Help today

Over the past 35 years, Help has extended to worldwide operations. We are engaged both in emergency- and in development-programs. Whenever possible, we link emergency-aid with assistance for self-help. It is our aim to encourage the efforts of communities affected by disasters and political upheaval, while strengthening their capability to improve their living conditions and long-term perspectives. Typically, we offer high-standard and long term (6-12 months) vocational training in marketable skills (e.g.: office-management, design & advanced sewing, carpet weaving,  beautician, electric, plumbing, secretary, accounting & administration and many other demanding skills); and build up the capacity of communities and key-staff in local government at district- and province- levels.

In this participatory approach, we are closely cooperating with indigenous partners and NGOs – confident that these are best familiar with local conditions, culture and needs. Thus, we complement local efforts and provide external assistance when needed. By covering immediate humanitarian needs while fighting their underlying causes, we are aiming at durable solutions and sustainable development.

In the continued effort to improve our efficiency and implement best practices, we coordinate our programs with national and international organizations, NGOs and UN-agencies. Help is a member of the German umbrella-organization for international relief “Aktion Deutschland Hilft” / ADH”.

Our Partners in Afghanistan

We cooperate with 2 properly registered local NGOs in all our activities, OSAA in Herat and OBTA in Bamyan.

Previous activities of Help in Afghanistan

1. Repatriation, vocational training and reintegration of Afghans from abroad
   • This action was based on solid institutional structures and qualified staff, our groundwork abroad and our good relations with governmental and civil society partners in the Provinces of Herat and Bamyan. It started in Jan/2008 and ran until Apr/2019. Funded by Europe aid, the GoG / BMZ, and the WFP as major contributors – Help and local NGO-partners trained more than 1.000 beneficiaries per year in 16 marketable skills, facilitated decent jobs and supported lasting re-integration of graduated trainees in their homeland, where they are now making a fresh contribution to the civil rebuilding of Afghanistan.
2. Capacity building for core-staff of local Government and civil society leaders at provincial- and district- level in Herat & Bamyan Provinces for approx. 500 trainees / year
   • Promoting good governance, efficiency and transparency of management and accountability through 6-months courses and specific seminars in Project Cycle Management and Leadership. Funded by the GoG / AA, the program started in 2008 and was paused on 31 March, 2016.
3. Emergency Preparedness to COVID19 spread and containment in Herat, Afghanistan
   • Help contributed to the efforts of the government of Afghanistan, UN agencies and international NGOs in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Herat city and Islam Qala border area / township with Iran.
   • The efforts included an emergency preparedness package for a duration of three months (01 Apr 2020 – 30 Jun 2020) consisting of activities ranging from procurement and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment /PPP E Kits and hygiene parcels to Herat special hospital dedicated to COVID-19 infected patients.
   • Help implemented this project in cooperation and coordination with local relevant govt. departments in particular the Provincial Disaster Management Committee.
   • The Project Objective was “Strengthening & supporting the existing health structures dedicated to fight and contain COVID-19 in Herat”

Current activities of Help in Afghanistan

Child Protection

1. Reintegration of Most Vulnerable Children including children on the move and emergency affected children through provision of Technical Education and Vocational Training/ TVET and Employment Facilitation.
   • This is a joint Help-UNICEF project for a period of 24 months( 14 Oct 2019 – 13 Oct 2021) covering 2,300 most deprived children including street working children, unaccompanied deported children, IDPs and returnees’ children, and children rejected from police recruitment process. Children of 14 years of age or above will be taken into TVET training program. In cases of children below 14 years of age, one of the breadwinner of their family will be accepted into TVET training. The project will be implemented in Herat (city and some 8 districts) with 1,650 beneficiaries, Badghis with 250 beneficiaries, Ghor with 250 beneficiaries and Farah province with 150 beneficiaries.
   • Every beneficiary will undergo vocational training for 4 hours/day for 6-month long period beginning on January 2020. Provision of TVET and Facilitation of Employment for 2300 above-mentioned most vulnerable children in 4 provinces is the main objective of the project. The target group – 40% females – will benefit from quality vocational training & employment services. Trainees also receive training in small business – 1.5 hours/week – and general education – 45 minutes/day.
   • During the training, each trainee benefits from WFP food packages valued at 2.500 AFN/month and transportation payment in Herat.
   • During the training, each trainee benefits from transportation fees in Ghor, Badghis and Farah provinces.
   • Upon graduation, each beneficiary will receive a toolkit and a certificate co-signed by Help and MoLSA and will be assisted to find decent job through Employment and Entrepreneurship Services Center/EESC of Help.
   • Organizing TVET and Employment Round Tables, community awareness sessions on children’s rights and protection, building capacity of relevant govt. staff through capacity building training and organizing children protection related seminars constitute some other major components of the project.
2. Support Vulnerable Children with child protection humanitarian services in Herat, Ghor and Farah provinces.

