| Opium to Orchards |
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Eastern Region Orchard Development Program Reaches Milepost
The first 500,000 trees are in the ground, and nearly 4,000 acres of fruit and nut orchard are taking root where poppies once grew. Aerial photography shows as much as a 65% replacement of opium poppies with orchards in some districts in Nangarhar Province, once the leading poppy growing province in Afghanistan.
This marks the end of planting for the first phase of the USAID sponsored Alternative Livelihoods Program being implemented through a grant from Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI). The International Foundation of Hope’s Agriculture Specialists worked with local farmers to plant trees in ten districts of Nangarhar and two districts in Laghman provinces. Another 500,000 trees will be planted next season, adding six districts including some in higher elevations. Farmer training will also be expanded and will include training modules being developed by UC Davis, Iowa State University and Wenatchee Valley College.
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| Hope School Finds Friends in Washington |
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Gulalai Bahrami, principal of Hope School traveled to Washington DC in February to spend a week learning about education in America at Sidwell Friends School. She observed classrooms, visited with teachers, and discovered lots of new ideas to take back to Kabul. Story
Looking Ahead
This year, Hope School has nearly 800 students in grades 1 through 8. Temporary classrooms have been added by using newly-acquired cargo containers. Parents are beginning to be involved as well. "Some are donating furniture and supplies; others are helping with repairs. The parents really care about the school and want a good education for their children," Gulalai points out.
Plans are underway to improve and expand The Hope School, a dream long delayed by a just-resolved question about site ownership. The dispute has been settled and The Hope School holds title to the land it now occupies.
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| IFHope Launches Two New Projects |
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Two new projects are underway with 200,000 trees already planted in Chaparhar and Khewa districts.
The Chaparhar Commercial Tree Project is the result of a tremendous response from the villagers following the Dago Village Bakery Woodlot Project. IFHope will implement a combined woodlot and construction pole project of 30 acres of saplings planted on private land. From 30-50 participating farmer/landowners will be selected to plant .5 to 1.5 acres of Eucalyptus for firewood or poplars for construction poles. A rotating harvest system will provide a sustainable supply of product as well as a steady income for the farmers.
The second project is a tree planting component of the Khewa Flood Protection Plan that will supplement a gabion* wall protection system. The tree plantation will have long-term impact on soil enrichment, prevention of soil erosion and protecting the homes.
*Military - a wickerwork basket filled with rocks, used as a temporary fortification
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Productive, Profitable and Legal |
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(Please click graph to enlarge and for related story)
An acre planted to trees is an acre removed from poppy production. IFHope believes that high value permanent crops provide the most viable alternative to opium production in terms of both income generation and providing employment. In addition to the income provided, once the land is planted to a permanent crop it will not be planted to poppies. During a woodlot project in Chaparhar, eucalyptus saplings were planted on land that was already prepared by the farmers – prepared to plant poppies. More... |
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