![]() ![]() However, the situation is much more complex in reality. Given the emphasis the 2020 Doha Agreement – which paved the way for the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces – places on the Taliban’s guarantees that it will not allow transnational armed groups to operate on Afghan soil, many observers concluded that the assassination, which exposed enduring ties between al-Qaeda and the new Afghan leadership, would lead to a total collapse of trust between the US and the Taliban and perhaps even trigger a new military confrontation. So what exactly were the many gains and undeniable losses and failures of the Taliban during their first year back in power? US and the Taliban Indeed, in the eyes of many Afghans, the year since the Taliban seized Kabul with little to no resistance has been shaped by a bewildering mix of half-realised hopes, unexpected blessings, many disappointments and devastating economic, social and political crises.Īccording to the West, however, Afghanistan’s first year back under Taliban rule was marked by just three main events: the chaotic evacuation of Western nationals from Kabul airport the decree by the Taliban leader to stop girls’ secondary education and the drone killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri – in a clear violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty – in a Kabul safe house allegedly owned by the Haqqani network and the Taliban’s interim minister of interior, who is responsible for law and order in the country. During gatherings, savings group members save money, collect loan payments, grant loans, balance their books, and review their goals together.When asked in a recent interview to assess the Taliban’s first year back in power, Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai (2002-2014) delivered a fair summary: the Taliban have brought an “…end to widespread fighting and conflict”, he said but the Afghan people cannot “find themselves” in the government and the “economic situation is disastrous”. One of the savings group members hands money to the group secretary. Meet a few of the people taking part in our first cohort in Uganda and learn how DREAMS is a new model to create lasting change for communities around the world. The photos below celebrate the close of the first year of this transformational five-year program. With its success, DREAMS brings the humanitarian and private sectors into lockstep to support millions of people globally in moving from survival mode to self-reliance. Thanks to the tremendous support of the ICONIQ Impact community and other funders, we are building a foundation to prove the power of the DREAMS model in refugee camps-one of the world’s most challenging contexts-and to scale it to reach others living in extreme poverty. ![]() In October, our CEO Tjada D’Oyen McKenna and a small group of Mercy Corps leaders and board members had the opportunity to visit the DREAMS program in Uganda, meet participants, and hear firsthand about the impact we are helping to spark. Mercy Corps helps by identifying profitable opportunities and connecting entrepreneurs to local markets, so their new businesses are better able to run more efficiently and expand. Then, Mercy Corps provides the support needed to help business owners find success-and help local economies flourish. ![]() Through this multi-phased program, DREAMS participants engage in workshops and training sessions with Village Enterprise, learning how to establish, promote, and expand a business. This innovative partnership provides comprehensive support for refugees and people with lower incomes on their journeys out of poverty and into business ownership. Together, we combine two evidence-based approaches in a program called DREAMS (Delivering Resilient Enterprises and Market Systems). That’s why Mercy Corps and Village Enterprise, a nonprofit dedicated to ending extreme poverty, are teaming up. Refugees are more than the circumstances they find themselves in-they are people like anyone else with the determination to provide for their families and the power to strengthen local economies. When violence and hunger force people to leave their homes in search of stability and safety, their skills travel with them. ![]()
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