Handicap International experience in Afghanistan - CBM
Handicap International experience in Afghanistan - CBM
Handicap International experience in Afghanistan - CBM
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SECTIONLivelihoods and AssetsPoverty, Vulnerability and Disability6When we travel through <strong>Afghanistan</strong>, a general observation that can be made is the difficulty of ensur<strong>in</strong>gmeans of livelihood, for a great majority of the population. The present overview of livelihood is onlygiv<strong>in</strong>g a few <strong>in</strong>sights <strong>in</strong>to poverty and vulnerability issues. Def<strong>in</strong>itions of vulnerability and poverty vary widelyand as a consequence, ways of fight<strong>in</strong>g them are multiple.Study<strong>in</strong>g livelihoods of the Afghan population leads to tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to consideration monetary poverty. Absolutemonetary poverty can be def<strong>in</strong>ed as the <strong>in</strong>sufficiency of <strong>in</strong>come to get the daily food ratio. Poverty, <strong>in</strong> termsof livelihood, is the paucity of adequate nutrition, lack of clothes, of accommodation, etc. The most commonand traditional way of def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g poverty is <strong>in</strong> terms of monetary <strong>in</strong>come poverty.However, recently the focus has also turned to poverty of potentiality, which is the lack of education,equipment, social networks and support systems. The means chosen to measure poverty, on which expertscont<strong>in</strong>ue to debate, is as essential as the multiple mean<strong>in</strong>gs this word encompasses. Currently, economicpolicy choices, and the efficiency of these, depend on the accuracy and reliability of the tools used to collectrelevant <strong>in</strong>formation. If focus rema<strong>in</strong>s limited to monetary poverty, this <strong>in</strong>dicator has varied greatly andglobally poverty measured by <strong>in</strong>come has <strong>in</strong>creased dur<strong>in</strong>g the last 25 years <strong>in</strong> <strong>Afghanistan</strong>. If we look at thepoverty of resources and of choices available <strong>in</strong> the larger sense, the country is characterised by a shortage ofbasic social services: shelter, water supply and sanitation, education, health, etc.However, over the last decade, a more comprehensive view has emerged, mostly pushed forward by theHuman Development Reports and the theories of Amartya Sen 37 to look at poverty <strong>in</strong> terms of capabilities.Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach shifts the focus from what a person actually does (function<strong>in</strong>gs) to take<strong>in</strong>to consideration the range of possibilities that he/she chooses that specific function<strong>in</strong>g from – this is thecapability set. Tak<strong>in</strong>g the view of the <strong>in</strong>dividual also br<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>to light the <strong>in</strong>teraction between the person, withhis/her limitations <strong>in</strong> function<strong>in</strong>g (which may or may not be permanent) and the context, which consists ofa number of resources as well as expectations, stereotypes, and often, prejudice and discrim<strong>in</strong>ation. As aresult, look<strong>in</strong>g at poverty of capability makes us look at not just what the person does but whathis/her choices are. These choices are <strong>in</strong>fluenced by the social and human resources, especially <strong>in</strong>traditional cultural contexts. In these contexts disability consists <strong>in</strong> deprivation of capabilities thatoccurs when a person with impairment is deprived of possibilities, choices and opportunities.If we look atthe povertyof resourcesand of choicesavailable <strong>in</strong> thelarger sense,the country ischaracterisedby a shortageof basic socialservices: shelter,water supplyand sanitation,education,health, etc.Because of this lack of capabilities, disability can lead to poverty as it creates constra<strong>in</strong>ts on the ability to workand the earn<strong>in</strong>g capacity. In <strong>Afghanistan</strong>, where 71.6% <strong>in</strong>habitants live <strong>in</strong> rural areas, livelihood is basedlargely on agricultural activities. Hav<strong>in</strong>g a disabled member <strong>in</strong>creases costs of the household such as medicalexpenses. It might also prevent the caretakers from work<strong>in</strong>g or contribut<strong>in</strong>g to the earn<strong>in</strong>gs of the family.In addition, poverty can lead to disability. Poor households do not have enough resources to satisfy theirbasic needs. Because they lack adequate food, basic sanitation, good hous<strong>in</strong>g or access to health, particularlypreventive health services, poor households are more at risk of disabl<strong>in</strong>g diseases.37SEN A. (2000), Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford