impact of GFA
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impact of GFA
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The impact of GFA - GTZ and NAI-GTZ assistance on the development and progression of FACT from the 1st February 2007 to the end of September 2008
GFA, chaired by Mrs. Marlin Garson, started assisting FACT at the closing days of the year 2006 as a continuation of the aids from DED, AGEF, ILO, WEPP, enabling FACT to take steps towards democracy. The assistance also made it possible to convene the 2nd grand assembly of FACT in Kabul in April 2006, after 18 years, which was attended by 220 representatives from around the country where a new leadership was elected in a democratic atmosphere and the former statute of FACT was also amended. GFA aids helped FACT to establish Service Providing Center which started to operate in the following areas in March 2007: · Internet · Credit counseling · Change of technology · Awareness advisory and certification of the quality · Marketing Also, the GFA aids have strengthened FACT. Its 2nd and 3rd plenum were convened on time, the 2nd in April 2006 and the 3rd in April 2008, where it was resolved that FACT has to focus on providing services for craftsmen and it was also decided that the governance structure of FACT should be reformed. The ‘PISHAVAR’ magazines is published 1000 copies per month and up to now 19 volumes of the said magazine have been published and most of the magazines are sent to provinces and sold making a total of 97160 AFs which will be transferred from the provinces and out of that 43910 AFs will be transferred to FACT account. The assistance of GFA made it possible for FACT establish contacts with ASMED and obtain its aids for 3 projects namely, convention of a 3 week long computer course for 20 staff members of FACT, convention of a national exhibition, and a project to survey the Kabul city craftsmen, service providers, and traders. The internet center has got 4 desktops provided by GFA and 4 laptops granted by DED. It is decided to give internet training for 1014 persons and out of them 166 person have received it and a total of 192 person have profited from other services of internet center and 116 of them were craftsmen. 5 email addresses have been created for the craftsmen and FACT has established links with more than one hundred websites. It has been registered in the website of Ali Baba and 11 other business websites. The internet center has also compiled and printed a book of 163 pages on face and hair make-up and 2 catalogues of 296 pages on face and hair make-up. The internet center has also created a computing program for small business owners which have brought easiness in their finance and accounting procedures. The internet center has started to incorporate articles in FACT official website ‘AMPA’ in 2 languages Farsi and English. As a result of the internet and marketing services of FACT has dispatched the first sample wool of 200 Kg to India. In the marketing section 1329 persons have been registered and 913 persons have been recorded in this section and 14 persons have attended the workshop and 20 craftsmen have been worked with individually. Also, work has been done on 8 exhibitions. 4 craftsmen participated in the exhibition which took place in New Delhi in November 2007 with financial aids of ASMED and 4 craftsmen participated in the exhibition held in china and 2 craftsmen will attend the Tehran exhibition to beheld jointly by ECO and Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries on 6th September 2008. The marketing advisor attended the seminar on small interventions held in May, 2008 in Kathmandu. Contact was maintained through contract based offers with PDT organization regarding selling of the products of the craftsmen An exhibition of the craftsmen products was held in March 2007 and 2008 where 40 craftsmen participated. FACT has started to cooperate with the Directorate of Exports Development. FACT has collected information about custom and export laws which would be put at the disposal of the craftsmen when needed. Also, a market for skin weaving industry has been open in headquarters of the international forces through cultural and marketing departments of FACT. More than 37 person has accept collective membership of FACT. (The workers of this section terminated the contract on 10th august and its position is vacant yet). In credit counseling section 872 persons have been surveyed, 335 persons have been registered and 250 persons have participated in the workshops and 128 persons have been introduced to banks for gaining loans and have received a loan of 15 million AFs. 85% of those introduced have obtained credits and 10 people for some reasons have given up getting loans. FACT has obtained a total of 32805 AFs in exchange for it credit counseling services. As per the requests of craftsmen credit services will be available in the next future through Bank Milli Afghan in Samangan and Hirat provinces. With the aid of industry change budget money, FACT was able to change the