sweden. SCA s ambition in all its recruitments is to strive for balance when it comes to gender. ENVIRONMENTAL WORK SCA recruited an environmental officer in The position is responsible for advocacy and increasing the awareness of staff with regards to environmental issues that are affected by SCA s operations in all of Afghanistan offices. ADMINISTRATION The departments in Kabul are Policy and Quality Assurance, Administration, Finance, and Programme Implementation. At the Stockholm office, the work is organised in three units: Finance and Administration, Communication and Aid Coordination. STYRELSE OCH LEDNING Elected representatives in the Board were 9 ordinary members and 2 deputy members. In 2014, the Board held 6 regular and one constituent meeting. At the annual meeting, chairperson Lotta Hedström left the Board and Peder Jonsson was appointed new chairperson. Members of the Board and their attendance in meetings during 2014 were as follows: Inger Axell, 6 (7) Elisabeth Björnsdotter Rahm, 2 (4) Anders Fänge, 7 (7) Peder Jonsson, 7 (7) Bengt Kristiansson, 3 (4) Hans Linde, 3 (7) Siwita Nasser, 6 (7) Carin Runesson elected in 2014, 3 (4) Shirin Persson elected in 2014, 3 (4) Vanessa Narges Mekrami, deputy 6 (7) Freshta Dost, suppleant elected in 2014, 4 (4) Members of the Board who resigned at the Annual Meeting in May 2014 were the following: Lotta Hedström, chairperson, 2 (3) Lennart Kotsalainen, deputy, 2 (3) Djallalzada Wais, 0 (3) The Board s executive committee met three times. Kerstin Thornberg and Eva-Stina Framvik were appointed internal auditors at the annual meeting, with Linnea Larsson and Claes Renström as deputies. The meeting voted to accept the Nominating Committee s procurement of Fredrik Sjölander, KPMG, as external auditor. SCA in Afghanistan was audited by A.F. Ferguson & Co, Price Waterhouse Coopers in Islamabad. MANAGEMENT The Secretary General, Anna-Karin Johansson, was based in Stockholm, but worked periodically in Afghanistan, on average 25 percent. Country Director Dimitrije Todorovic resigned in November and SCA Programme Implementations Director Jörgen Holmström was appointed acting Country Director. Recruitment for a new permanent country director was ongoing in the beginning of Jens Rosbäck was recruited at the end of 2014 as the new head of the Aid Coordination Unit in Stockholm. FINANCIAL FIVE-YEAR OVERVIEW (TSEK) * Revenues 260, , , , , ,611 Project costs 239, , , , , ,162 Fundraising costs 3,868 2,514 3,338 2,943 2,795 5,474 Administration costs 17,095 8,172 7,616 6,298 6,935 6,701 Result of operations 98 7,157 8,868 8,432 8,507 1,274 Result after financial investments 175 7,327 10,788 8,619 9,082 1,188 Balance sheet sum 105,101 99, , ,973 73,217 69, Fundraising and administration costs as % of total revenues 8,0% 4,0% 4,5% 4,5% 4,7% 7,3% * Comparative figure for 2013 has been changed due to recalculation according to K3

53 Income Statement (TSEK) Note Operating income Membership fees 3,5 1,480 1,026 Raised funds 3,5 24,445 15,216 Grants 3,5 233, ,015 Net sales Other operating income 3 1,178 1,568 Total operating income 260, ,836 Operating costs Costs for the objective 3,6,7-239, ,993 Fundraising costs 3,6,7-3,868-2,514 Administration costs 3,6,7-17,095-8,172 Total operating costs -260, ,679 Result from operations 98 7,157 Result from financial investments Result from other equities and receivables that are fixed assets 0 0 Other interest income and similar profit/loss items Interest expenses and similar profit/loss items 0 0 Cost of administration of financial investments 0 0 Total result from financial investments Result after financial result 175 7,327 Tax on profit for the year 0 0 PROFIT/LOSS OF THE YEAR 175 7,327 Change of earmarked funds 14 Profit/loss for the year according to the income statement (see above) Utilisation of earmarked funds from previous years Earmarked funds not utilised during the year 4 1, Transferred to funds for working capital 4-1, Remaining amount for the year/change in capital brought forward

