A number of residents of western Badghis province particularly of areas where government had completed development projects said they will participate in the upcoming presidential elections they complained the residents suffer from unemployment and poverty and request the next president to address the existing challenges.
Badghis province has five districts and provincial council has nine seats, three of them allotted to female representatives.
47 people including nine women have are running for the nine provincial council seats in the province.
Badghis province is 340 kilometers from capital Kabul, the residents of the province are mainly busy in agriculture activities, and pistachio, wool and Karakul leather are of main products of the province.
The report was recently prepared based on the interviews conducted from six residents including three female of capital Asadabad and two districts of the province.
Jawand district resident: The people had not seen vehicles!
38-years-old Abdul Raziq resident of Jawand district, located 75 kilometers from provincial capital, Abdul Raziq said he has three sons.
Before the current administration there was no route for vehicle in Jawand district and people in different corners here had not seen vehicles.
With the NSP projects there are roads schools and health clinics in every village and more importantly there is round the clock electricity in Jawand district city.
"These are all positive changes!" he added. He had participated in the past elections and he is ready to vote in the next elections too, he added, he will vote to his favorite candidate.
The main problem was lack of improved seeds for the farmers, lack of medicine and professional teachers and insecurity. He purposes better security and elimination of unemployment from the next president.
Tailoring Center Student: The women are tortured
28-years-old Amena from Qala-e-Naw capital of the province said she was busy in a tailor training center and there was no positive change in their lives because the government failed to heed to their lives. The women are still sacrificed to family violence and even commit self-immolation.
"There are women who commit self-immolation due to serious torture, poverty, and unemployment." She added.
She is going to participate in the elections and will encourage others to do so, she said, the residents of the capital of the province were pledged electricity and drinking water two years ago, but still the promise was not fulfilled and all residents of the city are not provided with these facilities.
Farmer: The changes brought or occurred
46-years-old Fakhruddin resident of Qala-e-Naw capital of the province who fathers six children and earns living through farming said however there were no considerable changes in his personal life, but there have been changes in the province level. The accomplishments include communication system, health facilities, and schools in far-flung areas of the province.
The farmers were imparted professional skills provided improved seeds and fertilizers that they did not have seven years ago.
When asked if he will participate in the upcoming elections, Fakhruddin said "I will vote to the one who will be able to maintain the existing changes."
Goat hoarder: The pistachio jungles have been demolished
Muhammad Anwar resident of Aab-Kamari district of the province who busy in farming and has 51 years age said there is security in the district and people live in peace. 1500 Jirbs of land was not farmed because of lack of water, but by digging canals this land has been watered and there was much progress in crops.
However the pistachio jungles bore much damage, he complained.
There were 90000 hectors of pistachio jungles in the province about 30 years ago but due to the war and daydreaming of the government the number has reduced to 45000 hector.
"The natural jungle belong to all people of Afghanistan, especially the people of Badghis and these jungles have been deforested mercilessly." He complained, "Hoping to ask the next president to seriously heed to this nationally wealth."
Mother of six: There is no change in personal life
Gul Dasta mother of six and resident of Farestan village of provincial capital Qala-e-Naw said there has been no change in her personal life and lives of the residents of the area in the last seven years; he criticized inattentiveness of the government for the problem, "currently not only women but even women suffer from unemployment." She added.
The only change that has come is due to the end of drought that has resulted into the increasing yield, she said she will participate in the elections and want the next president to provide employment opportunities.
Housewife: Many works have been fulfilled
Hula mother of three who lives in Ba Namak village of capital Qala-e-naw said she suffers from illiteracy, but the situation in her village in the current government has improved. Schools for male and female have been open, school buildings have been reconstructed and in some villages health clinic and welfare projects have been implemented.
Establishment of literacy courses, embroidery, and tailoring for female in her village were other development activities in the current government, she added.
She will participate in the next elections and wants further services for the female.