Bethesda, Maryland; Muftee Village, Afghanistan — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a national plan in Afghanistan to create meaningful livelihoods for Afghan citizens as an alternative to poppy production. On February 23, USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios visited one of the villages in Afghanistan’s Nangahar province where DAI has begun to implement this program.

DAI staff working in Muftee briefed Mr. Natsios on the early progress. The overall program goal is to generate 2.375 million days of paid labor and material support and to create employment and income for 5,000 families in the province. In the village of Muftee, the program has created 12,759 days of paid labor with a work crew of about 300 people. These laborers have worked to prevent the further loss of agricultural land due to flooding by building flood protection walls and checking the soundness of existing dams. The land can later be devoted to producing licit crops to build longer-term livelihood alternatives to poppy production.

DAI also reported on another important aspect of the program—the social impact. USAID recognized the need to engage local officials in this important process; thus, the program has been designed to give the local councils, called shuras, the lead in determining shares of the work. Because the benefit of development projects may span several villages, DAI has initiated a village cluster approach. Project staff and shuras together define each village cluster, which includes villages from different sub-tribes.

It is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of the Afghan economy is connected to the production of poppy. Facing a crumbling infrastructure and severely limited economic alternatives, many Afghans have little choice but to harvest this illicit cash crop. The work in Muftee is only the beginning of the U.S. government’s long-term investment in changing this situation. USAID’s program to help provide alternatives in the Nangahar province will be implemented by DAI through 2009.

About DAI
Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) is a global consulting firm providing social and economic development solutions to governments, communities, and companies with projects in developing and transitioning countries. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area, DAI now includes companies in Brazil, South Africa, Palestine, and the United Kingdom. DAI’s 2,000 employees work in 75 countries. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, global corporations, and host-country governments.

For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Collier D'agostino, DAI
301-492-5128
Jennifer_D'agostino@dai.com