54 Balance Sheet (TSEK) ASSETS Note Fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Capitalised expenditure for software Tangible fixed assets Land and buildings 0 Equipment Accrued expenses on property not own by the organisation Financial fixed assets Long-term securities 10 1, Long-term receivables 11 2,686 2,535 4,437 3,434 Fixed assets, total 4,438 3,435 Current assets Inventories etc. Goods for sale Advance payments to suppliers Current receivables Accounts receivables trade Other receivables 6,630 2,821 Receivable on granted but not received grants 4,15 9,604 12,589 Prepaid expenses and accrued income 12 3,489 1,247 19,853 16,699 Current investments 0 0 Cash and bank balances 17 80,747 79,299 Current assets, total 80,747 79,299 ASSETS, TOTAL 105,101 99,496 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Equity Donation capital 4, Funds for working Capital 4,14 21,079 17,612 Earmarked funds, SCA fundraising 4,14 36,536 40,277 Earmarked funds, Radio Aid 4, Earmarked funds, Post Code and Atlas Copco 4,14 1, Profit/Loss brought forward 4,14 1,284 1,928 Net profit/loss of the year 4, ,314 60,397 Provisions Provisions for pensions and similar commitments 0 0 Provisions for taxes 0 0 Other provisions 13 4,510 4,298 4,510 4,298 Current liabilities Liabilities to credit institutions 0 0 Accounts payable trade 5,859 4,500 Tax liabilities 1,091 1,190 Liability on received but not utilised grants 15 28,358 25,683 Other liabilities 1,956 1,560 Accrued expenses and deferred income 16 2,013 1,870 39,277 34,802 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES, TOTAL 105,101 99,497 Pledged assests None None Contingent liabilities None None 54

55 Cash Flow Statement (TSEK) Note Operating activities Operating profit/loss 175 7,327 Adjustments for items not included in the cash flow Deprecation and write-down 0 0 Foreign exchange gain/loss in cash Profit from sales of equipment 0 0 Loss from disposal of equipment ,516 Interest received Interest paid ,335 Paid income tax 0 0 Cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital 112 6,571 Changes in working capital Changes in inventory 0 2 Changes in provisions Changes in current receivables -3,305 1,156 Changes in current liabilities 4,538-32,452 Cash flow from operating activities 2,186-31,253 Investments Acquisitions of tangibles assets Sales of tangible assets 0 0 Cash flow from investing activities Financing activities Loans taken 0 0 Repayment of liablities 0 0 Dividends received 0 0 Cash flow from financing activities 0 0 CASHFLOW OF THE YEAR 1,446-24,786 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 79, ,084 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 17 80,747 79,299 55