The target beneficiaries will be supported through awareness raising, provision of psycho-social counseling to children, their families, religious and community leaders against violence, abuse, exploitation and negative coping mechanisms; management of cash-based assistance and adolescent empowered with specific focus on supporting innovations for COVID19 by Herat Girls Robotic Club.

The overall goal is to help protect children from violence, abuse and exploitation as well the effects of COVID-19 spread and side effects during the pandemic.

• Geographical Locations of the project:
  •  Herat province (8 districts and 15 city districts). All the centers where children are accommodated including GTC, JRC, Orphanages).
  •  Ghor and Farah cities.

The main objective of this project is to Increase access of 4,340 Most At-Risk Children to child protection humanitarian services during COVID19 pandemic in Herat, Ghor and Farah provinces.

Women Empowerment

1. Construction of Women Permanent Production, Exhibition & Cross-border Trade Center.
   • The project will be implemented in Islam Qala Township Port, Kohsan District of Herat province, in a distance of about 10 kilometers from the Iranian border, adjacent to the highway. Duration of the project implementation including preparation, construction, equipment and hand over will take 24 months. The center will be built on a 2-acre piece of land transferred from the Government to the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry / AWCCI on a long-term extendable lease at a nominal price. The center will be used solely by local skilled and business women. It will serve as a hub for local and cross-border trade, business activities and business related training.
   • This project implements with Help with the financial support of PATRIP Foundation from 1 Jan 2020 till 31 Dec 2021.

Funding

As registered charity, we count on public donations for our projects and programs. In addition, we rely on funding from Governments, the EU and third parties. Our donors include:

1. European Commission / EuropeAid
2. European Community Humanitarian Aid Office / ECHO
3. Aktion Deutschland Hilft /ADH
4. United Nations: WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR,
5. PATRIP Foundation
6. German Foreign Office / AA
7. German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development / BMZ

Financial Control

Our legal status as registered charity obliges us to highest standards of transparency. Being a member of the German fundraising community, we voluntarily undergo an annual audit by the Central Federal Institute for Social Issues (DZI), Berlin, on the transparency of our financial management and the use of earmarked funds. A respective certificate – awarded and published on an annual basis by DZI – has regularly been confirming both the reliability and good management of our organization.

Chairpersons of the Board of Help

• Rudolf Bindig, (Chairman) former Member of German Parliament
• Klaus-Jürgen Hedrich, (Vice-Chairman) former MoP, former Dep. Minister – BMZ

Management Team at Help HQ in Bonn:

Karin Settele, Managing Director –  Timo Stegelmann, Deputy Managing Director

Bianca Kaltschmitt, Deputy Managing Director

Julian Loh / Program Coordinator Middle East & Afghanistan at Help HQ in Bonn, Germany

HQ in Germany: Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe – e.V., Reuterstr. 159, D – 53113 Bonn,

Tel:  +49 (0) 228 91529 – 34,       Fax: +49 228 – 915 2999 / website: www.help-ev.de

Special website for Afghanistan: www.help-org.af

Contact us in Afghanistan: info@help-org.af