Ansari Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan

ARAA
Livelihood need assessment

Need Assessment/Feasibility Study

Report for Improving Household
Livelihood of IDPs in Ghor 2017

Image from a conflict induced IDPs displaced from Shahrak district in Ghor province

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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Exacutive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1
Objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 2
A closer look Through the livelihood lens ....................................................................................... 3
Methodology of Assessment ........................................................................................................... 3
Livelihood income.3
Assessment findings.3
Greenhouse ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Livestock (Animal husbandry) ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.4
Mobile and computer reparing ....................................................................................................... .4
Tailoring & Knitting ....................................................................................................................... 4
Sustainability................................................................................................................................... 5
Recommendation & conclusion.5

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 Introduction

ARAA has been operational in the sector of protection, re-integration/social activities,

agricultural and education has partnership with UNHCR and involved in daily assessment and
protection of conflict induced IDPs with UNHCR and WFP.

Ghor is mountainous province in the west of Afghanistan, Ghor is not only a tribal society; it is a
multi-ethnic and multi-tribal society. Conflicts among them are strong, historically the tribes
have feuded, the conflicts have grown more acute, hundreds of armed men led by criminals and
freelance commanders roam villages and districts of Ghor province. The Afghan National
Police (ANP) has little means to control them. The people of in Ghor live with the fear of
anarchy just around the corner. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) does not seem
well equipped to deal with these challenges. the conflict between local commanders remain
some casualties, the local families are much affected and the situation is getting worse.

The direct and indirect effects of the conflict have also had increasingly severe impacts on
livelihoods and incomes. As a result the scope of interventions to support families
livelihoods has been limited and the majority of focus has been on providing immediate
assistance with little emphasis on bolstering coping mechanisms to help communities adapt
to future shocks.
The context for livelihoods and markets in Ghor province is complex and changing, and as such
different people are being affected in different ways, at different times.
The scope of this report is such that it is intended as a snapshot of the situation in Ghor province.

Executive Summary
A livelihood comprises the capabilities, comprised of assets (including both material and social
resources) and activities used by a household for means of living. A households
livelihood is secure when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, and
maintain or enhance its capabilities and productive asset base.
The livelihood project design was developed through an extensive process of discussions,
assessments, and consultations with key stakeholders and governmental sectorial departments,
resulting in a clear problem analysis with inter-related causes and effects. The goal, purpose, and
three component objectives are as follows:

Objectives
Recognizing diversity in IDPs populations in terms of economic and social capacities and livelihoods;
Understanding the IDP context, in particular the market environment and market Opportunities of the
host area;
Facilitating access to livelihood opportunities and related services;
Advocating for the right and access to work of IDP as the basis for all livelihood
Estimated range of IDPs who dont have access to sustainable livelihood
Finding the demanded jobs by IDPs.

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 Finding the priority needs of the IDPs in providing the space of work
Finding the factors which effected on IDPs finding jobs and sustainable income
Finding women needs skills in livelihood section.

A CLOSER LOOK THROUGH THE LIVELIHOOD LENS:

Local labor mapping identified the dependence of the target households on various types
of Livelihood options within the community, while the labor and business mobility mapping
captured Jobs outside the community, mostly IDPs and returnees work in urban centers. The
patterns reflected the limited impact of external assistance, and demonstrated the dynamics
of the labor Market IDPs and returnee move to where jobs are and continuously search for
better ones. Households can be vulnerable for various reasons, but the matter is particularly acute
when the mainincome- earner is disabled. Almost every site has a significant number of IDPs
and returnees with disabilities, of which the most common cause appears to be the effects of war.
In most cases, IDPs and returnees with disabilities remain idle at home. In cases of partial
disability, men tend to work in areas that require less physical labor. There are some social
protection schemes available, but few from the target population seem to benefit from them.
After having analyzed the site typologies and household categories broken down by major
livelihood Means, a closer look at the various dimensions to which a livelihood is linked reveals
information that will help design effective interventions.
Occupations and income the target population is involved in a wide range of jobs, with levels of
income that vary both across occupations and within the same one. This study collected samples
of income levels across typical types of jobs. Some of these jobs provide a stable income year
round, while others are seasonal or fluctuate to a great extent.IDPs and returnees also often have
multiple occupations, either simultaneously or periodically, to address the situation of poor
income or the seasonal nature of jobs. Assess all these dimensions, with one comparing monthly
income and the other annual income. To compare monthly income, the total income from one
particular job is divided by the months of occupation, whereas to compare annual
income, all the income from one or multiple occupations of a single person is summed up.

