Support to Save the Children's country strategy for Afghanistan 2022-2025

2023 The Save the Children International (SCI) Strategy for Afghanistan builds on two projects that SCI has implemented in in the past with Sida support ( Education in Emergencies EiE, Sida contribution 12429. and Child Protection CP Sida contribution 52050137), added to other activities that the organisation has implemented in the country. Sida support the part of the SCI strategy in Afghanistan that correspond to the continuity of the result reached with the previous projects. The strategy is designed as a larger programme but without coordination with the national authorities. The Support to the strategy is channelized through an agreement with Save the Children Sweden (SCS) and is of a flexible character ,which provide the organisation with opportunities to make changes and adjustments when required. This flexibility is considered by Sida and the partner as a prerequisite to implement projects in the current volatile Afghan political context. Examples of results achieved Implementation during the period (June 2022-May 2023): SCI, as well as all other development partners in Afghanistan, has faced several challenges and delays in the implementation due to the Taliban increased restrictions on female participation in society (education, work, mobility etc) during the entire period, and exacerbated by different edicts from December 2022. It has been difficult for Sida to follow up results in the field during the year due to the challenging political context with increasing restrictions for operations. Sida and SCS has maintained a close dialog during the period, and meetings and communications has been taken place continuously. The United Nations and key donors has also coordinated weekly on aid provision through the Afghanistan Coordination Group (ACG), and associated strategic thematic working groups (STWGs). There has been an intensive work on the development of the Strategic Framework for Afghanistan for the period 20232025. The ACG agreed on a monitoring framework (Join Monitoring Framework) on April 2023, to which partner will report by sectors. SCI is committed to report to the education sector. SCI informed Sida that successful activities has been implemented in the areas of work. Several Community based education classes (CBEs) has been running since school start in March, and several child protection activities has been launched. SCI partners in Afghanistan Save the Children Afghanistan (SCIAf), Organisation of Human Welfare (OHW) and Help the Afghan Children (HTAC) have resumed the Sida financed activities in 5 provinces (Balkh, Jawzjan, SariPol, Faryab and Nangarhar) and will be able to achieve the planned goals for the year if the implementation continues been possible. In the current Afghan context, the implementation of the activities, in special the start of the school year with CBE classes in several provinces, is seen as a result itself. All CBE and preschool teachers have received the planned trainings including teaching methodology, CSG (child safeguarding), SEL (social and emotional learning), and others. Community education committees and school management committees are established as planned and the member of these committees are trained on CSG and CP. Hygiene kit, student kits, psycho social support kits (PSS), textbook and special education kits have been procured and distributed among the beneficiaries as per need. Students' and teachers' well being assessments are conducted during the year. On time and prompt preschool transition is made within the target provinces Child Protection (CP): SCI, HTAC and OHW have jointly resumed the project activities in different phases in order to provide the services to male and female beneficiaries in safe manner. SCI targeted 20 communities in each of the targeted provinces ( 10 communities in one district) Child friendly spaces/Community child center (CFS/ CCC) modality Impact assessment ongoing CP mechanisms in place to ensure children receive appropriate and holistic support through the case management process. Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) awareness to the targeted communities. 2024 The Save the Children International Sweden (SCS) Strategy for Afghanistan builds on two previously implemented projects that also received Sida support; Education in Emergencies (EiE), which supported Community Based Education (CBE), (Sida contribution 12429), and a comprehensive Child Protection (CP) initiative, (Sida contribution 52050137). Since 2022 Sida is supporting the outcomes of the SCS strategy in Afghanistan that correspond to the continuity of the result reached with the previous projects. The Sida support is of a flexible character, which provide the organisation with opportunities to make changes and adjustments when required. This flexibility is considered by Sida and by SCS as a prerequisite to implement projects in the current volatile Afghan political context. 2024 Implementation during the period (June 2023-July 2024): SCS and its implementing partners (IP) have faced several challenges and delays in the implementation due to the Taliban directives, especially those regarding the education sector. Sida and SCS has maintained a close dialog during the period, through meetings and correspondences. On the 6th June 2023, the Ministry of Education issued a verbal directive instructing International NGOs INGOs to hand over all education programs to local/national NGOs (NNGOs), and later, on November 2022, the MoE instructed all PED to take over the administration of all CBE that had not yet been transitioned to NNGOs (DOX Direktiv om lokalisering av utbildnings aktiviteter i Afghanistan21/001262-47, 2, Minutes of the JTC meeting 13 december 2023 on CBE directives 1/001262-53, and Recent Memo From Deputy of Islamic Studies of MoE for CBE Transition linking to Madrassas21/001262-70). This rapid directive changes prompted a hectic coordination between all education stakeholder during the year, including United Nations, key