Development News

Saffron Pipeline. A bunch of Afghan veterans (who are also Harvard grads) are making it easier for Afghan farmers to export Saffron. (DNAinfo, Oct 2, 2015). Rumi Spice is a social enterprise that provides high-quality, sustainably farmed saffron to global markets by sourcing directly from rural Afghanistan farmers in an economic partnership. Read more about Rumi Spice and their venture at their website. I tried their products and like it. Also got a t-shirt from them! www.rumispice.com

Polio and Bill Gates. The co-founder of Microsoft (a man with deep pockets) wants the Afghan government to put more effort into the eradication of polio in Afghanistan. Read more in a news report. (Khaama Press, Sep 27, 2015).

Video - Stabilizing Rural Communities. Intrepid TV traveled to Afghanistan to film diary farmers near the Pakistan border. The International Fund for Agricultural Development, a specialized agency of the United Nations, is interested in how local dairy cooperatives were enabling farmers to make more money but also helping to stabilise the local community.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhh2ZKJxwH4

Life in the Hills Surrounding Kabul. While the busy streets of Kabul bustle with vendors and are clogged up with vehicles of all kinds people living in some of the hills above the city are living in poverty. Read more in "The Uphill Struggle of Life on Kabul's Periphery", Gandhara Blog, September 27, 2015.