RubiaInterimProgressReportforDiningforWomen:ThreadsofChange,Afghanistan

September11,2011

RubiaInterimProgressReport‐February‐July,2011forDiningforWomen:ThreadsofChange,Afghanistan,

September11,2011

1.Pleaseshareabriefdescriptionofwhathasbeenaccomplishedsofar.

BetweenFebruary,2011whenwestartedourGirstThreadsofChange(ToC)courseattheWomen’sCenterinJalalabadandJuly,2011,whenwecompletedourlastoneinMajburabadat,atoursatellitecenterinNangraharProvince,450non­literatewomenhavegraduatedfromthetrainingprogram.Eachmonth,approximately75women,(threegroupsof20‐25participants)attendedmorningandafternoonsessionsforthreedaysperweek.Theteachershavebeentrainedbymastertrainersinan“engagedlearning”modelofeducationcenteringonleader‐facilitatedconversations(ratherthantheusuallecturestyle),withvisualcurriculumashomeworktoreinforcelessons.

Whileparticipatinginguideddiscussionswiththeaidofaskilledfacilitator,thesewomenhavelearnedhowtoembroiderillustrationsofthelessonspromotingfamilyhealthandhygiene,women’srightstoeducationandvoting,banningchildmarriage,andwomenasconGlictresolvers.Embroideringtheseimagesintroducesbasicinformationthatseclusionandilliteracyhaveblockedfromtheirlives.Forexample,whileembroideringamotherbreastfeeding,womenhaveheardaboutitsadvantagesoverbottle‐feedingfortheirbabies’health;whilecopyingadesignofawomanholdingaKoranabovetwoGightingboys,thewomenhaveabsorbedtheimportanceofresolvingdisputesthroughpeacefulmeans.Whilere‐creatinganimageofchildrenwashingtheirhands–withsoap,thewomenarepoisedtoabsorbtheimportanceofusingsoapforgoodhealthandhygiene.

Targetedatnon‐literatewomen,“ThreadsofChange”communicatesvisually:someofthemwerehesitanttospeakupatGirst,butbythelastsession,werecomfortablespeakinginthegroupandaskingquestionsintheirownwords.Eachparticipantreceivedandbroughthomeabookletwithasetofillustrations,eachbearingadifferentmessage,suchashandwashing,breast‐feeding,immunization,votingrightsandfemaleliteracy.ThetrainingcoursehasalsoreGinedthewomen’sembroideryskill,asourceofincomeforthewomenandtheirfamilies.

WehavenothadachancetoformallystudytheimpactoftheDfW‐fundedtrainingonwomenparticipants,buttrainersandourDirectorinJalalabadhavegleanedthefollowinganecdotalinformation:

• Womenfromthreedifferentethnicgroups,Pashto,Pashai,andNuristani,havecometogetherfortheGirsttimeattheThreadsofChangecourses‐wheremutualrespect,trust,andtolerancearebeingmodeled.

• Womenwhohadnotpreviouslyparticipatedinvotingchosetovoteinthelastelection,presumablybecauseoftheToCtrainingcombinedwithinformationworkshopsthatourtrainersheldpromotingcivicparticipation.Women’sengagementinthepracticeofdemocracywasnotlimitedtowomenregisteredinThreadsofChangeclassesbutinGluencedwomenrelativesandfriendsfurtheroutinthecountrysidewhoalsovotedfortheGirsttime.

NursingishealthierthanBottle­Feeding

2.HasanythingchangedwiththegoalsandobjectivesoftheprogramthatDFWagreedtofund?

Ourgoalhasbroadenedbeyondourproposal«tocreatecivicawarenessincludingtherightsandresponsibilitiesofcitizenshipandappreciationfortheruleoflawinAfghancommunitiesfromthegrassrootsup»toincludeincreasedlivelihoodoptionsleadingtoeconomicempowerment.InthecourseoftheToCtraining,werealizedtheimportanceoftheincome‐generatingcomponent:theopportunityforwomentogainaskillthatwillenablethemtocontributetotheirfamilies'livelihoodsiswhatconvincestheirmalefamilymembersthatleavingtheirresponsibilitiesathomeforthecourseisaworthwhileuseoftheirwives'time.Moneyinherownhandsbolstersawoman’sstandinginherfamily,herrespectamongherpeersanddecision‐makingpowerinthehousehold.

Oneunexpectedspin‐offfromtheToCtrainingwasthedecisiontoholdworkshopsformenontherightsofwomenandchildren.ByintroducingmenonspecialdaystotheTrainingCenterinJalalabad,wehavebuiltcommunitytrustandallayedmalesuspicionsaboutwhatthewomenaredoingwhentheyattendtheToCclasses.

