Cap Anamur Continues to Provide Aid for Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in an increasing humanitarian emergency since the Taliban took power three years ago

Living conditions have deteriorated dramatically, especially for women and girls.

With the withdrawal of international troops on June 30, 2021, the Taliban quickly took back power in the country. Since then, around 1.6 million people have fled the country for fear of violence and increasing hopelessness.

Initially, the new rulers were still moderate. But after a short time, many restrictions were introduced, especially for women and girls.

Women are no longer allowed to be in public without male company. They have to cover their faces and are no longer allowed to visit public parks. Girls are only allowed to attend school up to the sixth grade and women are denied access to universities. Women were completely pushed out of many professions.

Despite these restrictions, Cap Anamur is continuing its training program for women

“Training women to become nurses is of enormous importance for the country and its population,” explains Bernd Göken, Managing Director of Cap Anamur. “In a society in which women are only allowed to be treated by women, it is essential that we train female nurses. This safeguards healthcare in the country.”

Cap Anamur runs the training center for female nurses in Herat. The trainees take part in a three-year course that offers a state-certified qualification. The participants can even live in the institute’s accommodation despite the current rule that women are not allowed to leave the house without a male escort. There, we also offer trainees who have children the opportunity to have them looked after in a specially equipped kindergarten.

We work closely with local staff who are employed as teachers. This also ensures that the aid is effective and sustainable. By training women as nurses, we are not only providing urgently needed specialists for the healthcare system, but also creating prospects in a time of uncertainty and upheaval.

We offer an important career perspective for women with this apprenticeship

After successfully completing their training, the women return to their home villages to provide medical care for the local population. We create career prospects with our training. After successfully completing their studies, many women are able to pursue their profession, which is essential for providing for the population. They receive a salary with which they are even able to support a family.

Further projects and aid in Afghanistan

Dialysis Unit Herat
In the provincial hospital of Herat, Afghanistan’s second largest city, Cap Anamur supports the only state-run dialysis centre by providing financial resources and technical equipment. Since 2016, this has enabled us to provide vital treatment especially to people who cannot afford the cost-intensive dialysis procedure.

Tutoring program for low-income families
In Afghanistan, education policy stipulates that students who fail their exams must take part in a preparatory course to retake the exam, which is associated with costs. Families on low incomes usually cannot afford these exam preparation courses and their children therefore have no chance of obtaining the qualification. We therefore offer free access to these courses. Unfortunately, we have not been able to support girls in these courses since 2021, as they have to leave school after 6th grade.

Emergency relief and reconstruction aid after earthquakes
The severe earthquakes in Afghanistan on October 7, 2023 caused devastating destruction in the province of Herat, particularly in the region around the city of Shade. We provided immediate emergency aid and medical care for those affected. We then started planning the reconstruction of a village.