Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries (UNODC)

Scaling up the Strengthening Families Programme (SFP 10-14) in Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul, December 2018-February 2019

Focusing on reducing family-related risk factors among Afghan adolescents and building protective factors in youth and their parents, the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries in close partnership with the UNODC Global Programme on prevention (GLOK01) successfully scaled up the SFP 10-14 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The up-scale phase consisted of a 4-day national TOT workshop followed by a 7-weekly-session programme held in boys and girls schools in Kabul.

The 4-day national TOT workshop was facilitated by national SFP trainers with the engagement of representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the Ministry of Public Health. In total, 37 school teachers were trained and certified as SFP facilitators, from 31 December 2018 to 3 January 2019.

Upon completion of the national TOT workshop, the newly trained SFP facilitators led seven weekly sessions of SFP 10-14 in 7 selected schools in Kabul, between January and February 2019.  To this end, 456 family members including 152 youth (100 girls and 52 boys) participated in the programme.

The parents and youth found the SFP 10-14 to be an effective tool for developing strong families. In parallel, the feedback from the line ministries was very encouraging. " The programme is essential for every single family particularly those who have been suffering from long-lasting conflicts and instability, like Afghan families". A representative from the Ministry of Public Health said.

UNODC was also requested to support the Government of Afghanistan to scale up the SFP 10-14 in Kabul and the other provinces.

Special thanks to the Government of Canada for supporting this programme.