56 Notes Note 1 Accounting and valuation principles The accounting and valuation principles of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan are in accordance with the Annual Accounting Act, BFNAR 2012:1 and with FRII s governing guidelines, but with two exceptions. The first exception all inventory purchased with contributions are registered immediately. The second exception SCA registers as income means received meant to be passed along to its partners. Change of accounting principle 2014 Starting in 2014, the SCA drafts its annual accounts in accordance with K3 (BFNAR 2012:1), which has resulted in the 2013 indicators having been re-calculated in accordance with the new accounting principles. This has affected the indicators for result and own capital, as a consequence of the membership fees now having been classified according to time period in order to match the actual year of membership. Previously, the membership fees were registered as income for the year they were received. Another change is that contribution balances are now reported in gross numbers, whereas they were previously reported in net numbers. The items claims institutional donors and debts institutional donors have been included in the balance sheet. Income Income is valued at the real value of what has been received or will be received. SCA classifies its income in the following categories: membership fees, gifts, contributions, net turnover and other incomes. Membership fee refers to the fee paid to be a member of the organisation. Membership fees are reported at the time of payment from the member, and are reported as income for the time period in question. An asset that has been given to SCA without any demands for something in return is classified as a gift. Stipulating a purpose in accordance with SCA s regular categories for earmarking funds is not seen as making a demand for something in return. Gifts in the form of cash and material gifts of significant value are reported as income. Gifts in the form of services and material gifts of insignificant value are not reported as income. Gifts are reported as income at the time of being received. An asset that has been given with a demand for something in return is classified as a contribution. When the demands for the contribution have been fulfilled, the contribution is reported as an income. Before the demands have been fulfilled, the contribution is reported as a debt. A contribution that has been received to cover certain costs is reported for the same financial year as the cost the contribution is meant to cover. Raised means are gifts directly raised by the organisation, as well as raised means from the Radio Aid campaigns, the Children of the World 2011, the Music Aid 2012 and the Post Code Lottery. Income from sales are reported at the time of sale and classified as net turnover. Income that does not fall under any of the above categories is classified under the heading of other incomes. Costs SCA uses FRII s cost classifications: operational costs, fundraising costs and administrative costs. Operational costs are classified as those that have a direct impact on fulfilling the organisation s purpose in accordance with its statutes. Every cost in Afghanistan is classified as an operational cost, with the exception of a small share for basic administration. Costs for SCA s information efforts are also classified as operational costs, as this work is a part of the organisation s purpose in accordance with its statutes. Fundraising costs are those that are necessary in order to generate income from fundraising. Included here is advertisements, salaries, thank-you letters, mailing of gift letters, as well as the costs associated with the recruitment of monthly givers and so on. Administrative costs are those that are necessary for administrating the organisation. The administration is a quality guarantee for the purpose and for the giver. Within the classification of administrative costs, there are the costs for the SCA office in Stockholm, for rent costs and other operational costs for facilities and communication, as well as salary costs for the administrative staff. Costs for the board and a small part of the costs for the administrative staff in Afghanistan are also included here. All of the organisation s leasing agreements are reported as operational; meaning that the leasing fee is reported linearly during the leasing period. Ongoing remunerations to staff members in the form of salaries, benefits and so on are reported as the employees perform services. Pension obligations are classified as fee based and are reported as a cost for the year during which the pension is earned. Balance sheet Financial assets are valued at whichever is the lowest of either posted or market value. Claims are reported at the amount they are expected to be paid in. Customer claims are valued individually. Claims and debts in foreign currencies are valued at the exchange rate of the balance day. Inventory is valued at whichever is the lowest of either purchase value or real value. Inventory that is part of the organisational operations is written off based on assessed financial longevity: Computers at 3 years and other items at 5 years. Inventory purchased through raised means are written off immediately. Purpose-decided means are reported as an item under own capital, and relate to gifts that have not yet been used and other purpose-decided means. An allocation is reported in those cases where the SCA has a legal or informal obligation that is expected to result in a future payout. Allocations are valued at the best approximation of the amount that needs to be paid. Note 2 Approximations and assessments There are no approximated values of a significant nature associated with SCA s annual accounts. Furthermore, SCA makes the assessment that there are no significant financial risks for the organisation that can be seen at the time of the drafting of the annual accounts. 56

57 Note 3 Specification of revenues and costs for 2014 (TSEK) PROJECT COSTS SOURCE OF REVENUE FUNDS RECEIVED IN 2014 Information and member activities in Sweden Education Health RAD Rural Development Programme development & support Investments Fundraising Management and administration TOTAL COSTS OF 2014 NET EFFECT DONOR LIABILITY/ RECEIVABLE RESULT OF THE YEAR Membership fees 1, Membership fees from SCA association members 1, Raised funds 24,445 1,216 11,105 7,288 1, , ,171-1,727 SCA fundraising 14, ,679 4,364 1, , ,639-3,421 Fundraising through Radio Aid 2,717 1, , Post Code Lottery 7, ,287 2, ,827 1,523 Atlas Copco (Water 4 All) Grants 245, ,557 57,925 47,424 23,919 12,995 3, , ,937 0 Sida core funds for ,000 52,349 10,589 34,876 7,302 10,986 3,750 13, ,108 1,892 0 Sida CIVSAM 23,888 6,572 6,174 5,112 5, ,869 25,234-1,346 0 Sida TEMP procject 6,219 3,069 3,069 3,150 0 Sida NRP project 0 3,250 3,250-3,250 0 Forum Syd annual grant ,005 1, , , ,602 12,562-1,556 0 Forum Syd Information , , European Commission 1, ,655 0 Ministry of Public Health (BPHS & EPHS) 58,322 39, ,281 19,041 0 UN Jocknick Foundation 1,219 1,369 1, Finland Embassy 0 1,392 1,392-1,392 0 WFP World Bank (NSP) 4,106 8, ,168-4,062 0 Afghanistan Connection 1,984 3, ,764-1,779 0 Others Sales Sales Others 1, ,255 Interest, exchange gains/ losses 1, ,255 TOTAL 272,638 3,112 80,663 65,213 49,286 24,065 13,396 3,828 3,868 17, ,525 11, ,563 57

