Baheer Qalandarzai

Afghan Development Association

Afghan Development Association (ADA) is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization. It promotes and provides development and humanitarian services to the people of Afghanistan, in particular to the country's rural population. ADA was established in 1990 with a mission to provide emergency aid and humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees in Pakistan. ADA now operates solely in Afghanistan and over the years it has transformed itself into the one of Afghanistan's foremost development NGOs, we continue to respond to natural and conflict-related emergencies in the country. ADA endeavors to reach the most disadvantaged groups in Afghan society often under very difficult circumstances. Among those with whom ADA works are: farmers, poor families, women, the unemployed and the uneducated, returning refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) as well as a variety of community-based organizations. ADA has increasingly focused its interventions on contributing to more productive and sustainable livelihoods, particularly within the agricultural sector, and on strengthening basic education. Understanding that resolving conflicts at all levels of society is a prerequisite to successful development in Afghanistan, ADA has, in recent years, come to include community peacebuilding as a further focus of its activities. Similarly, the humanitarian assistance including WASH in emergency and Community Based Disaster Risk Management will remain the areas where ADA will be contributing its professional support based on its years of working experience in emergency-related work. MISSION: ADA's mission is to enable disadvantaged rural communities to determine their own development and enhance their livelihoods by delivering projects which strengthen participation, self-reliance and resilience. Vision:A prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan where citizens enjoy equal opportunities and receive the just benefits of development.