donors, INGOs, NNGOs and even with the De Facto Ministry of Education (MoE) to get a better understanding of the rapid changing policies. It became clear during those meetings that the MoE receive directions from the DFA, with no room for advice or negotiation. According to the MoE representatives, they are in the difficult position to plan for a functional school system, get donor support, and at the same time comply with political and ideological decisions of the governing authorities. Most of the information exchange between education sector stakeholders has been thought the Education Strategic Thematic Working Group (Ed-STWGs), but also meetings has been carried out between key actors in different informal groups. SCS has been deeply engaged in the Ed-STWG, as well as in other coordination groups within the humanitarian sector. SCS has been a key partner for Sida to receive reliable information from the ground. SCS, via its main partner in Afghanistan, Save the Children International Afghanistan (SCI-Af) managed to reach local negotiations to be able to continue implementing the planned activities. Thanks to its large experience working forwarding funds, and specific experience in Afghanistan implementing activities through local IPs, SCS was able to rapidly initiate a process of identification and due diligence of NNGOs with capacity to implement the CBE activities accordingly to the first transition directive (also called localization directive). Thus, the around 265 CBE classes has been running as planned during the entire period analysed; a total of 10,820 children (6,179 girls and 4,641 boys) had safe daily access to quality inclusive basic education in CBE-, special education- and pre-school classes in Kabul, Balkh and Jawzjan provinces. 265 CBE-, 78 pre-school- and 13 special education classes have been operated (109 CBEs, 38 pre-schools, 13 special education classes in Kabul province; 91 CBEs and 12 pre-schools classes in Balkh province; and 65 CBEs and 28 preschool classes in Jawzjan province). The 265 CBEs hosted 8,510 (4,905 girls and 3,605 boys) children; the 13 special education classes hosted 75 (35 girls and 40 boys) children; and the 78 pre-schools hosted 2,235 (1,239 girls and 996 boys) children (DOX Årsrapport för 2023 (finansiell och narrativ) 20/001371-105). Regarding CP activities, (Outcome 2 of the SCS Strategy for Afghanistan), the main limitations faced during the period were caused to the authorities narrowed understanding of the objectives of the projects, situation that resulted in delays or rejection of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), that are a requisite to implement any development activity in the country. As result of these limitations SCS decided to rename and or remove some activities in Kabul, and to withdraw all the activities in Kandahar. Despite the hinders, the project is in general terms, advancing towards planned objectives (See statement on report for year 2023, (DOX Statement on report financial and narrative and audit for year 2023, 20/001371-109). Context update by implementation province during the period: • Kabul: The CP activities was redesigned after difficulties gaining assurances from local authorities. A new project component was introduced, the Community Children Centres (CCCs) which integrate different types of support including food security and livelihood (FSL); water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); child protection (CP); and education. This integrated approach was given the assurances by local DFA and the project have since been implemented without obstacles. • Balkh: Balkh was severely affected by drought during the year and this caused a deficit of animal feed, triggering migration from rural to urban areas. This resulted in higher demand for support. The activities were implemented according to plans. • Jawzjan: The activities in Jawzjan were temporary affected by an NGO committee that was managed by the Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Promotion of Virtue. The committee members visited I/NNGOs for control and advise. The committee focused on women workers, advising them to wear a burka or to have Mahram. This committee was however dissolved in 2023. The activities were implemented according to plans. • Sar-i-Pol: No specific challenges were registered during the period. The dialogue with local DFA has been positive, and activities have been implemented according to plans. • Faryab: The child protection activities were paused in the two first quarters of 2023 since local DFA did not allowed implementation without a formal national MoU, which was difficult to obtain. The local authorities allowed implementation after the second quarter of 2023 and after intense advocacy and dialogue from the IPs. As in many other provinces, certain specialized service providers are not available such as organisations specialising in support for children with disabilities. • Nangarhar: The return of Afghans from Pakistan, many of whom resettle in Nangarhar, further exerts pressure on already limited resources in the province. This also increase the demand for more activities. The activities has been implemented as planned. Localization directive and partnership with local organisations: Following the localization directive, SCS conducted a due diligence process for partner selection, and, SCI-Af (that already had a partnership with SCS) signed agreements with Afghan Paramount Welfare and Development Organization (PWDO) in Balkh province; Move Against Poverty of Women Organization (MAPWO) in Kabul province; and Help the Afghan Children (HTAC) in Jawzjan, to implementation the CBE classes in those regions. (See table below extracted from the Annual Narrative Report,(DOX Årsrapport för 2023, 20/001371-105)). After the selection of partners various capacity training workshops were offered, and a plan for organisational development has been developed. SCI-Af continues to have a management and monitoring role, and Sida has been accurately informed on the advances of the processes. Nevertheless, the