What is CRAA all about?

The Committee for Rehabilitation Aid to Afghanistan (CRAA) was established in 1989 as a non-governmental, non-political and not-for-profit organization. The mission statement of CRAA is to help create a self-reliant and sustainable life for the needy Afghan people.

We maintain offices in Kabul and Jalalabad, Afghanistan as well as in Peshawar, Pakistan. We currently have sub-offices in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Parwan, Paktia, Logar, and Takhar provinces. Because CRAA is well known and our reputation is good, we are able to set up sub-offices throughout the country as are required. In addition, we have a liaison office located in the US and in Canada.

CRAA has earned a regular membership with the following groups:

ANCB, the Afghan NGOs Coordination Bureau

ACBAR, the Agency Coordination Body for Afghan Relief

WSPA, the World Society for Protection of Animals

CRAA is also registered with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, with UNOCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with CAR, the Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, and with the Pakistani Home and Tribal Affairs Department.

CRAA is a responsive organization with multi-faceted capabilities. We are involved in restoring existing infrastructure, construction and rehabilitation of transportation links, re-establishing sustainable education, health care, and agricultural systems. We have established income-generating mechanisms for disadvantaged groups, such as food preservation training and poultry projects. We have experience in combating the narcotics industry by increasing awareness, addressing those conditions that lead farmers to grow illicit crops, and providing necessary training to support themselves through sustainable legal crop production.

We assiduously avoid political, ethnic, religious, or other affiliations that would influence our selection of project beneficiaries. Three considerations determine who can participate:

1. Project constraints, e.g. budgets, time, personnel
2. The person's need
3. The person's ability to benefit from the program.

Unfortunately, there are many times when we have the resources but the candidate do not have the ability to utilize what the program has to offer - and we must choose someone else.

There are five departments within the CRAA (Agriculture, Engineering, Health, Animal Husbandry, and Support - which encompasses Administration, Finances and Human Resources). These five departments are overseen by an Executive Director who reports to the Board of Directors that heads the organization. Each department has its own Director.

In our first few years, CRAA was only active in refugee camps and in Eastern Afghanistan, i.e. in Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar provinces. Next, CRAA began operating in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. In the mid 1990's, we initiated work in Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, and Logar provinces.

Many of our projects have been geared to create the conditions under which the refugees can return to their home, survive and thrive. We work to advance the role and status of women in Afghan society and actively hire women for administrative and technical work assignments. Most projects involve the kind assistance of international partners, but the expatriate and national Afghans contribute as well. Building personnel and community administrative capacity has been a common requirement of the contracts we have implemented.

One of our most highly regarded initiatives is our humane treatment of draft animals project, which has garnered international recognition. In 2006, CRAA received the Marsh International Animal Welfare Award in recognition of our successful efforts in improving animal welfare, educating animal owners in sustainability, and providing mobile veterinarian services in rural areas of Afghanistan.

CRAA is equipped with more than 20 years of experience and a high level of expertise in:

• Agriculture/horticulture
• Animal husbandry
• Community education and mobilization
• Irrigation and flood control
• Narcotics awareness/illicit crop suppression
• Orthotics/prosthetics
• Pre-natal, preventative and curative health care
• Reforestation
• Road-building and maintenance
• Veterinary practice and system development
• Vocational training
• Women's programs

Our permanent technical and professional staff is comprised of highly qualified and experienced Afghans who are well known and respected in the communities we serve. We also have a long list of experts upon whom we can call on for short-term project support.

We always work to maintain hope, courage and a helping spirit in every situation. These attitudes and the great enthusiasm of our staff, international partners and the program participants have allowed positive interventions to succeed during the Soviet-imposed war and events thereafter in Afghanistan.