On November 5, the community of Rege Kalacha held a shura with representatives of the Afghan Government and members of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team’s (KPRT’s) Sub-district Stabilization Team. This shura was an important stepping stone in the stabilization of Kandahar City’s Sub-district 2. Until the recent clearing operation in Malajat, the village was under Taliban control and local government officials were afraid to enter the area. Given the new increase in security, the community elders of Rege Kalacha have been working with the Sub-district Stabilization Team to re-establish a relationship with the municipal government to bring resources and development projects to their village.

During the shura, the elders introduced their wakeel (representative), who was chosen by the community, including the religious leaders of all four mosques in the village. The wakeel will represent the community to the Kandahar City Municipality and will bring the concerns and needs of Rege Kalacha to the attention of the Sub-district Manager. Through this partnership, the wakeel will work with the municipal government to find grassroots solutions to development challenges in the village. KPRT’s Sub-district Stabilization Team will support the municipality to facilitate these community-driven requests.