Afghanistan – July 10, 2009 – Funded by a USAID Cooperative Agreement, IRD currently has approximately 1,322 KM of road under construction in 26 locations as well as numerous community outreach and capacity building activities being implemented on each road.

Each community living within the road rehabilitation projects selects a number of priority projects to be considered for implementation through a grant program designed to fill their needs. The Tor Lala community which resides along the SPRSEA Road #5 alignment chose a drinking well project which was successfully implemented in January 2009. This well has transformed the lives of the local women and their families.

Mako Gul, is one woman whose life changed for the better when access to safe water was provided in close proximity to her home. Previously, she had to fetch water from a long distance away. Carrying a large vessel of water on her head was very difficult as she had to carry her baby as well. She could barely carry enough water to supply the needs of her family for drinking and cooking sometimes to the exclusion of enough for cleaning and bathing her children. Her children often became sick. She could not prepare meals on time for her husband who returned home exhausted each evening after a hard day’s work because it took her so long to carry the water.

According to Mako Gul, when the well was completed and water flowed, the community was happy. They celebrated the occasion by sending different kinds of food to the Mosque. She said, “We thank Allah and the people and organizations that provided this well for us. We now have easy access to water, our houses are clean and we can bathe our children. Our children are not often sick as they were before”.

More than 100 families are using this well to fulfill their water needs. The well has substantially reduced the amount of time spent by the women of the community for water collection.

To date, five other Community Based Small Grants are being implemented along the Road #5 alignment.