Families First: BBS’s Continuing Effort to Protect Afghan Households
In 2024, Business for Better Society (BBS) reinforced its commitment to improving the lives of families and communities in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan through our ongoing household breadmaking oven initiative. Collaborating with the UN Mission in Badakhshan and the Afghan non-profit SALEHO, this program addresses critical health and environmental challenges while also providing economic opportunities for women in the region.
The primary goal of this initiative is to create healthier home environments by reducing household wood consumption and mitigating smoke inhalation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution remains one of the most severe health risks facing impoverished populations. Alarmingly, 54,000 Afghans, most of them children under five, die annually from smoke-related illnesses caused by heating and cooking activities. Over 95% of Afghanistan’s 30 million people rely on solid fuels like wood and coal, placing the nation among the top 10 countries most affected by indoor pollution.
To combat these challenges, our program introduces advanced breadmaking stoves that significantly reduce firewood consumption and smoke production. Each unit, costing approximately US$50, has the potential to transform the lives of families by improving their health and reducing their reliance on scarce resources. However, adoption has been limited by cost, making your support essential to scaling this initiative.
A key advancement in 2024 was the local production of these stoves in the town of Zebak, where women, under the guidance of a local trainer, began manufacturing the ovens. This shift not only reduced transportation costs, allowing for the delivery of additional stoves, but also created a vital source of income for local households. By empowering women with practical skills and employment opportunities, the project has evolved into a multifaceted program that addresses both health and economic needs in the community.
Despite the ongoing challenges in the region, this initiative offers a beacon of hope. As we move into 2025, BBS will continue to expand this program, delivering more ovens and empowering more families to create healthier and more sustainable home environments. Your support is crucial to this mission. By contributing to our donation drive, you can help us reach even more families in need.
Together, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of Afghan families. Donate today to sponsor a breadmaking oven and be part of this transformative change.
Wakhan Corridor Adult Literacy Overivew
Between 2018 and 2019, BBS partnered with Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and SALEHO to deliver an adult literacy program in six villages in the Wakhan Corridor.
This remote region of Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and literacy is a top prioirty identified by the Wahki people.
The focus of our work, which was delivered by the local non-profit SALEHO, was on improving adult literacy rates through a program designed specifically for adult learners and delivered by local teachers trained on program delivery from master trainers.
The villages that participated in this program were Qazdeh, Vark, Shkharv, Kushnikhan, Worgund Payan and Worgund Bala. In total, 242 students enrolled in 12 classes with 20 students per class and 2 shifts of teaching each day. To support the literacy classes, 8 libraries were opened and local villagers trained as libarians.
Project Highlights:
- Training of literacy teachers and Master Trainers were conducted twice (first session in Faizabad and the second in Shekharv Village of Wakhan District);
- All the required furniture, training materials, books etc. have been provided and distributed to the students;
- Twelve literacy classes were established;
- The evaluation report of the students, based on the three tests, shows high knowledge of the students (70% received high achievements);
- Regular supervision and monitoring of the classes have been done by the Project Manager and MoE teams;
- Training on librarianship and reading promotion was conducted in July 2019;
- Eight libraries have been established and the students, teachers and local people are benefiting;
- The report of students’ attendance sheets shows 94% present during the months of May – June 2019.
2024 Breadmaking Oven Program At Work
BBS would like to thank the following people and organisations for their generous support.
Frank Gounelas
Geoff Bedford
Ioannis Exarchos
Jamshid Sultanzada
Laurie DeBoer
LBKT Farms Limited
Linda Sekura
Linsey Flannery
Maltec Leichtbautechnologie
Mark Quigley
Matin Zamani
Michael Marcus
Molly Hollihan
Natalie Osborne
Neo Performance Materials
Pauline Niebur
Peter Johnston
Peter Kruyt
Samuel Plagnard
Sara James
Scott Gillespie
Stefanos Kourelas
Sylvia Hirsche Memorial Library
Sylvia Liu
Taber Memorial Library
Tonya Tecca
Tracy Driscoll
Viva, Beijing Professional Women’s Association
Wray Armstrong
100% of donations made through BBS go to those in need.
