Embedded Files
The road through Patan Kalai, which is located close to the Afghan border with Pakistan.
1. Community demographics
According to key informant interviews conducted with local authority figures, there are approximately 300-400 households with 1700-4100 people living in Patan Kalai. The villagers are all Pashtuns and speak Pashto. Approximately 18 IDP households live in the village and come from adjacent districts in Paktia. They form part of a larger group if IDPs that are estimated to number up to 3000 households in the wider Pataan District, again coming from adjacent districts (including Hassan Khel District, Ahmad Khel District and Jani Khel District) or within Pataan District itself. Key informants stated there was no returnee population living in the community, but in the surrounding villages there are approximately 30 households who have returned from Pakistan. Both the IDP and returnee population changes. Other than this, the community population was considered stable and key informants stated that it was very likely that most people in the community will continue living in Patan Kalai in the near future.
Agricultural fields
A river running to the south of Patan Kalai
2. Community geography
The village of Patan Kalai is on the border with Pakistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). The terrain is a mixture of flat and hilly areas. A river runs to the south of the village and the majority of the households and the agricultural lands lies between the river and the main road to the north. The houses are made from mud and have mud walls surrounding them. There are also forts (built-up compounds with high walls) and some houses made from concrete. There is a large mosque, schools and a clinic in the wider area.
3. Economic profile
The vast majority of the village work in agriculture. Some community members are shopkeepers, labourers, soldiers or work in government officers. Local authority figures also stated that some members of the community go to Arabic-speaking countries to work. There is a salt factory next to the customs house on the Pakistan border. Educators will teach part-time and then work in shops or agriculture for the other part of their day.
Inside a large community hall/mosque
4. Energy profile
Almost the entire community use stand-alone low-capacity solar panels which can power lights. Most of the households use wood for cooking and heating, with a minority of households using LPG.
People sitting next to a solar panel
Solar panels
Multiple and sometimes opposing viewpoints on the changes in Patan Kalai over the previous decade –
Head of Council -
“In the past ten years nothing has changed in here, in the past the border of Pakistan was opened for the people but now it’s closed, and the problems have become more serious.”
Malik -
“I can say that, there have been major changes in our community and these changes are positive for instance, secondary roads, main roads, school buildings, and clinics have been constructed and mobile facilities are the major changes happened in this period of time which had a positive effect on people’s lives.”
Villages’ manager –
“The National Solidarity Program have made a dam, and protective walls for the people and gave them solar power systems, but the people’s problems are more, and these cannot be enough for them but these were some changes which have been affected the people in a positive way.”
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