What are SAFE's Aims?

• To support rehabilitation and sustainable development work.

 

• To respond to emergency appeals where possible.

 

• To raise awareness at home about Afghanistan.

 

What are SAFE's Objectives?

 

• To promote, encourage, and advance the education of Afghans.

• To relieve poverty and distress for Afghans.

• To assist the Afghans in the rehabilitation of their economy by implementing and establishing sustainable development projects of lasting benefit for the Afghan community.

 

Development assistance is designed to address poverty and promote sustainable economic growth and development.

 

“The people we seek to serve are the people in the rural villages in Afghanistan: those whose voice is seldom heard and who have had little opportunity to seek a better life elsewhere.”

 

How long has SAFE existed?

SAFE was founded in 1990 and established as a non-profit Charity CHY10477, by Trust Deed, in October 1992. 

From its foundation in 1990, SAFE, at the request of the Afghan Development Association, helped 25 Afghan refugee students (24 male, 1 female) to study at third level, initially in Peshawar University and the Khyber Medical College-NWFP of Pakistan, by providing scholarships covering all their fees and books.

            From 1993 onwards, apart from fulfilling our obligations to the students, our assistance has been entirely within Afghanistan. SAFE has funded and co-funded projects in 12 provinces of Afghanistan:

 

Badakshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daikondi, Farah, Kabul, Kandahar, Logar, Nangarhar, Parwan, Uruzgan and Wardak, and emergency aid to CTC refugee camp in Herat.

        In addition, the Chairman paid several visits in 2002 to Shalman 1 & 2 Refugee Camps on the Afghan/Pakistan border to evaluate aid funded by Bishops’ Appeal.

What kind of aid does SAFE provide?

From 1993, SAFE has been involved in Primary, Secondary, and Third level Education and Education support, Basic Veterinary training, Emergency Assistance in Housing Rehabilitation and Sanitation, Refugee Relief, Agriculture, Integrated Rural Development schemes, Vocational Training, Female Literacy, Construction of Primary Schools and a Health Clinic, Health Education and Traditional Birth Attendant Training, and support to the first Solar electricity scheme in Afghanistan.

 

In November 2005, after visiting the severe October earthquake stricken areas, SAFE provided funding for emergency relief items in Balakot, Muzzafarabad, Alai and Mansehra, in N. Pakistan, following up with funding the re-commencement of education in three Primary schools in 2006 and a further three schools in 2007, in Kala Dhaka (The Black Mountain) Frontier region.

Who distributes the assistance aid?

 

SAFE has had successful and rewarding partnerships with nine respected, professional and accountable Afghan NGOs who have implemented its projects. SAFE considers this to be one of its highest priorities. 

In addition, since 1992, SAFE has had a fruitful and valued relationship with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA AP), which has a permanent office in Kabul.

Over the years, NCA AP has provided much appreciated advice and assistance to SAFE, (‘eyes & ears’), and have themselves nurtured at least 10 Afghan NGO partners, thus setting a splendid and leading example to the International Aid community in terms of trust, co-operation and encouragement to their Afghan colleagues.

Reporting on SAFE Projects

SAFE receives detailed interim and final narratives together with interim and full final financial reports on all its projects. These in turn are submitted by SAFE to its Donors / Funding bodies, and are available on CD to the general public, if requested.

A representative from SAFE travels annually to Afghanistan to monitor the progress, quality and impact of its programmes. The Chairman travelled extensively in Wardak, Kabul and Bamyan provinces in 2009 visiting SAFE projects.

 

SINCE 1990, SAFE’S PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY:

ADA:                Afghan Development Association

AREA:             Agency for Rehabilitation and Energy Conservation in Afghanistan

AWSDC:         Afghan Women Skills Development Centre

CCA:               Cooperation Centre for Afghanistan

CoAR:             Coordination of Afghan Relief

CAWC:            Central Afghanistan Welfare Committee

GRSP:             Ghazni Rural Support Programme

ODC:               Organisation for Development Co-ordination

RRAA:             Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan

SDO:                Sanyee Development Organisation