Over the years, I have gone on field missions to monitor and take stock of our work with Participating UN Organizations. Each visit is different. 

I am always moved by the reflections and stories of transformation I hear directly from the people. Every visit has offered me opportunities to listen, learn, and weave in field-level feedback into ongoing and future programming.

My visit to South-Eastern Afghanistan, across Paktia, Logar, Khost, and Ghazni provinces, was not any different. Once again, I was reminded that behind every intervention is a human story of loss, trauma, resilience, and renewed possibility.

We saw how the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA)-supported interventions are meeting people at their most basic level of need. Clean water systems and improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities are restoring dignity to households that had lived without them for years. Renovated schools are reopening doors for children who had almost lost their chance at foundational education.

One female beneficiary said, “For years, women and children walked far just to fetch water. Now it flows near our home. It may look small to some, but to us, it has changed everything.”

Also, through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) support and economic resilience initiatives, families are improving their livelihoods. I met beneficiaries who spoke with pride and joy about earning again, feeding their children, upskilling, diversifying their livelihoods, and planning for the future.

A small business owner shared, “Before, every day was hard; it was about survival. Now that I am running my own business, I think about growth. I am grateful.”

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Climate resilience is being woven into community life. When the right set of interventions is pursued, the risk of succumbing to disasters is better managed. Using the principle of leaving no one behind, I witnessed how PUNOs are creatively making space for women to participate in weaving wire mesh for gabion walls in the comfort of their homes. Gabion walls, trenches, disaster risk management techniques, and flood protection systems are helping protect homes, farms, and futures. When we safeguard homes and farms from flash floods, we reduce the already overstretched humanitarian caseload.

One of the most emotional moments for me was at a drug treatment centre. The patients shared how they arrived feeling broken, rejected, and invisible. Through structured care for more than a year and the dedication of the staff, something begins to change. You see it first in their eyes. Then in their posture. Then in their voices. Hope slowly returns. Self-worth begins to grow again.

One patient said simply, “I was introduced to drugs by my husband, and I came here so shattered. Today, I am healed, and I have recommended my other family members and community members to come be part of the programme too.”

What truly stood out was seeing communities working side by side to prioritize their needs and safeguard what they have built together. This spirit of shared responsibility is powerful. Programmatic reach is quite limited, but it was heartwarming to see those who have trained cascading the newly acquired knowledge to other community members.

Through joint interventions, I have also seen what it truly means to deliver as one. When UN agencies, national and international NGOs work together and bring their expertise. When communities become partners rather than recipients. This is when impact multiplies.

STFA exists because of partnerships. It is powered by 15 contributing partners and 15 actively implementing UN agencies, who believe that no single actor can solve these challenges alone. Because of this collective commitment, families are stabilizing and rebuilding their livelihoods, young people are regaining hope, and communities are becoming more resilient.

However, alongside these powerful stories of progress is a reality that we cannot ignore. Funding for Afghanistan continues to decline, further limiting the extent to which communities in need can be assisted and putting many of the hard-won gains at risk. With the continued influx of returnees, growing displacement, and families still trapped in deep economic instability after decades of war and conflict, the pressure on already fragile communities is immense.

The message from the communities is clear: the needs are growing, and so must our collective response. The progress we are seeing is real. But it is fragile. This is a moment for renewed commitment.

A moment for implementing partners to stay the course. A moment for donors to reconsider their investment. A moment to ensure that hope does not become another short chapter in a long story of struggle. Together, we can do more. And together, we must continue to do more.

Written By Wadzanayi Mushandikwa, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, STFA