Background:

Even before the war, Afghanistan was one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy of the country is predominantly agricultural with little to show in the way of infra-structure development and a majority of the inhabitants are poor and illiterate depending on subsistence farming and live stock husbandry for their income.

The country enjoyed a brief stride in development of it's economy and infra-structure, which was unfortunately cut short by the invasion of the Russian troops and the subsequent political turmoil. The fledgling infra-structure collapsed during the fighting between the people and the invaders.The country soon became the focus of international aid, pouring in the dual forms of cash and weapons. The effects of war are all too apparent as the destruction and anarchy persists to the current order of the day.

Despite the extensive flow of funds, the common Afghan benefited little as most of the funds were diverted towards the mass military mobilizations. The projects that were implemented, failed to deliver much to the community since as a general rule, their funding, radius of beneficiaries and long term benefits were limited to only a small section of the society. Furthermore, the constant political strife often suffocated these projects to only short duration's of actual activity. Projects targeting the development and welfare of women and children remain largely ignored both by the implementing agencies (NGO's) and the donor agencies.

After the withdrawal of the Russian troops, the country entered the phase of civil war that still rages on today. The common Afghan's suffer more than ever and their need for support is much greater now. But despite the appalling conditions of the people of Afghanistan, the present day trend is largely that of ignorance towards the plight of the Afghans.

Since it's inception in 1989 in Quetta city of Pakistan, Shuhada Organization (SO) has successfully widened the scope of its activities and is currently attempting to expand its presence throughout Afghanistan. However, despite its expansion the Organization seeks to maintain the quality of its operations.

The title "Shuhada" is a Dari word translated as "the martyrs". In recognition to the sacrifices made by the thousands of lives during the conflict in Afghanistan, the Organization has been titled as the Shuhada Organization, which is abbreviated as SO. The symbol of the Organization consists of a pair of hands holding a trough inside which a tulip in full bloom stands. A flame and a snake also decorate the emblem. The pair of hands stand for unity while the tulip signifies the title of "Shuhada". The flame symbolizes the commitment of the Organization towards the field of education while the snake signifies the activities of the Organization in the health sector.

Objectives >>