Developmental Projects

ASEF is committed to promoting sustainable economic development and improving livelihoods through long-term charitable investment in various sectors of Afghanistan. As the poverty rate has reached 97% in 2022 (OCHA), we believe that only sustainable jobs can remedy this endemic poverty. Thus, ASEF invests in sector development to spur job groups.

ASEF conducts thorough research at different stages to ensure quality outcomes. Our investment approach involves understanding the complexities of a sector and incrementally increasing investment with success across its various layers. Our current focus and investment is in the fish farming sector (details below).

Fish Farms

After in-depth research, ASEF has decided to pursue building pilot project fish farms this year (2023), with the objective of scaling it to 25 to 30 fish farms the following year. Some of the key benefits from this initiative are as follows:

Provide Afghans with sustainable jobs and skills.
Strengthen food security.
Minimize reliance on foreign imports of fish (currently 65% to 70% imported).
Increase protein output within the country which is severely lacking
Develop the fish farming ecosystem (civil work, fencing, excavators, compacting, etc).

ASEF intends to reinvest the profits from the fish farms through a revolving fund to further expand and develop the fish farming sector.

Background Info – Since July 2022, ASEF conducted in-depth research to understand the fish farming sector in Afghanistan. ASEF engaged with around 30 different fish farmers in Afghanistan to study the sector, its challenges, success stories, and gaps in the market. In addition, ASEF hired an expert consultant to conduct a feasibility study, which provided an understanding of both the macro and micro economics of fish farming in Afghanistan. It also delved into the socio-economic aspects of fish farming. Although fish farming has significantly increased in Afghanistan over the years, with over 3,000 fish farms across the country (55% increase in Kunduz and 40% increase in Kandahar in 2022), nearly 70% of fish is still imported into Afghanistan. ASEF’s objective is to strengthen the entire fish farming sector in the long term. The following projects include elements of the sector that we plan to further develop.

Fish Hatchery

The vast majority of fingerling fish (fish nurseries) are imported into Afghanistan. Afghanistan has little to no fish hatcheries of its own, which means fish farming can be disrupted or halted altogether when borders with neighboring countries are closed–an unfortunately regular occurrence for the landlocked country. ASEF is intending to develop a fish hatchery in Afghanistan for 2023 and is currently pursuing a feasibility study. This will further reduce the reliance on imports and expand local capability.

Fish Farmers Association

Fish Farmers Association – Taking a holistic approach to develop a sustainable fish farming sector, ASEF also intends to help establish the first fish farmers association in Afghanistan to support the following:

Volume purchasing for higher discounts – Help fish farmers buy fish feed and fingerlings collectively for higher discounts.
Knowledge sharing – Learn from each other on improving performance and yield.
Exchanging and expanding skill set.
Identifying shared challenges and engaging in the process to collectively resolve them.
Increasing potential for partnership engagements and collective collaboration to build fish feed mills and/or fish hatcheries.

Mommy & Me Project

Help us build a program to get children and their mothers off the streets and earn a livelihood:

Children will be enrolled in education programs.
Mothers will learn tailoring skills.
The products mothers make will be sold in a tailor shop. Profits will go to mothers & similar sustainable programs.

The Need

Women and children have been the main victims of decades of war that have ravaged Afghanistan. They have been deprived of access to basic education and face economic hardships. Lack of education combined with lack of economic opportunity feed into a cycle of poverty and dependence that are nearly impossible to climb out of without external support.

To make ends meet, families often have no choice but to send their children to do menial jobs on the streets and bazaars, such as selling plastic bags and collecting recyclable materials. Mothers also join their children in many cases.

Future Intended Initiatives

Fish Feed Mill

Based on our research, Afghanistan currently has no factories that produce fish feed for fish farmers. The majority of fish food is imported, and some fish farmers make their own fish food at an ad-hoc level. It is our hope and endeavor that Afghanistan develops its own fish feed mills in the future to achieve a greater level of self-reliance. Establishing a fish feed mill in Afghanistan would cost around 200K USD, and while we currently do not have any plans or funds to pursue this endeavor, we do hope that in the future we will be able to do this.

Tele-Health

The need for an innovative tele-health model for Afghanistan is more pressing than ever before. With decades of conflict, political instability, and limited access to healthcare, Afghanistan faces significant challenges in providing quality healthcare to its population. A tele-health model, which utilizes digital technologies to provide healthcare services remotely, could be a game-changer for the country. Such a model could help to overcome barriers to healthcare access, particularly in remote areas, and could improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. Additionally, tele-health could help to address shortages of healthcare workers in the country, by enabling remote consultations and training. An innovative tele-health model tailored to the specific needs and challenges of Afghanistan could have a significant impact on the health and well-being of its people, and could help to build a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system in the country.