User:Media-iam/International Assistance Mission

The International Assistance Mission (IAM) is a non-profit Christian development Non Government Organization (NGO) working in Afghanistan since 1966. IAM runs projects in medicine, engineering, languages, small business and community development. In 2008, IAM's eighteen projects in seven provinces helped 370,000 Afghans. IAM is registered in Switzerland, and is the longest continuously serving NGO in Afghanistan and only works in Afghanistan.

History
The International Afghan Mission (IAM) was established in Kabul, on February 2nd, 1966. It began from the efforts of teachers and medical specialists who were interested in working in Afghanistan. IAM’s first projects were the National Organisation for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR), the Medical Assistance Program (MAP), a school for the visually impaired (BINA), and a literacy programme.

Over the next 40 years, more projects were added in engineering, maternal health, community development, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), disaster management, micro-enterprise development, mental health, and the study of languages. IAM trains Afghans in all of these roles.

First the war with the Soviet Union, then strife between local Mujahideen groups, and then changes in government required the moving or closing of some projects at various times since 1966.

In 1978, the International Afghan Mission changed its name to the International Assistance Mission.

In August 2001, the Taliban expelled the IAM from Afghanistan. One month later, due to the imminent attack from the USA following September 11, 2001; the Taliban expelled all aid groups from Afghanistan. After the fall of the Taliban, IAM was invited to return. This three-month period in 2001 is the only time that IAM has not served in Afghanistan since 1966.

In November 2008, the Deputy Minister of Economy, Dr Nazir Ahmad, thanked the IAM for more than 40 years of humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Since 1966, the IAM has helped an estimated seven to eight million Afghans, particularly through its NOOR eye care work.

Current Projects
National Organization for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR)

The NOOR programme provides the vast majority of all ophthalmic care in Afghanistan. NOOR takes its name from an Arabic and Persian word meaning “light”, and is the longest running IAM programme. It has referral eye hospitals in the main cities of Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kandahar. It founded and continues to provide logistical support to the government eye hospitals in Kabul and Herat. NOOR oversees community eye hospitals in Khost and Ghazni. Mobile eye camps serve other more outlying areas.

In 2009, NOOR treated 179 000 patients and performed 11,000 surgeries. In addition, Ministry of Public Health eye hospitals supported by NOOR saw 157 000 patients and performed nearly 7,000 surgeries. It dispensed over 17,000 pairs of glasses, and 359,000 bottles of eyedrops. NOOR has a particular emphasis on training and it runs a three-year ophthalmology residency programme. In fact, almost all the ophthalmologists and all ophthalmic technicians in Afghanistan have been trained by NOOR.

Community Development Projects (CDP)

CDP works through a variety of projects that are designed to increase a community’s capacity to meet their basic needs. Afghan facilitators and expatriate consultants work within remote communities for several years to help them manage their own development in just and sustainable ways. CDP projects include food security, agriculture, literacy, health awareness, and micro-business loans, plus the building of roads, wells and latrines. CDP assists thousands of people in Faryab, Ghor and Herat provinces.

Primary Mental Health Projects (PMHP)

Begun in 1996 in response to the high suicide rate among women, PMHP provide outpatient psychiatric clinics, including counseling, for those with mental health conditions and those in psycho-social crises. It provides training in mental health for medical students, doctors, nurses and midwives. In 2009, PMHP treated 8,178 patients and trained medical workers from the four western provinces of Afghanistan.

Orthopedic Workshop and Physiotherapy Center (OWPC)

The OWPC aims to reduce the impact of disability in Faryab province. It trains Afghan staff to provide services to people with disabilities. In 2009, it provided over 1900 orthopaedic appliances and assistive devices, and provided physiotherapy to over 1000 people. OWPC also uses Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) to increase community awareness of disability issues, and to help disabled people with education, healthcare and livelihood development.

Physical Therapy Institute (PTI)

PTI trains physical therapists with a three-year Diploma course, and trains physical therapy teachers. It develops physical therapy materials and has an outpatient clinic.

Renewable Energy Sources in Afghanistan Project (RESAP)

RESAP works to build up the local renewable energy industry throughout the country. It uses Afghan-made micro-hydro plants and wind turbines to provide electricity for rural regions. RESAP also trains Afghan engineers and technicians to build and install these units.