Methodology of the assessment

The assessment team consisted of project staff by ARAA site office in Ghor province. The field
assessment in the project communities was conducted from 1 20 March 2017, the team doing
the household survey, consultations with key stakeholders and governmental sectorial
departments. The schedule is detailed properly, and the interviewees were listed, The questions
for discussion for both households and for stakeholders as well governmental sectorial
department were based on the impact indicators.
The questions on the survey form were based on household need assessment, to collect both
quantitative data as well as to identify the beneficiaries perceptions and feelings about the
project activities and how they benefited the individual and household. The target goal was to
interview 10 beneficiaries from each community, 5 men and 5 women, and include one or more
community leaders. The households were selected randomly but limited by who was available in

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 the community at the time of the survey. One team member led the discussion while the other
team member recorded the answers and comments on the questionnaire forms. ARAA
assessment team assessed the situation of IDPs in Dara-e-Qazi, Shahrak-e-Mahajirin, Jahr-e-
Telak, Tapa-e-Eidga, Dahan-e-Kandiwal and Jahr-e-Saifor phases of FirozKoh center and
simultaneously the assessed IDPs demanded involvement in food industry (Sandwich making),
lack of painter in Ghor market (painting) , greenhouses, tailoring, Livestock (sheep) for females,
Mobile and computer repairing workshops and knitting
6
Green House
5
4 Tailoring
3 Livestock
2 Mobile & computer reparing
1
Knitting
0
Sandwhich making
Painting

Livelihood Incomes
The regular sources of income of these families are negatively affected with their displacement
to the different villages and districts of Ghor province. At the time of assessment, it was revealed
that some of them are jobless, on average, household income decreased by 80% as a result of
internal displacement. After being displaced, IDPs typically move away from agriculture to
construction and other daily-wage in the informal sector. The IDPs receive very less response by
doing hard labor or find 2 or 3 days daily wage and this has side effects on which they send thier
children to street labor and face variety of challenges, women are much affect than any others as
they go neighbors houses and cleaning while the tradition doesnt allow women to work outside
and this directly impact on their family relations, the lack of income generation and livelihood
are the main challenges IDPs are facing in their place of displacement. The debt copping strategy
is widespread among the IDP community which results to sell their very young girls to reimburse
the debt.

Assessment findings
1. Greenhouse
While assessing IDPs in different location, most of displaced families claimed that they have
experience in agriculture while they had satisfactory income and could fulfill their needs and
they were willing to provide them opportunity for farming, having internal discussion with
stakeholders and authorities some IDPs have land and share lands for providing greenhouse in
their place of displacement, accordance to assessment finding the best time for providing
greenhouse is May to October for 2017, and accordance to CRS pilot project for providing
greenhouse for host community has got good results, as of ARAAs findings the IDPs suffer hard
conditions; providing greenhouse has good income generation, has reasonable market desire and

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 produce job opportunities, based on discussion with IDPs each 5-7 displaced families would
share one greenhouse and four greenhouses for each five families is suitable accordance to
location, available land, desirable market and source of income generation.