risk analysis regarding Sida support to the education sector in Afghanistan sharpened further due to the DFA decision to suspend the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) activities in the entire country, allegedly caused as a reaction to the Quran burnings in Sweden (DOX English translation of three files related to DFA statement on Swedish activities1/001262-46). According to different analysis, the suspension could have been triggered by various other reasons as well, but in any case, the situation made clear that the operational context is in higher risk, and that there iaan increased risk of confiscation of partners assets by the Taliban. Sida and partners elaborated a new model for risk mitigation which, among other measures, implies an elaboration and approval of Plan and Budget for education activities each three months instead of each 12 months. Provision of detailed information on School Improvement Plans (SIP) has also been agreed in terms to closely follow up infrastructure investment. Only basic school reparations are included in the budget considering the risks for arbitrary transfer of the CBE classes to the MoE. With this model it is possible to make changes or stop the implementation in case of intervention by the DFA in the project. Based in the higher risks context described above, Sida decided in May 2024 to withdraw the Swedish support to the public education sector, including CBEs in case they were transitioned to the MoE (DED and PED). (DOX Beslut om ändring av strategiplanen för Afghanistan 2024 2026 23/001681-17) Even though, SCS sustains a position of that is possible to work with the CBEs outside the public system and without intervention of the DFA. SCS and Sida are in continue dialogue to follow up the developments on the ground, and to discuss alternatives in case of further DFA influence in the SCS supported CBE activities. Monitoring and field visits: Sida aimed to conduct a joint field visit with SCS during the period, however it was not possible due to the security context. As an alternative, virtual visits were carried out during April-May 2024. The visits were planned in coordination between Sida, SCS and the IPs, and it was possible to meet both CBEs students and children and youth participating in the Catch Up Clubs (CUC). Despite the limitation in technical experience and weak internet capacity, the virtual visits were successful providing a good understanding on the project implementation and results. (DOX Virtuell Fältbesök Alla Dokument20/001371-102, and Travel report virtual field visits April 2024, 20/001371-103). Main results during the period. Sida has seen improvements in Save the Childrens annual reporting in terms of evidence-based results. Some highlighted results for the last period of implementation are: Education • Over 10 000 children has have access to education of quality through CBE classes implemented by APWDO in Balkh province; MPWO in Kabul province, and HTAC in Jawzjan province, with support from SCI-Af. • CBE teachers received several trainings on pedagogy and subject knowledge; trainings on temporary learning circles (TLC), psychosocial first aid (PFA) and safe identification and referrals (SIR); special education teachers were trained on subject knowledge; and pre-school teachers were trained in early childhood care and development (ECCD)Community education committees and school management committees are established as planned and the member of these committees are trained on CSG and CP. • Hygiene kit, student kits, psychosocial support kits (PSS), textbook and special education kits have been procured and distributed among the beneficiaries as per need. • Community engagement through community education councils (CECs) and school management committees (SMCs) contributed to increased support for CBE classes. Green space campaigns were also conducted. Child Protection (CP): • SCI-Af, OHW and HTAC established and supported 200 (2,000 members, 50% women, 50% men) Community Based Child Protection networks (CBCPNs) • 500 (250 women and 250 men) volunteers were selected to be part of the new CBCPNs and to strengthen and promote the voices of children within their communities. The new CBCPN members received trainings on child rights, child protection and safe identification and referrals (SIR). • 1,106 CBCPN members (445 women and 661 men) attended the regular quarterly CBCPN meetings, while numerous ad-hoc meetings were held based on need. • SCI-Af mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) counsellors, conducted MHPSS community dialogues/awareness sessions in the 100 targeted communities. 2,455 individuals (927 women and 1,528 men) attended the community dialogue sessions. • SCI-Af, HTAC and OHW established 10 child friendly spaces (CFSs) across the 5 targeted provinces, 2 CFSs per province (target 10 CFSs). In total, 1,079 (618 girls and 461 boys) children attended the CFSs regularly. All CFSs were established in accessible locations for IDP, returnee and host community children with a focus on areas where many IDPs are settled. • 1,200 (600 girls and 600 boys) children participated in the Youth Resilience Programming /YRP)sessions, the target was the same 1,200 girls and boys. 1,163 (611 women and 552 men) parents and caregivers attended the sessions, almost reaching the target of 1,200.

Objective of the intervention and expectations of achievements SCI-Af's vision: is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. SCI-Af's mission: to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Three breakthroughs until 2030 have been identified: SURVIVE (no child dies preventable causes before 5th birthday), LEARN (All children learn from a quality basic education), BE PROTECTED (Violence against children is no longer tolerated). The two strategic goals this intervention will aim to reach are: 1. Boys and girls have continuous access to safe and inclusive learning opportunities. 2. Boys and girls enjoy strengthened protective environment and improved social, physical, and emotional well-being.