Adult Learning and Education Facilitation (ALEF)

The ALEF project works in three provinces to provide non-formal adult education and vocational training. Using folkbildning methods, ALEF offers learning circles in tailoring, mobile phone repair, computer skills, literacy, English language, maternal and infant health, and vocational counseling. It also provides training for trainers of adult learners.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

The IAM EFL programme teaches intermediate and advanced levels of English to assist Afghans in their professional and academic careers. In 2009, 157 students were taught.

Language and Orientation Programme (LOP)

IAM provides an orientation programme and language courses in Dari and Pashto for expatriate workers and diplomats in Afghanistan.

Business Development Services (BDS)

BDS teaches very basic business skills and literacy to low-income Afghan women. Its aim is to contribute to the socio-economic development of families and communities by enabling them to run simple home-based businesses. In 2008, BDS trained 200 women and 90 workers from other NGOs.

Wakhi Language Development (WLD)

Wakhi is a minority language with no written form, it is spoken only in Wakhan, in north-eastern Afghanistan. WLD was launched in April 2009 to research, analyse and document Wakhi and develop easy reading materials, so that Wakhi speakers are able to receive education in their mother tongue.

Professional Training

In addition to the above, IAM also seconds professionals to train Afghans in the government, hospitals, other NGOs, and private businesses. Most of the professionals in these Individual Service Assignments (ISA) have years of experience in Afghanistan and speak the local language.

Former Projects
Hazarajat Community Health Project (HCHP)

Initially begun by IAM as a Mother & Child Health Clinic in 1999, this project expanded to include 157 Health Posts, 5 Basic Health Centers (BHC), and a Comprehensive Health Center (CHC). HCHP became responsible to provide the primary health service for the district in [Lal_Wa_Sarjangal_District|Lal-wa-Sarjangal]. HCHP trained nurses, vaccinators, and community health supervisors. In 2008, it treated almost 30,000 patients. In May 2009, the responsibility of HCHP was handed over to an Afghan NGO.

Structure
The International Assistance Mission only works in Afghanistan and its Headquarters are in Kabul. IAM is directed by a board of 30 members who meet annually. The board appoints the 9-member Executive Committee and the Executive Director. Dirk R Frans is the current ED.

IAM is registered as a non-profit association in Geneva, Switzerland. IAM is also registered in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under the Ministry of Economy. It was the first NGO to be re-registered under the new Afghan government in 2005.

IAM is a signatory to the Principles of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent and NGOs in Disaster Response Programmes, and ascribes to the code that aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint. IAM fully commits to the standard that aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind.

Staff
In 2009, IAM employed 500 paid Afghan staff, and 60 professional volunteers from Europe, North America Asia, and Oceania. Foreign staff members are required to learn a local language and the average length of assignment is 3 years. Some IAM expatriate staff have stayed over 20 years in Afghanistan. In 2009, a German nurse retired after 37 years of working with IAM in a remote rural area.

All IAM expatriate staff come as volunteers and are responsible for their own financial support.

To date (2010) four expatriate staff members have been killed while working for IAM in Afghanistan. No Afghan staff members have ever been killed.

Funding
Projects are funded by foreign donor organizations, governments, the [United Nations], private donations, and locally generated income. No project funds are used for expatriate salaries, allowances, home rents, or daily expenses.

Publications
Publications in English

Enjoy Afghanistan is a collection of tips from IAM and other NGOs on day-to-day life and culture in Afghanistan.

A collection of language books have been written to assist foreigners in learning the local languages.

Conversational Dari

Speaking Afghan Pashto

Progressing in Pashtu

Picture it in Dari and Pashto

Dari Verb Notebook

100 Afghan Persian Proverbs

Sound the bells, O moon, arise and shine! a collection of Pashto proverbs and tappas.

Eat Your Way to Good Health a bilingual cookbook.

nosh-e jAn kunEn an IAM cookbook.

The following medical textbooks were written by IAM doctors and personnel in Afghanistan to provide practical, relevant and affordable medical information.

Practical Drug Guide a handbook for the correct prescribing of essential drugs.

Practical Paediatric Guide information for doctors to reduce infant mortality.

Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems

Practical Guide to Common Medical Problems

Medical Dari a language resource in Dari and Hazaragi for medical professionals.

Pocket Medical Dari

Publications in Dari and Pashto

Eat Your Way to Good Health a bilingual cookbook.

Practical Drug Guide is a handbook for the correct prescribing of essential drugs.

Practical Paediatric Guide

Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems

Practical Guide to Common Medical Problems