2. Livestock (Animal husbandry)

The assessment team found some IDPs asked for livestock or animal husbandry (female milking
sheep or local goat) and accordance to their previous experience they get used to provide their
income source by provision of animal husbandry and some IDPs lives in suburbs and has
available space for keeping livestock, ARAA assessment team found some families in assessed
areas who are vulnerable and can effort their income resource through animal husbandry and 20
IDP families were chosen, the beneficiaries would receive satisfactory outcomes, and has
reasonable effect on IDPs income generation, accordance to ARAA previous experience in
livestock and that had satisfactory result, by providing milk, yogurt, butter milk and its silk they
could have suitable income on which they could fulfill their basic needs. Thus selling milk,
yogurt, butter milk and its silk has good market and this create more income opportunities for
IDPs.

3. Mobile and computer Repairing:

Mobile and computer repairing workshop doesnt exist in Ghor province and this is known as
priority need for people in there, they need to send their computer and mobile for repairing to
Kabul or Herat province while that has much to pay, by providing opportunities and trainings for
mobile and computer repairing in Ghor province the beneficiaries would be able to use different
applications, repairing tools and send software and has outstanding market desires that could be a
great source of income generation for beneficiaries, accordance to assessment some IDPs who
claim that got used to repair computer and mobile in Iran or other provinces and providing this
opportunity would have a great job opportunity and results, the assessment team recommended
20 beneficiaries for mobile and computer repairing, selling software and using application for
repairing.
4. Tailoring, Knitting and handy-crafts:
The extending training for up gradation of skills and sustainable employment for women through
a variety of action oriented which provide employment to women. There is a need to provide
financial responsibilities making women useful to maintain their family.The IDPs
especiallywomen who are untrained laborers mostly engaged in labor in construction, labor in
agriculture, laboring for a minimum daily wages. Women in these IDP families find difficult to
manage families and work outside. They are deprived of nutritious food, health care and
minimum education. Therefore there is a need to introduce skill training to rehabilitate suffering
womens economic status by organizing and providing tailoring and knitting trainings; women
could be able to get sustainable employment through handicraft and tailoring training. IDPs
Women who are trained they will be able to upgrade their economic conditions. They can be able
for spending their efficiency and capacity for the development of family and society. And this
increased economic, nutritional and health status of the target families To improve the quality of
life, economic conditions and provide source of income to the target families to minimize their

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 problems and needs related to the financial matters of the families, total 50 Women are
recommended for tailoring, knitting, wool spinning.

5. Involvement of IDPs in Food industry (Sandwich Making):

The occupation can be run in urban areas and has satisfactory income if the vendor can provide
delicious sandwiches. In urban area the shopkeepers try to eat sandwich at lunch and so in
different times of a day. By opening this business in a shop, it will provide space of work at least
for IDP families that show its good impact on their life. ARAA will inform train IDPs about
some point of sanitation and will request consideration of IDPs for providing healthy foods.
The beneficiaries can cook sandwiches in his/her home as sell it to the bazaar, it means that he
can be mobile or can rent a shop for this job. The occupation needs to provide some equipment
for facilitating and running the job, for the reason if a person learned the job bud due to
economic problem is not able to run it, we can help him to start it again and find the cost of
living of his family from this way.The IDPs can earn good income if the work space be ready for
him/structural work. IDPs can also hire some student for the occupation and we will help some
other person to find a job.

6. Lack of Painter in Ghor Market:

Paining is also one of the main major priority need for residential in Ghor province, people build
apartments, buildings, houses and shelter and they need painting. The market need much desires
for this and has nonstop requirements, to train IDPs and provide awareness trainings they could
have good opportunities and would have good income generation.

Sustainability
Sustainability is a major consideration in the design of the livelihood project, from the problem
analysis to the integrated approach, with activities designed to provide a network of support
groups to continue providing services after the end of the project. Capacity building to these IDP
groups and returnees, as well as needed resources, has and will continue to strengthen their
abilities to provide services to the households. By providing physical inputs such as involvement
in food industry (Sandwich making), lack of painter in Ghor market (painting) , greenhouses,
tailoring, Livestock (sheep) for females, Mobile and computer repairing workshops and knitting,
combined with training in use and maintenance will help ensure their continuation for some time
to come. Training in marketing and cooperative buying is helping the farmers and households to
become more financially stable by increased income from sale of products and reducing
expenses for inputs.

