Basic development needs (BDN) is fundamentally a simple Community Based approach based on three aims: organizing the community, building its capacity and promoting self-reliance, self-management and self-sufficiency characteristics among the community. 

BDN started just over a decade ago when the first village was selected in a relatively stable area at the time. The Eastern Province, Nangarhar was peaceful and many Afghan refugees from Pakistan started returning to districts and villages around Jalalabad, the Capital City of Nangrahar Province. Tamirat village in Behsud District was selected as the first site for Afghanistan BDN program. Both the returnees and Tamirat villagers welcomed the initiative and clearly expressed their concurrence and commitment. They reorganized their Community-Shora for development, established a meeting centre and formulated strategic vision and action plans for community-owned initiatives.

United behind the principles surrounding the BDN initiative, the community embarked with pursuing holistic approach for their development. They were concerned about their girls’ education which was banned by the Taliban Administration. With strong determination they convinced the authority and reopened a girl’s school in the village, while the rest of country had their girls schools closed. Recognizing their power, the community started looking for partners in various development dimensions. The Second major stride was the establishment of deep water well for drinking. Living on the bank of Kabul River, they never had water shortages but were continuously suffering from high incidence of water-borne diseases. Thus, the clean deep-well water source mitigated one of their long-standing health problems. 

The BDN program in Afghanistan has endured all challenges during the crisis. It has always remained under the protection of the community and has expanded from one village in 1996 up to 32 villages in 2008 with approximately 124,000 beneficiaries.  

The major achievements of the programme 

The program is in transition from recovery to development and has reshaped itself to go along with the overarching Afghanistan National development Strategy (ANDS). Being a major tool for improving health care, some of the salient achievements include the following: 

1. Integration of BDN program and primary health care activities, namely TB-community DOTS and Roll Back Malaria:The integration occurs at community level where Cluster Representatives (CR) were trained to implement TB community-based DOTS and Home-based Management of Malaria. The CRs are functionally linked to health facilities and a two-way communication and support exists between the two levels. The approach will be assessed and if it turns out successful, many more components of BPHS will be integrated into BDN program.

2. Improved women’s role in BDN village development activities: Female Village Development Committees (VDCs). The establishment of female VDCs was another groundbreaking milestone in Afghanistan’s CBI initiative.

3. An informal assessment showed that in general Income Generating Activities (IGAs) have made a significant difference in many families’ livelihoods. These projects though small-scale have had positive effects in lifting up families from abject poverty and destitution. It empowered them through provision of diversified skills in which both men and women have benefited and are currently making a better livelihood than before.

4. Women Development is central to the overall strategic objectives of the CBI. The community in BDN villages identified women’s literacy as a prerequisite condition to their development and better quality of life.

Key statistics and indicators in BDN villages 

1. Percentage of pregnant women assisted by trained personnel increased from 29 in 2003 to 72 in 2007

2. Enrollment of eligible children (2-12) in school has increased from 53% in  2003 to 80% in 2006

3. Number of families in BDN villages having access to safe drinking water increased from 12% in 2003 to 55% in 2007

4. EPI full coverage in under one year old increased from 40% in 2004 to 77% in 2007.

5. Literacy rate among the women increased from 8% to 15% in the BDN areas.

Challenges 

1. Placing CBI in governments’ top list of national priorities still remains a significant challenge. More than 90% of national resources are from outside and therefore external influence is strong enough in shaping policies and programs.

2. Prevailing security conditions hold back program expansion

3. Poor access to markets of BDN community products