Javed's story

Living in a remote village in Afghanistan's central highlands, life has always been challenging for Javed*, his wife and their four children. When the ongoing humanitarian crisis first began in 2021, the family found it harder than ever before to make ends meet.

Despite his drive to find stable employment, limited income opportunities in Javed's rural community meant he was reliant on insecure daily wage labour to sustain an income. In winter months, when local work dried up, Javed found he was unable to afford daily necessities, forcing him to make tough decisions to provide for his family:

“In our villages, the only source of income for the people was farming,” Javed explained, “We were only busy with farming work and harvesting during the summer season. In other seasons, when there was unemployment, I had to travel to Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif for labour work to earn money and support my family. During these trips, I was away from my family, and sometimes I found work, but often, due to a lack of available jobs, I would remain unemployed.”

After visiting his community, Afghanaid designed a project for the local area to support men and women to build secure livelihoods and solve the issues they faced as a result of rampant unemployment and poverty. As part of this initiative, 622 women and 778 men were supported build their resilience through participation in livelihood programmes, learning new skills and receiving the holistic support required to sustainably build small businesses. Whilst undertaking this training, they were also supported to meet their families' urgent needs through the provision of emergency cash.

Recognising his skills with building and repairing, Javed enrolled on a course to learn how to repair motorcycles - a common mode of transport in his remote village.

I was provided with a motorcycle repair kit that included 29 items, and a monthly payment of 6,400 Afghanis was made to me for six months.The money I received from the project has helped me secure my livelihood…Now, I am better able to take care of my family’s needs.

Due to demand for his new skillset in his area, Javed was able to quickly find work, meaning he no longer has to travel long distances in search of employment opportunities, and gets to spend more time with his beloved family. “Before this project, I had to travel far for work, which caused stress and separation from my family. Now, with the skills I have gained, I am able to stay home and work. This has led to a significant improvement in my life, reducing anxiety and stress.”

Working hard and enthused by his new skillset, each motorcycle Javed repairs symbolises every step he had taken to rebuild and secure his family’s future. Now equipped with the training and tools needed to become proficient at repairing motorcycles, he has big plans to transform his future, and that of his family: “I am hopeful for the future because I now have the skills and tools to start my own business. By opening a motorcycle repair shop, I believe I will not only provide for my family but also contribute to the local community’s needs. With the skills I've gained, I feel more secure and optimistic, and I’m excited to give back to my community by offering my services locally.”

What can you do to support parents like Javed?

You can support more parents like Javed to learn new skills, build secure livelihoods and tackle poverty by investing in the resilience and strength of Afghan communities. 

*Names have been changed