Embedded Files
Street in Khwaja Chast, Daikundi Province
1. Community demographics
According to key informant interviews with local authority figures who referred to a Solidarity Council survey, there are approximately 260 households with 1200 people living in Khuja Chasht. Key informants noted that the entire village identify as Hazara and speak the Hazaragi dialect of Dari. It is estimated that 70 - 75% of the population is under the age of 24.
The community experience some health difficulties including diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, childbirth problems, low quality medicines and being located a long distance from a clinic.
Local authority figures said there is no IDP population present in Khwaja Chast, but approximately 20 households or 120 people have returned from Iran and are living with their parents, with this number expected to increase in the coming year.
2. Community geography
The village is located in the hills with high mountains to the west and the Helmand River to the east. Water sources lie in the lower part of the village, but the Helmand River is lower in elevation than the agricultural fields so was said not to be in use for irrigation. The village is not densely populated, with mud houses spread across a large area on the hills. A mosque and a school are some of the only non-residential buildings in the village.
Metalworker welding
3. Economic profile
Most of the community work in agriculture.
Some people work in the Dara-e-soof coal mine in Samangan province during the winter months. The seasonal nature of this work means that agricultural workers will often move after the harvest season and then return to their agricultural lands after winter.
Some members of the community are also wage workers, self-employed, construction laborers, tailors or move to other provinces to find work. Female household members are said to sometimes engage in tailoring and craft-work at home.
Community leaders speaking about the challenges Khuja Chast faces -
Head of Council –
“In my opinion the main challenges are in the economic sector, unemployment, drought, absence of electricity and transportation with other areas.”
Villages’ manager -
“Unemployment, lack of jobs and migration of youths to other countries are the major challenges in here.”
4. Energy profile
There is no connection to grid or community-based off-grid electricity. Local authority figures noted that almost all villagers use solar home systems with low capacity for their households. Community members use wood and animal waste for cooking in earthen stoves and to heat their homes, while some use gas. Fuel shops, liquid gas shops and firewood shops are located in the district market far from the village, but people travel to the market to purchase them.
Stand-alone solar panel for a household in Khwaja Chast
Generator outside a household in Khwaja Chast
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