58 Note 4 Balances of Equity and insitutional donor funds (TSEK) (A) (B) (C) (D) ( E ) (F) (G) Sources of revenue Received funds for 2014 Total costs 2014 Result 2014 (A-B) Opening balance on remaining funds from previous years Exchange rate adjustment on balances from previous years Changes during the year (utilised/ written off/ reimbursements) Remaining funds per (C +D+E+F) Equity 2, ,902 19, ,071 23,361 Membership fees and sales of material in Sweden 1, , ,282 Fund for working capital 1, ,295 17, ,565 21,079 Earmarked projects funds fundraising 24,445 26,171-1,727 40, ,147 37,953 SCA fundraising 14,218 17,639-3,421 40, ,536 Fundraising Radio Aid 2,717 2, Post Code Lottery 7,350 5,827 1, ,281 Atlas Copco (Water 4 all) Balances of contributions 245, ,403 11,937 13, ,203 18,754 Sida 165, , , ,166 Forum Syd annual grant ,005 12,562-1,556 3, , Forum Syd Information ,050 1, European Commission 1, , , Ministry of Public Health (BPHS & EPHS) 58,322 39,281 19,041-2, ,626 14,976 UN Jochnick Foundation 1,219 1, Finland Embassy 0 1,392-1, WFP World Bank (NSP) 4,106 8,168-4,062-2, ,752 Afghanistan Connection 1,984 3,764-1,779 1, Others TOTAL 272, ,525 12,112 73, ,280 80,067 58

59 Note 5 Funds raised and contributions DONATIONS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE INCOME STATEMENT (a) Public 13,854 12,435 Companies Other Organisations: Post Code Lottery 7,350 Water 4 All Total Donations accounted for in the income statement (a) 21,728 13,006 DONATIONS NOT INCLUDED IN THE INCOME STATEMENT (b)* Contributions accounted for as income Contributions from the public (c) Public: Radio Aid 2,717 2,350 Companies Total Contribution from the Public (c) 2,717 2,350 Grants from public agencies, authorities and institutions (d) Sida core funds for 2014, Sida CIVSAM, Sida TEMP 164, ,951 Forum Syd annual grant ,562 12,693 Forum Syd Information ,050 1,493 European Commission 58 22,155 Ministry of Public Health (BPHS & EPHS) 39,281 34,062 UN 150 Jocknick Foundation 1, Finland Embassy 1,392 1,057 WFP World Bank (NSP) 8,168 8,164 Afghanistan Connection 3,764 2,073 Others (small grants from different donors) 309 3,204 Total Grants from public agencies, authorities and institutions (d) 233, ,875 Total contributions accounted for as income (c + d) 236, ,225 TOTAL FUNDS RAISED CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING: Total Donations accounted for in the income statement(a) 21,728 13,006 Donation not included in the income statement (b) * 0 0 Total contributions accounted for as income (c + d) 236, ,225 TOTAL FUNDS RAISED 257, ,231 * SCA has only received donations in form of free seminar premises. Market value is unknown to SCA. 59

60 Note 6 Number of employees, staff costs and fees to the Board Number of employees Total Of whom men Total Of whom men Sweden Afghanistan, expatriate staff Afghanistan, locally employed 1,273 1,010 1,318 1,043 Afghanistan, project staff 4,044 2,984 4,431 3,241 Pakistan, locally employed Total 5,351 4,009 5,781 4,299 The number of employees in Afghanistan and Pakistan reflects the number at year end each year. The number of employees in Sweden is based on the average number of employees. Board members and senior management, per gender Total Of whom men Total Of whom men Board members Secretary General Senior Management exept SG Salaries, other renumerations and social security contributions The Board and Secretary General Other employees 133, ,583 Sweden 5,509 7,151 Afghanistan, expatriate staff 6,867 9,134 Afghanistan, locally employed 62,625 58,928 Afghanistan, project staff 58,634 56,020 Pakistan, locally employed Total 134, Social security contribution Total social security contributions 3,434 3,673 of which pension cost 949 1,337 The board did not receive any remunerations in 2014, nor in Out of the total pension costs 183 (131) TSEK relates to the Secretary General. Voluntary work Most of the donated voluntary work is carried out within the local chapters and those are separate entities and are not reported as part of the annual accounts of SCA. However, voluntary work has also been contributed to SCA as well. SCA does not apply time reporting for volunteers as that would create to much adminsitration both for the volunteers as well as the organisation. The estimate is that 50 individuals contributed a total of 850 hours. Agreement for severance pay If Secretary General (SG) were to be relived of her duties based on an initiative of the employer, SG is entitled to salary during one year. If SG during this period obtains another source of income, then that amount should be deducted from the salary of SCA. Loan to senior management and related party transactions The organisation has not issued any loans to senior management, nor have any related party transactions taken place. Note 7 Leasing fees SCAs leasing fees are primarily office rent and some office equipment. Contracts for offices and other buildings in Afghanistan are normally signed with a contract notice of 3 months. The office contract in Sweden is ending in , and thereafter prolonged automatically with three years if no party leaves due notice Leasing fee that are reported as cost 5,683 4,872 Future leasing fees are due: Within 1 year (In Afghanistan) 1,669 1,453 Within 1 year (In Sweden) 1, In 1 to 5 years (In Afghanistan) 3,550 2,410 In 1 to 5 years (In Sweden) 6,140 0 Later than 5 years ,956 4,366 60

