Transformative Change in Afghanistan - 'Golden Villages' in Bamyan and Beyond
Summary:
The 'Golden Villages' Initiative in Afghanistan offers proof-of-concept of the effectiveness of transformative, strength-based, future-oriented approaches such as Appreciative Inquiry, that heal, inspire and capacitate both communities and governmental service systems, in achieving aspirational and cross-sectoral goals for their children. Evidence is fast emerging that such a framework is an effective, impactful, and sustainable SBCC methodology, even in fragile contexts. With further testing, multiple possibilities emerge for its application in other challenging contexts, where, for example, immunization rates have not changed despite efforts, or sectors beyond health or education of children. Three ministries and four provincial departments in Afghanistan, came together, placing their trust in an authentic process that capacitated communities and authorities to draw upon their assets to catalyse wide ownership, drive and commitment to achieve aspirational goals. A population of 70,000 saw every infant under one fully immunized, each child under two growing as per WHO Standards, all school-aged girls under 16 enrolled, no marriages before 18, and almost every delivery in an institution. It demonstrated true community leadership in coordinating, tracking and sourcing innovative local solutions with challenged families. Communities listened, persuaded and influenced behavioral change in families, and equally negotiated with provincial authorities. Eighteen Alternate Learning Centres (ALCs) were opened where schools were inaccessible, at the behest of the community. Several thousand Education Social Mobilisers from 20 provinces were subsequently trained, and three Ministries jointly committed to achieving at least one fully enrolled district per province.
Background/Objectives:
Three decades of war in Afghanistan has meant that its people have been born into violence and strife, and live with its emotional impact. The status of its women has been notoriously questionable, and has been a key determinant of children's rights. National averages show approximately 50% uptake of health, educational and social services. Insecurity, mistrust and trauma play into people's decisions, yet their behaviours are mistakenly attributed to low awareness or complacency. For significant improvement in children's health and development, an integrated cross-sectoral transformational social change approach is needed that builds capacities to heal, and inspire collective action.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Appreciative Inquiry (AI), with its 4D model, was adopted as an approach that inspires people to 'Discover' their intrinsic strengths, co-create a grounded 'Dream' with other stakeholders, 'Design' a 'breakthrough' plan, and 'Deliver' on a mutually agreed timeline. In mid-2016, 600 communities from 129 villages in Bamyan came together with service delivery functionaries, provincial and national authorities, in a series of UNICEF organized AI workshops. After a transformative process of listening, honoring, and reconnecting with their intrinsic values, both communities and authorities publicly committed to their shared vision of achieving five inter-linked aspirational and time-bound goals for their children. Successful villages would attain the coveted 'Golden Village' status. After the workshops, communities fanned out and mobilized their entire villages to self-coordinate and systematically line-list, identify, discuss challenges and negotiate solutions, often with the authorities. They surveyed, logged and tracked every affected child.
Results/Lessons Learned:
16 months later, all 129 villages had been declared as 'Golden Villages'. Authorities certified that every infant under one was fully immunized, under-twos were nourished as per WHO Standards, all girls under 16 were enrolled, almost all deliveries were institutional, and no early marriages took place. Even more significantly, communities displayed outstanding voluntarism, resourcefulness and pride, which boosted social capital, community cohesion, and a subtle but sure shift in the role of women. Most importantly, families realized the importance, and ease of, healthy protective actions for their children. Communities and authorities experienced heightened communication, trust and mutual respect as they engaged jointly on achieving the shared vision. This influenced the Ministry of Education to request training of its Social Mobilisers from 20 provinces. In the immersive 'Artistry of Social Engagement' Master training, three Ministries signed a joint declaration to achieve at least one fully enrolled district per province.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
A positive, asset-based, future-oriented approach, such as Appreciative Inquiry, can move people, whether communities, functionaries or authorities, to shift perspective, reconnect with their purpose, and achieve clarity on their goals and actions. With evidence emerging across countries, this experience offers proof-of-concept that it is a sustainable SBCC methodology. That communities when thus motivated, can reliably survey, track, manage and deliver results, is soundly established. This is highly significant as, in insecure contexts such as Afghanistan, reliable external M&E systems, especially for social indicators, are scarce, and it raises the potential for truly community-led evidence generation.
