Building the Capacity of Afghan Engineers

One year ago, I would have never anticipated engaging in the work that I have now officially taken up in Afghanistan in the position of Capacity Building Manager. Though not my official title and clearly not in line with microfinance/enterprise development, it is largely what comprises my day to day work in this country and has proved to be quite a rewarding experience with visible results.

In April and May of this year, I was taken to Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, nearing the border of Pakistan, to implement three rounds of Construction Management and Engineering training for sixty-two of our program engineers. IRD partnered with an Afghan training institute that was born through a former IRD program, so the initiative demonstrated both an immediate and long term success. My full story, as published on the organization's website.

In July of this year, we also concluded a six-week Construction Management training for our Afghan subcontractor construction partners through the Mentor Protege program, which has been my baby this past year and a half. Through this training, IRD has worked to strengthen the national construction industry by building on existing subcontractor skills and ensuring better compliance with industry best practices within the Afghan context. At the conclusion of this training, we awarded eighty-six certifications to fifty-nine subcontractor engineering and management staff.

By the end of this year, I hope to formalize a partnership with the Kabul University Faculty of Engineering through the establishment of an internship program, whereby students can receive practical training and an opportunity for application of their theoretical studies on our road construction projects. This will really capture the essence of the title, Mentor Protege program.