Sozo Communities
The Village of Istalif
Who: Some 43,000 people have now returned to this rural area.
What: Istalif became one of the Taliban’s targets in July, 1999. They burned most homes and destroyed property and agriculture before they were defeated in December, 2001.
When: Sozo arrived in July, 2002.
Where: Istalif is 30 miles north of the capital city of Kabul.
Why: Massive destruction in this area left thousands homeless, without basic necessities, suffering from illnesses and disease, and a lack of resources for education.
How: Sozo began with relief, offering mobile medical clinics, food and clothing distributions. Sozo met with Istalif leaders and developed a plan to stem the outbreak of a disfiguring skin disease, called Leishmaniasis. Sozo helped establish a network of volunteer Community Health Workers (CHW) and a medical clinic for the area. Sozo also began providing supplies and support for some of the area’s schools.