The History of ADA

The Afghan Development Association (ADA) was founded on 31^st October 1990 to provide support for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. After consultation with donors ADA decided to seek support for work inside Afghanistan rather for work with refugees.

In 1991 ADA conducted a need assessment survey in 11 districts of Afghanistan and successfully implemented a one-year plan Integrated Rural Development project based on it. In ADA focused on building the capacity of its staff and maintaining its relationships with communities and donors. This allowed it to develop a 3-year plan for Integrated Rural Development, supported by a range of different donors. All the components of the project were implemented successfully.

In 1995 a comprehensive 5-year plan was developed. With the development of this plan ADA emphasized implementation of a long-term, professional work plan.

ADA has now developed into an integrated rural development organization, with deep capabilities in sustainable alternative livelihoods, agriculture and community development.

ADA’s Vision

ADA’s vision is the eradication of poverty from Afghanistan

For ADA, poverty means having a low level of income, having a low life expectancy, not having adequate housing, lacking personal security, being discriminated against on the basis of race, gender and religion, living in a fragile environment or lacking  participation in political and social processes.

To realize its vision, ADA will continue to work with the poor, to speak out on their behalf the recognition of their civil rights and their access to land and credit. ADA will continue to work against all kinds of discrimination, especially discrimination against women and children.

ADA’s Mission

ADA’s mission is to implement multi-sectoral rehabilitation and development projects that will foster self-reliance and self-sufficiency. At the same time, it aims to empower Afghans to meet their future needs while creating the socioeconomic conditions that promotes peace, stability and repatriation.

Values

ADA’s values are the need for people’s participation and the fundamental importance of human rights, peace and social justice. 

ADA believes that participation in decision-making is vital for the organization. It believes that sharing responsibility and entrusting constituency members to help themselves is one of the most effective ways to achieve success in development work.

Poverty, injustice, trauma, vulnerability and illiteracy are seen to be the major issues to be addressed by its development programs.

Legal Status & Membership

ADA is a non-government organization registered with the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and with UNOCHA.

ADA is a member of ACBAR, ANCB, SWABAC and the Afghanistan planning body and has special consultative status with the United Nations in New York.

Achievements (1990-2005)

1. Developing Community-Based Organizations. ADA has developed 62 Community Development Councils, and has given training and non-formal education to nearly 1,400 members of these organizations.

2. Providing vocational training. ADA has given vocational training to over 4,000 men, and 2,000 women.

3. Strengthening Afghan education. ADA has distributed nearly 100,000 text books and trained over 500 teachers, as well as building or repairing 27 schools. ADA has also helped more than 17,000 students to enroll in schools.

4. Increasing the value of horticulture. ADA has distributed over 2,000,000 saplings, and establishing more than 1,500 new orchards. It has also established 2 horticultural Trade Associations and 7 farmers’ Cooperatives for fruit-tree growers.

5. Improving irrigation. ADA has cleaned and rehabilitated nearly 2000 Karez and rehabilitated more than 200 canals. It has installed over 230 lift irrigation systems, and trained over 1000 community members in how to maintain their-newly restored irrigation structures.

6. Improving planting material. ADA has distributed nearly 6,000 tonnes of improved wheat seed, and over 10,000 tonnes of fertilizer, to nearly 60,000 families.

7. Rebuilding rural infrastructure and facilities. Rehabilitated 165 kilometers of road, improving transportation links for over two million Afghan families, and constructed micro-hydropower systems for 700 rural families. ADA has also rehabilitated and restored medical centres and nearly 30 school buildings.

8. Improving animal health. ADA has trained 500 nomadic Afghans as Afghans as basic veterinary workers and equipped them with work kit, leading to the vaccination of nearly 3.5 million animals and the treatment of nearly 3 million.

9. Providing clean water. ADA has 30,000 families have access to clean water through well construction and repair, and installed nearly 700 hand pumps in its working areas.

10. Providing humanitarian assistance for IDPs. ADA has provided emergency life-saving assistance for 800 Internally-Displaced Person families, latrine facilities for  3,800 families, and 50,000 litres of water per day over a 2-month period to support the construction of Sakhi camp.

ADA’s Future

In the future, ADA is focusing more on empowerment of CBOs through awareness raising, provision of credit, and technical assistance/training. This will involve focusing more on long-term, integrated programs and less on short-term projects and less on infrastructure-building. It will continue and increase its focus on gender issues, according to the newly developed gender work-plan and policy.