61 Note 8 Other interest incomes and similar profit and loss items Dividends 0 0 Interest Capital gain/loss from sales 0 0 Write-downs 0 0 Reversal of write-downs Note 9 Fixed Assets Opening acquisition value 25,940 19,327 Exchange rate effect on OB in Afghanistan 763-1,927 This year s purchases 5,436 8,542 Disposals -1,535-3 Sales Accumulated acquisition value 30,544 25,940 Opening contributions 25,939 19,326 Exchange rate effect on OB in Afghanistan 763-1,926 This year s contributions 5,435 8,542 Sales and disposals -1,595-3 Closing contribution 30,543 25,939 Net value 1 1 Note 10 Longterm investments held as assets Opening acquisition value Purchase Sales 0 0 Accumulated acquisition value 1, Opening accumulated write-downs -2-2 This year s write downs -9 0 Reactivated write-downs 0 Closing write-downs Closing book value 1, Reported value Market value Handelsbanken Placement fund Handelsbanken Global fund Handelsbanken Asia fund Swedbank Robur Liquidity fund 1,000 1,017 1,751 1,775 Note 11 Long-term receivables Opening nominal value 2,535 2,993 Additional receivables 2, Amortisation, deductible receivables -2, Exchangerate differance Closing nominal value 2,771 2,535 Opening accumulated write-downs 0 0 Write-down for the year Reversal of write-downs 0 0 Closing accumulated write-downs Closing book value 2,686 2,535 61

62 Note 12 Prepaid expenses and accrued income Prepaid rent 2,484 1,074 Accrued interest 0 0 Other items 1, ,489 1,247 Note 13 Provisions 13a Staff insurance Afghanistan Opening book value 788 1,065 Provisions of the year Utilised amounts Exchange rate difference Closing book value 1, b RAD Revolving Loan Fund Opening book value 3,469 3,911 Provisions of the year 0 0 Utilised amounts 89-6 Exchange rate difference Closing book value 3,491 3,469 Note 14 Equity Raised funds in 2014/ Earmarked by donors Earmarked by the board Earmarked by the annual meeting Result of the year Changes during the year (written off, exchange rate diff) Type of Equity Opening balance Utilised Closing balance Donation capital Balance brought forward 1,778 1, (494) 1,891 Fund for working capital 17,612 1,295 1,295 2,172 21,079 Radio Aid funds 241 2,717 2, (365) 33 Post Code lottery funds 7,350 5,827 1,523 (242) 1,281 Atlas Copco (Water 4 All) (8) 103 Own fundraising 40,277 14,218 17,639 (3,420) (320) 36,536 General 14,829 1,966 (72) 907 1,058 15,888 General for Afganistan only 10,249 7,643 4,613 3,029 (320) 12,959 Education 5,667 2,159 5,674 (3,514) 2,153 Girls education 3, ,731 (2,472) 1,307 Health 839 1,959 1, ,230 Mother and Child healthcare 3, ,130 (1,956) 1,049 RAD Rural Development Water and Sanitation Information A-nytt Misc specific projects Humanitarian emergencies Reserve Total 60,397 27,297 27, ,314 * Result of the year 2013 was restated to SEK 150,000 due to changes in reporting income according to K3. 62

