August 2016—Abdul Hadi has been farming for almost 10 years in his southern Kandahar village. Tending his crops, however, was always a struggle because of the decrepit irrigation infrastructure in the area.

“Less than half of the farmers could afford to irrigate their farmland by water pumps, and the rest of the lands were left barren. Even some of the farmers were obligated to leave their villages,” Hadi asserted during a rare break from surveying his crops.

The winter is particularly difficult for Hadi because, like most area farmers, he cannot grow crops at that time and is forced to purchase imported vegetables from Pakistan.

In 2015, with USAID's help, Hadi increased his farm’s production through the rehabilitation of the village’s irrigation canals and training on how to build and operate a greenhouse, which can provide a valuable source of income for an entire family during the off-season. The greenhouse yielded 2,200 kilograms of cucumber—equivalent to 20,000 cucumbers and worth $887 (60,000 AFN)—during the winter.

The female members of Hadi’s family are taking full advantage of the greenhouse while he tends his crops outside. “Working in a greenhouse provides women a safe opportunity to work,” he said. “We expect to make some rewarding business in the winter seasons.”

Hadi’s ambition in the face of hardship is well known among village residents. After losing his father in 2005, he took on the responsibility of feeding his family. “I support my younger brothers to continue their studies through my farm,” added Hadi.

With the help of USAID’s Kandahar Food Zone (KFZ) project, Hadi exemplifies how the introduction of simple technology and innovative cultivation methods can transform the livelihoods of Afghan farmers.

Kandahar Food Zone Program interventions are designed to strengthen and diversify legal rural livelihoods in targeted districts by identifying and addressing the root causes of instability that lead to opium poppy cultivation. More than 800 people have benefited from alternative livelihood activities of the three-year, $27.7 million program, which began in July 2013. The program has also rehabilitated over 168 kilometers of canals, affecting more than 200,000 people.

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