Inaddition,wehavewidenedthegeographicalscopeofourproject,thankstothe«windfall»wereceivedfromDfWchaptermemberswhocontributed

$32,955,$9805morethanthe$23,150weoriginallybudgeted,.ByexpandingthetrainingbeyondNagraharProvince,asweoriginallyproposed,toFarahprovince,wewillbeabletotheThreadsofChangecurriculumtomorewomen.Weplantoreach300moreruralwomenatournewimplementationsitesinfourdistrictsofFarahProvince:Jowin,FarahCity(Markaz),PoshtKohandAnardara.

HaveyouexperiencedanysigniFicantchallengesorobstaclesinimplementation?Ifso,howareyouaddressingthem?

Thebiggestchallengeforourprojecthasbeenourinabilitytomonitortheprojectthroughsitevisitsduetosecurityrisks.NomembersofRubia’sAmericanstaffhavevisitedJalalabadoverthepastyearbecauseourExecutiveDirectortherehasbeenunabletoguaranteeoursecurity.Inspiteoftherisks,twoAmericananthropologygraduatestudentswereabletovisitthetrainingcenterinJalalabadinearly2011.Well‐protectedfemaleengagementteamsfromtheUSMilitary’sProvincialReconstructionTeaminJalalabadwereabletoovercomethesecurityproblemandvisittheproject.RubiastaffinAfghanistanhasovercomethisformidableobstaclebystaying“belowtheradarscreen,”aswehavedoneoverthepastdecadeworkinginAfghanistan.Rubia’sapproachdoesnotthreatentraditionalculturalnorms:womenaretrainedinthecompanyofotherwomen‐‐anddonotencountermalesoutsideoftheirfamiliesduringourtrainingsessions.

4.Hasthetimelinefortheprogramchangedfromtheoriginalfundingapplication?

InaccordancewithourexpansiontoFarahprovince,wehaveadjustedourtimelineasexplainedbelow.UpcomingProjectActivities:September15­December15,2011

TrainingofTrainersandToCClassesinFarahProvinceInthesecondhalfofSeptember,wewilltrainthe14trainerswhohavebeenleadingHOLD'strainingoverthepastyearinToCatHOLD'sofGiceinFarahCity.StartinginOctober,thetenfemaletrainerswilleachmeetwiththeirclassof25‐30ruralwomentwiceaweekfor10weeks.Ourtrainingwillbuildonthecommunity'strustinHOLDthathasdevelopedoverthepastyearinthecourseofatrainingprograminCivicEducationandCommunityParticipationinwhich300ruralwomenhaveparticipated.Weplantotrainall14localtrainers(10female,4male)wholedthisprogramintheToCcurriculum.

Whileitiscriticalthatmalesareincludedintraininginordertolearnthelessonsofwomen'srightsandlifeskills,itisnotlikelythatthefourmale

trainerswillfacilitatediscussions:respectingculturalnorms,thewomenwhomaybereluctanttospeakupintheirpresence.(Wehaveobservedthatgender‐focusedprojectsinAfghanistantendtobackGireifmalesareexcludedfromparticipating:themostsustainablegenderprojectsincludemen.)

TravelingExhibit(inUSandAfghanistan)ThemostexquisitesetsofembroiderieswillbeincludedinatravelingexhibitaboutRubia,ThreadsofChange,andthepoweroftheneedlein2012.InNangrahar,wewilltrytobeneGitfromthegainsofthecompletedtrainingbybuyingtheToCembroideriesandsellingtheminconjunctionwiththeexhibit,onlineandthruspecialauctions.

ProgramEvaluationinNangraharWeplantoholdpostprogramevaluationwithinputfromparticipants(throughasurveyandfocusgroups)andtrainers(throughindividualinterviews)toidentifymechanismsforimprovingthecurriculumanditsimplementationtobetteraddresstheneedsofwomeninAfghanistan.

5. Hasfundingchangedforthisprogram?Forexample,haveyoureceivedunexpectedfundingfromanothersource?

Ouroriginalproposaldidnotbudgetanallowanceforparticipants,anecessitythatwehavehadtoaddtothebudget.TheunexpectedsurplusofDfWfunds,combinedwithagrantfromtheAfghanWomen’sEmpowerment(AWE)grantfromtheUSEmbassyallowedustodothis.The$20/perwomanstipendhasreinforcedattendance,impartingresponsibilityandsenseofself‐worthfortheparticipants.

WashingHandswithSoapPreventsIllness