63 Note 15 Donor balances Donor Receivable Liability Project status Sida annual funds 12,166 11,732 Sida agreement is extended till end Feb Some payment could not be made in 2014 due to the fact the suppliers could not supply the ordered materail and equipment. One of the items is printing of text books which could not be completed in Forum Syd funds for information Forum Syd annual funds 990 3,289 SCA should contribute 10% to the project from its own fundraising. The SCA contribution would be around one million SEK which will balance this deficit. European Commission Project has been completed and SCA ended with surplus due to the exchange rate difference. Afghanistan Connection 756 1,066 The project continues and the funds were transferred to SCA in January Sandy Gall Afghanistan Appeal Jochnick Foundation Project continues. Post Code Foundation Project continues. Finland Embassy Last installment of the project is due after the final report is submitted in the first quarter of World Bank (NSP) 6,752 2,607 The project has been successfully completed. Request for transfer of funds to World Bank was submitted in October 2014 but the payment was delayed. SEHAT MoPH Projects 9,745 14,976 7,433 Health Net 163 Project continues. BRAC 5 Project continues. UNICEF and UNFPA WHO WFP Project continues. SGAA 190 Novare Human 55 SCA received donation and utilisation is planned in Oxfam Novib 27 Tax refund related to the closed ENNA project received in Will be balanced in Others This amount is the net surplus while all projects were successfully completed. Total 9,604 12,589 28,358 25,683 Note 16 Accrued expenses and defered income Accrued interest 0 0 Holiday pay 1,209 1,113 Accrued employer fee Other items ,013 1,870 Note 17 Liquid assets Cash Bank balances 80,421 78,543 Short-term investments, equal to liquid assets ,747 79,299 63

64 Stockholm Peder Jonsson Ordförande Shirin Persson Siwita M Nasser Bengt Kristiansson Vice Ordförande Anders Fänge Hans Linde Elisabeth Björnsdotter-Rahm Inger Axell Carin Runesson Min revisionsberättelse har lämnats Fredrik Sjölander Auktoriserad revisor, KPMG This is a translation from the original Annual Report. For this reason, this English edition does not contain the signatures of the board and the auditor. In case of discrepancies between the two versions, the Annual Report published in Swedish Svenska Afghanistankommitténs verksamhetsberättelse och årsredovisning is to be considered the original. It may be viewed and downloaded on 64

65 Revisionsberättelse Till årsmötet i Svenska Afghanistankommittén, org. nr Rapport om årsredovisningen Jag har utfört en revision av årsredovisningen för Svenska Afghanistankommittén för år Styrelsens ansvar för årsredovisningen Det är styrelsen som har ansvaret för att upprätta en årsredovisning som ger en rättvisande bild enligt årsredovisningslagen och för den interna kontroll som styrelsen bedömer är nödvändig för att upprätta en årsredovisning som inte innehåller väsentliga felaktigheter, vare sig dessa beror på oegentligheter eller på fel. Revisorns ansvar Mitt ansvar är att uttala mig om årsredovisningen på grundval av min revision. Jag har utfört revisionen enligt International Standards on Auditing och god revisionssed i Sverige. Dessa standarder kräver att jag följer yrkesetiska krav samt planerar och utför revisionen för att uppnå rimlig säkerhet att årsredovisningen inte innehåller väsentliga felaktigheter. En revision innefattar att genom olika åtgärder inhämta revisionsbevis om belopp och annan information i årsredovisningen. Revisorn väljer vilka åtgärder som ska utföras, bland annat genom att bedöma riskerna för väsentliga felaktigheter i årsredovisningen, vare sig dessa beror på oegentligheter eller på fel. Vid denna riskbedömning beaktar revisorn de delar av den interna kontrollen som är relevanta för hur föreningen upprättar årsredovisningen för att ge en rättvisande bild i syfte att utforma granskningsåtgärder som är ändamålsenliga med hänsyn till omständigheterna, men inte i syfte att göra ett uttalande om effektiviteten i föreningens interna kontroll. En revision innefattar också en utvärdering av ändamålsenligheten i de redovisningsprinciper som har använts och av rimligheten i styrelsens uppskattningar i redovisningen, liksom en utvärdering av den övergripande presentationen i årsredovisningen. Jag anser att de revisionsbevis jag har inhämtat är tillräckliga och ändamålsenliga som grund för mina uttalanden. Rapport om andra krav enligt lagar och andra författningar samt stadgar Utöver min revision av årsredovisningen har jag även utfört en revision av styrelsens förvaltning för Svenska Afghanistankommittén för år Styrelsens ansvar Det är styrelsen som har ansvaret för förvaltningen. Revisorns ansvar Mitt ansvar är att med rimlig säkerhet uttala mig om förvaltningen på grundval av min revision. Jag har utfört revisionen enligt god revisionssed i Sverige. Som underlag för mitt uttalande om ansvarsfrihet har jag utöver min revision av årsredovisningen granskat väsentliga beslut, åtgärder och förhållanden i föreningen för att kunna bedöma om någon styrelseledamot har företagit någon åtgärd eller gjort sig skyldig till försummelse som kan föranleda ersättningsskyldighet. Jag anser att de revisionsbevis jag har inhämtat är tillräckliga och ändamålsenliga som grund för mitt uttalande. Uttalande Jag tillstyrker att årsmötet beviljar styrelsens ledamöter ansvarsfrihet för räkenskapsåret. Stockholm den 26 april 2015 Fredrik Sjölander Auktoriserad revisor Uttalanden Enligt min uppfattning har årsredovisningen upprättats i enlighet med årsredovisningslagen och ger en i alla väsentliga avseenden rättvisande bild av Svenska Afghanistankommitténs finansiella ställning per den 31 december 2014 och av dess finansiella resultat och kassaflöden för året enligt årsredovisningslagen. Förvaltningsberättelsen är förenlig med årsredovisningens övriga delar. Jag tillstyrker därför att årsmötet fastställer resultaträkningen och balansräkningen. This is the signed Auditor s report in Swedish to the Annual General Meeting of the Swedish Committe for Afghanistan. 65