system of 3 bakeries costing 39650 AFs, one bathing-house costing 31160 AFs, one bakery and one sweat making costing 31362, which became a model for other bakers and craftsmen and as a result, more than 200 bakeries and 10 cookies shops and 72 bathing-houses started to change their system by themselves, which was warmly welcomed by Kabul municipality and the Independent Directorate of Environmental Protection. Unfortunately, there was a dramatic rise in the price gas (30 – 65)AFs which has caused sluggishness in changing the systems. On the other hand, the gasGROUP company also hesitated to sign contracts because of the rise in the gas price. We will follow up this issue and as the price is determined contract will be signed. Note: changing the fuel of bakeries from wood to gas is good for clean products, health of people, protection of trees and environment. There is a little difference in the costs of gas and wood or oil. The water-warmer machine, which has reduced 50% of the cost as well as caused reduction in production of smoke, is both economical and good for environmental protection. Making of water warming machines for bathing houses and making of gas burning machines for bakeries develops the talents of craftsmen and created jobs for machine manufacturers and in general the changing of technology service of CNUA is useful and successful. These machines are demanded in Balkh and Hirat provinces. The service center officer has attended the program of “think and try” majorly as a judge or referee and 5 projects were introduced by craftsmen in the program. The service center of FACT has succeeded to open a make-up course where 60 people underwent training in 2 groups under qualified teachers. The course opening expenses and one month salary of teachers 35000 AFs was paid by GFA. Salary and other expenses of the course are paid through the course income itself. An amount of 73680 AFs as charging fees has been deposited to bank account. This led the course to be continued and the 5th term of this course just ended and the 6th term of the make up course is running and so far, 377 persons from Kabul city have been benefited from this course and amount of 640300 AFs have been obtained as charging fees from this course, of which 205096 AFs is used for salary and expenses out of the course. The total of money obtained in exchange of services other than the make up course amounts 108298 AFs deposited in FACT account and amount of 65995 AFs have been used as administrative costs of FACT. For the first time, a pictorial advertisement was prepared and broadcasted several times through RTA TV and Tolu TV which proved very effective for publicizing the service centers and it is in mind to prepare pictorial advertisements for Kunduz and Balkh to be broadcasted through Tolu TV. It is to be mentioned that the total cost of the project was estimated as $80000 USD for 10 months and out of this $72502 USD was spent until the end of December 2007 completing 90% of the project. The project tenure was extended for 3 months more using the initial budget. The GFA project ended in Aril 2008 and for one ear the service center will be financed by NAWI –GTZ by donating $24000. B now, Seven months have passed since the project began. As a result of the above aids, FACT was able to employ two persons at its own expense. It also contributes $50 in the salary of the advisor in promotion of women skills and also contributes $100 in the salary of a translator/interpreter along side DED. Suggestions 1. FACT is the only union which has organized different craftsmen and traders into associations depending upon their activities or crafts in the provinces and has been recognized as the representative of craftsmen in state administrate ions, parliament, and is member of chamber of commerce and trade of Afghanistan and represents the craftsmen in all institutions, commissions and economic meetings and based on the above points FACT deserves to be supported for this is the best channel leading up to the development of small interventions. GTZ, like previous years of 2006 and 2007 should support FACT financially and technically especially in reformation of laws, paving the ground for a better working conditions for the craftsmen, capacity building, promotion of the products, standardization of the products, making effective use of technology and tens of other problems facing FACT. As FACT has a long time contact with GTZ, hence other organizations such as USAID are reluctant to help it. 2. Service centers also to be set up in Balkh, Herat, and Nangarhar provinces. 3. The service center workers have not undergone any training sessions from the opening day of the center and there for attention should be for holding training for them to build their capacity. 4. Literacy plays vital role for the development of the craftsmen, for they cannot make use of the modern technology without literacy. At least 50 literacy courses should be held annually for craftsmen in Kabul and other provinces.
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