Policy and Research

SADA is a development and humanitarian organization. It works in Afghanistan from last 20 years to serve the poor and vulnerable communities. SADA’s policy and Research team conducts assessment surveys for the purpose of getting knowledge of existing community problems, seeking to understand the national laws, United Nations laws and millennium development goals in compliance to resolve community problems as better as possible.

SADA has a policy of participative approach which involves internal team work, coordination of governmental authorities and community councils in implementing any kind of project or resolving community problems through project interventions.

• Prevention of Opium Cultivation:

According to the annual survey report, 2014, of UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Control) on opium cultivation in Afghanistan, there are 19 provinces in the country which are affected by opium poppy cultivation. The survey report further says that the total production of opium in Afghanistan was 28.70 Kg/ha which is 9% more than the year 2013. Potential Production of Opium, according to the said survey, in 2014 was 6400 tons which is very alarming figure.

RAND Corporation’s(A well-known research organization) report of 2015, namely “Reducing the Cultivation of Opium Puppies in Southern Afghanistan”, stated that;

“Opium production and exports are potent economic forces. On the one hand, they sustain a large segment of the Afghan population. According to Byrd and Mansfield, opium provided around 376,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2013. On the other hand, opiate cultivation fuels corruption, undermines local and national institutions and the rule of law, and provides financial support to insurgents”.

SADA’s policy and research team has analyzed the cultivation of poppy by utilizing the knowledge gained through practical experience in the rural community by implementation of different kinds of development projects and by studying published reports on the behalf of united nations agencies, United states agencies and many other international agencies on the said topic. Many reasons count in this regards. For example, lack of employment alternatives (i.e. alternative on-farm income or off-farm employment opportunities), lack of governance, lack of stability, lack of opportunities for education, and poverty.

Due to continuous war from decades or pro activeness of militant wings in the region, the writ of the government is weakened and or ineffective to eradicate opium cultivation. In this regards, the most affected province is Helmand, where much of the opium is cultivated as compared to other provinces of the country. SADA is seeking to cooperate with United Nations and other International agencies in eradicating the curse of opium cultivation in Afghanistan.