16 May 2008

Peshawar, Pakistan: With the help of a UNV volunteer, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are developing sustainable self-governance methods for their communities.

There are over 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, many of whom have been there for several years. Though provincial governments provide security and some administration, many camp-dwellers suffer not only from poverty but also limited health, education and water supply services. They may also lack opportunities for employment or repatriation.

UNV volunteer Shingha Bahadur Khadka heads the Community Development Unit for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) operation in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP). His focus is on finding what he calls "durable solutions" for 800,000 displaced persons in coordination with the NWFP Government and several other agencies.

A successful example is the Munda Afghan refugee village, with a population of more than 13,000. "To institutionalize the concept and practice of volunteerism at Munda," explains Mr. Khadka, a Nepali national with 20 years of development and humanitarian experience, "we introduced the concept of community structures." This entailed organizing, training and facilitating committees of Afghans themselves to deal with services, repatriation and social welfare.

In turn these committees are managed by a governing committee within the camp, the Grand Shura. Based on a traditional Afghan model, the Grand Shura is a council of elders - both men and women. Since there are cultural obstacles to the genders working together, separate groups for men and women were developed and responsibilities are shared. "The community structures have a strong hold," says Mr. Khadka, "and the decisions taken by the Grand Shura are well accepted and successfully implemented."

By mobilizing volunteerism within Munda village, the community raises its own money via various charges and fees - in effect a local tax system. These funds pay for teachers, maintenance and operational costs for schools, technical help for the water supply, and arrangements for healthcare.

Before this 'community contribution' model was in place, the village tended to overuse services which created problems for the local Government and population. The community contribution now gives the camp dwellers more ownership of their services.

Moreover, adds Mr. Khadka, "the local Government now invites and involves refugees in the decision-making process to solve problems between the local community and the refugees." Relations have improved to the point where Afghans are finding local employment and intermarrying with Pakistanis.

"In the Grand Shura, there are representatives from both the refugee and the local community," he says. "The local community is now learning something about volunteerism from the Afghan refugee community."