USAID/IDEA-NEW

Women weaving gabion in Pachir Wa Agam district

More than two hundred women work in ten gabion weaving centers in Pachir Wa Agam and Chaparthar districts of Nangarhar province. The centers were established by USAID’s Incentives Driving Economic Development for the North, East, West (IDEA-NEW) Project.

 “Even though it is a hard work to weave gabions by hands, we are still happy to earn a living for our families.” said Zahida, one of the gabion weavers. “The gabions help limit seasonal floods in our village.” she added proudly.

The women earn a living for their families from inside their homes by producing gabions that are used for land protection in their area, which is prone to damage due to seasonal flooding.

A total of 5,505 gabion boxes were produced for the Nangarhar Provincial Directorate of Irrigation, who utilized them at 18 different sites for the construction of gabion walls that prevent flood damage and safeguard approximately 1,100 hectares of arable lands in both the districts.

USAID’s IDEA-NEW Project promotes sustainable growth of the licit agricultural economy and economic opportunities in the northern, eastern and western poppy-prone regions of the country. In collaboration with national, provincial, and district-level government offices, the project works to increase agricultural production, rural enterprise, and access to financial services. 

Afghan Women Plot Against Floods