66 Revisionsberättelse SAK 2014 Föreningsrevisorerna Föreningsrevisorernas rapport avseende Svenska Afghanistankommitténs verksamhet för år Undertecknade ordinarie föreningsrevisorer valdes vid Svenska Afghanistankommitténs årsmöte den 24 maj Föreliggande rapport är resultatet av vår granskning av SAK:s verksamhet under Granskningen har följt riktlinjer för föreningsrevisorer, som godkändes av SAK:s årsmöte den 5 6 maj Vi har tagit del av protokollet från årsmötet den 24 maj Vi har också tagit del av föreningsstyrelsens samtliga protokoll under år 2014, samt arbetsplaner, strategidokument, rapporter och utredningar, som tillställt styrelsen under året. Vi har ställt frågor till Generalsekreterare, Ordföranden och Styrelsen angående bl.a. hur säkerhetsläget påverkar SAK:s arbete, vilka kontroll och kvalitetsrutiner, som finns för att säkerställa att information som styrelsen behöver för att leda verksamheten är korrekt och fullständig. Vi har också tagit del av dokument, som berör dessa frågor. Samtliga frågor har besvarats tillfredsställande. Den förvärrade säkerhetssituationen har inneburit en än större vaksamhet och uppföljning av säkerhetssituationen vilket finns dokumenterat. Utifrån den genomförda verksamhetsrevisionen rekommenderar vi föreningsrevisorer ansvarsfrihet för SAK:s styrelse för verksamhetsåret Kerstin Thornberg Eva-Stina Framvik This is the signed Association Auditors report in Swedish to the Annual General Meeting of the Swedish Committe for Afghanistan. 66

67

68 TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Dialogue on plans and results Afghanistan is marked by poverty and more than 30 years of conflict. But change is possible and ongoing. For this to continue, it is important to demand openness and accountability. Internal regulations are not enough constant dialogue is also necessary. The trust of target groups, staff, authorities, members and donors is absolutely vital. Their time, commitment and feedback make change possible. The trust and commitment can be built by responsiveness, timely information and transparent processes, in addition to accepting responsibility for the impact of our interventions on people s lives. Our aim is to always be transparent in how we utilise what we receive and which results we achieve. To review or learn more about our work, you are welcome to access additional material on our website: There you will find various reports as well as our strategic plan for Minutes from Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting are shared and published on after having been adjusted. PLEASE CONTACT US! If you have any comments regarding this annual report or any questions regarding our plans, results or documents, you are most welcome to contact us please info@sak.se or call Svenska Afghanistankommittén Malmgårdsvägen 63, 3 tr SE Stockholm Sweden +46(0) info@sak.se Swedish Committee for Afghanistan Jalalabad Main Road, Paktia Kot PO Box 5017 Kabul Afghanistan info@sca.org.af