Afghanistan

BRAC began its journey in Afghanistan in 2002, our first country of operations outside Bangladesh. Decades of conflict and climate shocks have significantly impacted the country’s economic and social progress.

More than half of Afghanistan’s population of 44 million people live in extreme poverty. Today we partner with communities, primarily women and girls, to forge a pathway out of poverty.

AT A GLANCE

Smiling children stand outside in Afghanistan

17M

people supported in Afghanistan

Smiling girl in a classroom at Jabul Sheraj’s government primary school

29,300

learners accessed community-based education

TUP member of BRAC Afghanistan with her sheep

7,500

micro, medium, and small enterprises received technical and financial support

Our Work

Explore our work in Afghanistan

Education

Scaling quality, inclusive, and joyful learning for all.

BRAC prioritises joyful learning using engaging approaches. We believe that education is a fundamental right. We take a community-driven approach to ensure access to education in some of the hardest-to-reach areas.

In Afghanistan, we used this approach to ensure girls could continue learning even when schools were far from their homes or when bans stopped them from accessing education. Our community-driven network of programmes includes pre-primary, primary, and secondary levels. This includes accelerated learning for girls who have dropped out or never attended school.

Integrated Development in Humanitarian Settings

Ensuring everyone has the tools to recover and rebuild.

BRAC Afghanistan supports communities by helping them meet their basic needs and build more stable futures. While providing urgent humanitarian aid when needed, we also focus on long-term support. Women receive training, tools, mentoring, and funding to start and grow their businesses. We also help communities increase climate resilience through risk reduction structures.

Ultra-Poor Graduation

A proven pathway out of extreme poverty.

BRAC’s flagship Ultra-Poor Graduation approach is a globally recognised and widely adopted solution proven to break the poverty trap. Graduation enables people to build a long-term trajectory out of extreme poverty through a time-bound package of sequenced interventions. This combines a large investment in income-generating activities, basic needs support, and ongoing, intensive coaching.

Health

Bringing critical care to the last mile.

Within a year of starting our work, BRAC Afghanistan began strengthening the health system, especially for people living in remote areas and situations of extreme poverty. We were the first organisation in Afghanistan to widely employ women as community health workers. They provide life-saving care, including nutrition support for pregnant women and new mothers. Our programmes also deliver care to marginalised populations, such as internally displaced people.

Our Stories

“It’s like learning the future!” How girls in Afghanistan are getting a chance to enjoy learning at after-school centres

Adila Umar (name changed to maintain anonymity) from Afghanistan is 10 years old now. She is from Parwan province— a region known for towering snow-capped mountains. Adila loves playing football, enjoys public speaking, and most of all, she says, she loves to learn new things. She attends Mir Abdul Karim Maqool School, a public school in her neighbourhood. She enjoys the rhythm of classroom life, and learning from her favourite teacher. But both at home, and at school, the learning environment has not always been welcoming for her. “Education for girls is not considered important, I always have to try extra hard,” shares Adila.

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“It’s like learning the future!” How girls in Afghanistan are getting a chance to enjoy learning at after-school centres

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Is education only reserved for boys?

Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden to women and girls over age 12. Poverty, war, social insecurity, and cultural norms have all impeded girls’ access to education, resulting in 80% of school-aged Afghan girls being currently out of school. As such, for girls like Amreen (not her real name) from Qali Regee, a village in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province, a chance at education was only a distant dream.

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Is education only reserved for boys?

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Afghan women and their stories of overcoming great odds

Afghanistan’s post-conflict humanitarian crisis was very similar to the post-war environment of Bangladesh, the time when BRAC was born. We took the lessons learned from our poverty alleviation efforts to Afghanistan in 2002, BRAC’s first country of operation outside of Bangladesh. Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with over half of the country’s population living below the poverty line. Decades of conflict combined with climate shocks have cut off communities from livelihood opportunities.

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Afghan women and their stories of overcoming great odds

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Meet the Leadership Team

Afghanistan is a land of towering mountains and deep valleys, with the rugged Hindu Kush stretching across much of the country. Over the years, changing regimes and conflict have weakened Afghanistan’s infrastructure, health, education, and economy.

Today, Afghanistan has one of the world’s largest populations displaced by conflict. Extreme poverty is widespread, and climate events like droughts and floods are common. Women and girls in Afghanistan face serious barriers to education, employment, and healthcare. But with the right support and resources, individuals can uplift their families and communities.