Landlocked and mountainous, Afghanistan has suffered from such chronic instability and conflict during its modern history that its economy and infrastructure are in ruins and many of its people are refugees. It is also afflicted by natural calamities such as earthquakes and drought.
SERVE (Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprise) is an inter-denominational Christian charity based in Afghanistan. SERVE’s literacy and livestock project has recently restarted in the Dara-i-Noor (DIN) district of Nangarhar Province, following the collapse of the Taliban regime, and at the request of the local people. The DIN project works with the minority Pashai people, to promote literacy and sustainable development for the neediest and poorest.
Dara-I-Noor is a beautiful green valley in the Nangarhar province. It is well known as the place were the famous Dara-I-Noor cheese is produced. In 1999, SERVE started the DIN project aiming to restore and develop productive dairy farming in the area, with a specific focus on poor and vulnerable families. Besides this, DIN also attempts to assist people in learning to read, write and do simple calculations so that they can improve their standard of living and development skills in many ways.
Feed the Minds has supported the literacy work of the DIN programme, which teaches people to read and write Pashto, one of the country’s two main official languages. The organisation has now expanded 75 classes in several villages, as well as 25 reading clubs and 22 Pashto women’s classes. The women's literacy classes run in DIN are the only adult women's literacy programme in East Afghanistan.
SERVE’s projects emphasise community development, education and vocational training for Afghans with disabilities, along with public health and nutrition education. SERVE is committed to helping Afghan people become active and interdependent members of their society, and aims to empower local communities for their long-term sustainability.
For more information about SERVE, go to www.serveafghanistan.org or contact info@serveafghanistan.org
