Coordination and Partnership
LSO has been working in coordination with government and non-government stakeholders. LSO has been actively engaged with Ministry of Women Affair, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and National Environmental Protection Agency. LSO has been an active member of UN GBV clusters and technical working groups including Afghan Women Network, Civil Society Working Group and Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) in Afghanistan. LSO’s role has been recognized by various national and international stakeholders as below.
- MoU signed with Ministry of Women Affair,
- MOU signed with Afghanistan Intellectual Social Council,
- MoU signed with Ministry of Public Health,
- MoU signed with Ministry of Labour and Social Affair
- MoU signed with Danner Afghanistan for Women Empowerment Organization,
- MoU signed with International Psycho-Social Organization
- LSO won energy globe award for its great work in Band-e-Amir Northern Plateau.
- LSO has been recognized among the top 5 prominent national organization working on women rights issues with the Ministry of Women Affair.
- In first Promote Musharikat National Summit on 27th June 2018, H.E. U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass recognized LSO one of the reputed organizations in implementing USAID funded projects in Afghanistan. See the details in the following link: https://www.musharikat.com/success_history/docs/dR3Sg3XP2nrG.pdf.
1. Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR): Since 2015, ACBAR has commenced a program named Twining Program to address the lack of capacity of National NGOs (NNGOs) providing humanitarian aid and lack of representation in the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) by pairing NNGOs with Advisors that provide mentoring and guidance to Afghan counterpart on institutional management, humanitarian practices, and strategy, for achievement of 2 outcomes: #1 outcome is to help the NNGOs become part of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund partner base. The #2 outcome is to have successful, funded humanitarian and development programs/projects through partnerships. In 2022, LSO with the aim of building its capacity through training, mentoring, and cooperative activities in partnership with ACBAR’s (Mentor) and ActionAid (Advisor) has been accepted as a partner to the program through a rigorous selection process. ACBAR, the advisor and LSO work jointly to improve LSO’s humanitarian capabilities through training, policy review, meetings, field visits, mentoring, and cooperative activities. Through this program, LSO’s capacity has been built to access the AHF and other humanitarian funds. Also will ensure to be involved in international humanitarian principles, to have more access to local knowledge through clusters, to increase its participation in the humanitarian clusters, to increase its ability to conduct quality assessments.
2.Action Aid Afghanistan (AAA): Action Aid Afghanistan with provision of fund to LSO for implementation of REALISE project in Yakawlang and Panjab districts, Bamyan province from January 01, 2019 to June 30th, 2021 supported LSO to increase resident’s resilience shocks and seasonal constraints for community food and livelihood security through its program. The project supported 6599 people (2849 male and 3750 female) across 35 CDCs, in Beekeeping production, Training para-vets, Strengthening and diversifying integrated Demo- farms, Extension worker training, Seed production, Vocational Training centers, Value chain Development. This project also supported women and their roles in social affair and community development to be accepted and recognized by targeted REA communities.
3. Agha Khan Foundation (AKF): Agha Khan Foundation (AKF), an agency of Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN), for Empowerment of Civil Society Organization supported LSO in terms of organizational capacity building particularly staffs capacity building on Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, and Project Cycle Management within a three year fellowship project from 2012 to 2014. Part of this fellowship, LSO successfully implemented two projects encompassing a 6 months English Training Course, Capacity Building Support to DoWA staffs in Daikundi province and an exposure visit to India. In capacity building to DoWA , LSO established a resource center equipped it with books, and internet lab and trained DoWA staffs on resource management and maintenance.
4. Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC): Through SIDA project’s capacity-building training sessions, AWEC is implementing ACREB project in four provinces (Kabul, Herat, Balkh and Nangarhar) of Afghanistan to support women-led/women-focused organizations. LSO has been selected as a partner in ACERP project to strengthen its capacity as a women-led organization by various programmatic and financial training opportunities. Through ACERP project, AWEC provided the necessary support and resources to help LSO to thrive; such as capacity-building training covering areas such as (financial management, project management, proposal writing, fundraising, organization development, procurement, and other related programmatic and financial trainings). These trainings were tailored to the specific needs of LSO organization and were delivered by experienced trainers and subject matter experts. The project will benefit Labor Spring Organization by providing various financial aspects and programmatic training sessions during project implementation.
5.Asia Foundation/ Performance Based Governance Fund: Asia Foundation Afghanistan Country Office through Performance Based Governance Fund granted LSO a 4 month English Language and Computer Training Courses in 8 districts of Daikundi province. About 700 youth (340 femlae and 360 male) participated in the English Course.
6. Counterpart International: Counterpart International, ACEP through partnership with USAID granted LSO a project named Promoting Government Accountability and Transparency and Elimination of Corruption in Daikundi, Ghor and Bamyan provinces from July, 2015 – Jan, 2016. LSO enhanced youth advocacy and oversight capacity to fight corruption, and enhanced public awareness on the negative consequences of corruption on their life through advocacy campaigns and radio round-table.
7. UN WOMEN Afghanistan: UN WOMEN Afghanistan Country Office, EVAW Special Fund has made it possible for LSO to work in prevention and protection projects: protection of women and girls who are at risk or survivors of violence through operation of Women Protection Center (WPC) from Mar 1, 2014- Feb 28, 2017 and prevention project by enhancing capacity of 600 youth through conducting awareness raising training on women rights, human rights, youth civil rights, and advocacy in 4 districts of Daikundi province, Afghanistan.
8. UNDP/GEF Small Grant Programme: UNDP Afghanistan Country Office, GEF Small Grant Program supported LSO to plant indigenous trees (wild almond and cherry) on the mountains areas in Abuka, and Tagaw Ghar Villages, Waras District, Bamyan province from June, 2014-June 2016. Through this project, LSO pitted 3000 gully plugs, 300 watersheds with soil banding and stone banding on the mountains to prevent flood and snow avalanche; as result, the soil erosion reduced and snow and raining water increased underground water; finally, led to improved environment, greenery, and natural resources. This also improved agricultural lands and enhanced the harvests of cultivation. Part of this project, LSO also raised public awareness on the benefits of forestry in order to convince community for forest protection and management in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
9. USAID-Promote Musharikat: USAID-Promote Musharikat funded LSO a project “Promote advocacy skills and capacity of Musharikat provincial VAW sub-coalition to eliminate violence against women in Daikundi province” from Jan, 21st – Oct, 21st, 2017. The project aims to strengthen advocacy skills among existing and new Musharikat coalition members within Daikundi province in order to engage them to promote implementation of EVAW Law and raise awareness on women’s rights with a range of stakeholders.
10. US Embassy/ Ambassador Small Grant Program: Ambassador Small Grant Program (ASGP) to Support Gender Equality in Afghanistan granted LSO a Handcraft and Embroidery Project for 75 widowed women in Daikundi Province. (Grant Completion Certificate) is at:http://laborspring.org.af/what-we-do/gallery/certificate-and-appreciation-letters/.
11. ICSSCP-French Embassy: ICSSCP-French Embassy funded LSO a project being ” Promote mutual relations between community and government institutions and improve local services delivery in Daikundi province”