Abstract submitted by:
Sharad Agarwal
The 'Golden Villages' Initiative in Afghanistan offers proof-of-concept of the effectiveness of transformative, strength-based, future-oriented approaches such as Appreciative Inquiry, that heal, inspire and capacitate both communities and governmental service systems, in achieving aspirational and cross-sectoral goals for their children. Evidence is fast emerging that such a framework is an effective, impactful, and sustainable SBCC methodology, even in fragile contexts. With further testing, multiple possibilities emerge for its application in other challenging contexts, where, for example, immunization rates have not changed despite efforts, or sectors beyond health or education of children. Three ministries and four provincial departments in Afghanistan, came together, placing their trust in an authentic process that capacitated communities and authorities to draw upon their assets to catalyse wide ownership, drive and commitment to achieve aspirational goals. A population of 70,000 saw every infant under one fully immunized, each child under two growing as per WHO Standards, all school-aged girls under 16 enrolled, no marriages before 18, and almost every delivery in an institution. It demonstrated true community leadership in coordinating, tracking and sourcing innovative local solutions with challenged families. Communities listened, persuaded and influenced behavioral change in families, and equally negotiated with provincial authorities. Eighteen Alternate Learning Centres (ALCs) were opened where schools were inaccessible, at the behest of the community. Several thousand Education Social Mobilisers from 20 provinces were subsequently trained, and three Ministries jointly committed to achieving at least one fully enrolled district per province.
Background/Objectives:
Three decades of war in Afghanistan has meant that its people have been born into violence and strife, and live with its emotional impact. The status of its women has been notoriously questionable, and has been a key determinant of children's rights. National averages show approximately 50% uptake of health, educational and social services. Insecurity, mistrust and trauma play into people's decisions, yet their behaviours are mistakenly attributed to low awareness or complacency. For significant improvement in children's health and development, an integrated cross-sectoral transformational social change approach is needed that builds capacities to heal, and inspire collective action.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Appreciative Inquiry (AI), with its 4D model, was adopted as an approach that inspires people to 'Discover' their intrinsic strengths, co-create a grounded 'Dream' with other stakeholders, 'Design' a 'breakthrough' plan, and 'Deliver' on a mutually agreed timeline. In mid-2016, 600 communities from 129 villages in Bamyan came together with service delivery functionaries, provincial and national authorities, in a series of UNICEF organized AI workshops. After a transformative process of listening, honoring, and reconnecting with their intrinsic values, both communities and authorities publicly committed to their shared vision of achieving five inter-linked aspirational and time-bound goals for their children. Successful villages would attain the coveted 'Golden Village' status. After the workshops, communities fanned out and mobilized their entire villages to self-coordinate and systematically line-list, identify, discuss challenges and negotiate solutions, often with the authorities. They surveyed, logged and tracked every affected child.
Results/Lessons Learned:
16 months later, all 129 villages had been declared as 'Golden Villages'. Authorities certified that every infant under one was fully immunized, under-twos were nourished as per WHO Standards, all girls under 16 were enrolled, almost all deliveries were institutional, and no early marriages took place. Even more significantly, communities displayed outstanding voluntarism, resourcefulness and pride, which boosted social capital, community cohesion, and a subtle but sure shift in the role of women. Most importantly, families realized the importance, and ease of, healthy protective actions for their children. Communities and authorities experienced heightened communication, trust and mutual respect as they engaged jointly on achieving the shared vision. This influenced the Ministry of Education to request training of its Social Mobilisers from 20 provinces. In the immersive 'Artistry of Social Engagement' Master training, three Ministries signed a joint declaration to achieve at least one fully enrolled district per province.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
A positive, asset-based, future-oriented approach, such as Appreciative Inquiry, can move people, whether communities, functionaries or authorities, to shift perspective, reconnect with their purpose, and achieve clarity on their goals and actions. With evidence emerging across countries, this experience offers proof-of-concept that it is a sustainable SBCC methodology. That communities when thus motivated, can reliably survey, track, manage and deliver results, is soundly established. This is highly significant as, in insecure contexts such as Afghanistan, reliable external M&E systems, especially for social indicators, are scarce, and it raises the potential for truly community-led evidence generation.
Abstract submitted by:
Sharad Agarwal
Source
Approved abstract for the postponed 2020 SBCC Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. Provided by the International Steering Committee for the Summit. Image credit: ©UNICEF Afghanistan/2016