Rural Development

Focusing on Agricultural reform

Isolated in the mountainous and resource-poor Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan, villagers attempt to make a living through subsistence farming on small, rugged landholdings. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left Central Asians scrambling for survival and facing an uncertain future, with little ability to grow their own food and cut off from basic services such as health care and education. Farmers lack arable land and access to credit, and cannot obtain even modest loans to purchase fertilizer or seed. Now, democratic and self-reliant village organizations have been set up under the Tajikistan Institutional Support Program to allow people to pool their resources and manage their development. The program encourages the private management of farmland, brings underused lands into cultivation and has begun to rebuild the local economy. Increased agricultural production acts as a catalyst for broader social development efforts in areas such as education.

Improving lives through building techniques

Traditional one-room homes in the isolated and rugged Northern Areas of Pakistan are built to preserve heat using a mixture of stone and mud masonry. There are no windows other than holes in roofs to vent smoke from inefficient stoves. These openings are the only source of light and fresh air, and allow warm air to escape. In addition, the houses suffer from poor drainage, structural instability, and a lack of sufficient storage space. The Building and Construction Improvement Program has researched and designed improvements in the region's housing and living conditions. It has identified and tested more than 40 products that solve problems and improve conditions inside and outside typical houses. These Include more efficient stoves with water-warming facilities and chimneys; angled roof hatch windows that open for ventilation; wall, roof and floor insulation; improved lighting; water-proofing; and creative storage techniques. Houses are warmer, brighter, less smoky and more structurally sound. Village life is enhanced by improvements in overall family health and a reduction in the consumption of firewood. The improvements affect women and children most directly, because they spend the greatest amount of time inside the home.

Providing economic opportunities through small loans

In the rural Punjab region of Pakistan, widespread poverty and a high birth rate strain the limits of social well-being. On the outskirts of Lahore, the average household income is merely $75 per month. AKFC has spearheaded the Pakistan-Canada Social Institutions Development Program to bolster many community efforts and organizations. One such organization is KASHF, which helps poor women develop economic opportunities through individual financial loans. This microfinance institution, run entirely by women, organizes women into groups and helps them learn to augment family incomes by saving money and launching successful small businesses of their own.