Three decades of war and insecurity has had a terrible human cost on the people of Kandahar and Hilmand and severely damaged the institutions of the State. The weakness of the new government, since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, is a key concern that hinders service delivery, undermines the legitimacy and credibility of state-building, and contributes to greater insecurity. The participation of women in government and in decision-making forums remains extremely limited According to the base line and pre – KAP survey, that was conducted by OHW in June 2011. During the survey it was found that the people of Kandahar in Dand District and Hilmand in Lashkargah District, especially those living in rural areas, live in extreme poverty and lack essential services such as water and electricity. Forty percent of the population lives on less than US$1 a day and life expectancy is 43 years compared to 59 years for low-income countries worldwide. In Dand district of Kandahar and Lashkargah district of Hilmand, it is estimated that only 23% of households have access to safe water, with 43% in urban and 18% in rural areas. The issues for sanitation are different in urban and rural areas. In rural areas, there is a focus on the need for hygiene education and improved latrines. In urban areas there is more a need for functioning sewage systems. Provincially, only 12% of households have access to improved sanitation while 28% of urban dwellers have access. In rural areas, this figure falls to as little as 8%. Women face the highest rates of illiteracy and the lowest standards of health in the world. Maternal and child mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world. In addition, women are generally excluded from consultations about the kinds of WASH services they require and on their distinct WASH needs. Dand district in Kandahar and Lashkargah district in Hilmand remains dependent on external aid. The opium industry in Kandahar and Hilmand is growing, the state officials are known to be complicit in poppy cultivation, trafficking or non-intervention and extensive trafficking of opium and heroin takes place across the borders. The majority of the populations affected are women and girls. The activities of the women and girls get increased in their daily life; they have to spend a lot of their time collecting water; they have to spend 30 – 65 minutes in the collection of water. In most areas it is experienced that the children are left out of school because all of their day goes in collection of water and some of the families have to migrate from their place to another because they didn’t had access to safe drinking water. The majority of the community gets affected are women because they have to leave from their houses, conduct extra activities; and have live in crisis situation. Therefore, the response will mostly support the women and girls and reduce the daily work of the women in their houses.

OHW will implement the WASH program in the Dand District of Kandahar with a total population of approximately 5,000 families and in Lashkargah District of Hilmand province with a population of approximately 5,000 families. Total 50 communities will be targeted in the targeted provinces (25 communities in Dand district of Kandahar and 25 communities in Lashkargah Hilmand Province). The activities which will be implemented are as below: 1. 40 bore wells with the hand pumps have been drugged and the hand pumps have been installed in the targeted communities 2. 250 improved private demonstration family latrines are build in the targeted communities and 300 people mentored and have learned how to build sanitary and improved latrines. 3. 100 community health educator couples have been trained on improved awareness and practice on health and hygiene behavior change. 4. 10,000 family visit have been conducted amongst the targeted communities, and discussed with the communities the hygiene and sanitation practices 5. 40 volunteer community hand pump caretakers have been trained, who will take care of the hand pumps and maintain basic repairing of the hand pumps. 6. Working with 50 Shura's and CDC's to have improved understanding and capacity to manage hygiene promotion activities to prevent

Communities knowledge is raised and capacity have been build to prevent water borne diseases in targeted communities 1. 8,500 individuals of the targeted communities including the vulnerable and poor communities have access to safe drinking water 2. 300 demonstration family latrines have been built and of 75 % of the targeted communities have committed to build their own private latrines. 3. 85% the Communities have increased knowledge have increased on health sanitation and hygiene practices and they practice their knowledge in daily basis. 4. 50 CDCs and Shoras have increased their knowledge on change behavior of the families on health and hygiene practices. 5. 40 hand pump caretakers have been trained to maintain and sustain of the hand pumps

NO