Recommendations and conclusion

Ghor is depict significant differences in terms of their main income sources, Men are generally
responsible for bringing income whilst female responsibilities were mostly limited to taking care
of children and household work. People increasingly resort to negative coping mechanisms such
as the selling of personal items and also buying food and essential items on credit. This will lead

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to an expected increase in household debts, while opportunities to re-pay loans are not
forthcoming. This could cause severe constraints to families in the near future. Household
livelihood consumption status was not dependent on their monthly household income. Even
some of them having insufficient or no capital was the key constraint that Ghor faced to start
some livelihood activity. Also, they had to have working permits in order to obtain jobs,
which remained almost impossible to obtain.
For providing livelihood opportunities it is better to consider the status of location climates,
knowledge and awareness of beneficiaries, especially for provision of involvement in food
industry (Sandwich making), lack of painter in Ghor market (painting) , greenhouses, tailoring,
Livestock (sheep) for females, Mobile and computer repairing workshops and knitting.
For livestock its better to purchase Dairy livestock sheep and to hold orientation training for its
veterinary and treatments and the beneficiaries could be chosen of females, by providing
greenhouse livelihood opportunities the training package and training awareness is in first
priority the beneficiary selection should be based on their past experience.
Tailoring and knitting livelihood opportunities needs training awareness, the full package must
be provide and need to concern on the products to share with market.

Appendix1: The attach is qualitative livelihood assessment questionnaire form

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5.3 Does your household have currently unemployed members who are actively seeking Yes No
work?
5.3 If yes, How many household members are actively seeking work? 5.3.1 Male 5.3.2 Female
5.4 For those
who are not Increased Only low-
able to find competitio skilled, We are denied
Lack of
work, what n for jobs; socially certain jobs
Distance family/personal Other:
are the not degrading or because we are
connections
obstacles? enough for low-paid jobs displaced
everyone are available
Please put tick
mark
Please describe:
5.5 In total, how much did you spend on basic needs (food, water, shelter and urgent
medical care)?

5.6 During the last 30 days, has your household been able to afford basic needs: food, water, Yes No
shelter and urgent medical care?
No Reduced essential non food expenditures such as education/health
Spent savings
5. 7Did the household engage in any of Sold household assets Support from Friends/ Relatives
the following other activities to Access to a previous
support Charitable Donations Sold assistance received
income source
themselves?
Reduced household size through marriage of a
Took on debt Other:
daughter <18

5.8 What are Economic, Social and Environmental Factors affecting the average income of the IDPs/Returnees?

Lack of job opportunities Unemployment Seasonal Employment Poor business growth Poverty
Other (Specify below)
Please descibe:

5.9 Are there legal or practical barriers that prevent the IDPs/Returnees from engaging in wage earning employment?Yes all some No

5.10 Do IDPs/Returnees get support from others? If yes, by whom? Yes all some No

Please decribe:

5.11 Is the trainer and tools available locally ? yes No

Please describe:

yes
5.12 Do IDPs/Returnees have access to employment oppertunities in their place of displacment; what are employment activities: No
Please describe:

5.13 Do IDPs/Returnees have more access to income generation oppertunities rather than the host community? yes No
Please describe:

5.13 what sort of activities do you propose for sustainable livelihood of men and what for women?
Please describe:

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5.14 What skills are the demand of Market?
Please describe:

5.15 What skills do the women have?

Please describe

does the women need literacy courses with skill training? Yes No
Please describe:

Interviewer conclusion (this is the last part Question):

Please describe:

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Appendix 2: Attach is coordination formal letter from GhorDoRR which purposed
livelihood activities in Ghor province.

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