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ILO training supports recovery and reintegration for former drug users in Afghanistan
The courses were conducted in Logar and Ghazni provinces during September and October 2025.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has provided business and vocational skills training to 150 former drug users in Afghanistan, supporting their recovery and helping them move toward economic self-reliance.
The initiative was implemented under the Recovery to Empowerment: Entrepreneurship and Employment Initiatives (REE-EEI) South-eastern Project 2025 and reached 150 participants—75 women and 75 men—through entrepreneurship and technical training tailored to market needs.
The courses were conducted in Logar and Ghazni provinces during September and October 2025.
According to the ILO, the programme aimed to help participants rebuild their lives by improving employability and income-generating opportunities. One female participant described the training as “a turning point,” saying it offered a chance to reconnect with family, reintegrate into society and establish small businesses to support loved ones.
Women took part in the Gender and Entrepreneurship Together Ahead (GET Ahead) programme, while men attended Generate Your Business Idea (GYBI) and Start Your Business (SYB) courses.
All participants developed business plans, with the top 60 candidates—30 women and 30 men—set to be referred to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for seed funding and follow-up support, including financial literacy training and business coaching.
In addition to entrepreneurship training, the REE-EEI project is enhancing access to wage employment. A market assessment across three south-eastern provinces identified high-demand sectors, leading to the enrolment of 110 treated drug users—60 women and 50 men—in vocational training programmes such as handicrafts, mobile phone repair, electrical work, solar installation, motorcycle repair and tailoring.
Funded by the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), the initiative contributes to relapse prevention, economic resilience and social inclusion.
Tite Habiyakare, ILO Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan, said the programme highlights the link between recovery and economic empowerment, noting that equipping former drug users with skills and opportunities helps them rebuild their futures while strengthening community resilience.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, met on Wednesday with a delegation of Bangladeshi religious scholars, traders, and industrialists to discuss the expansion of relations and cooperation between the two countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that during the meeting, Muttaqi emphasized the investment and trade opportunities available in Afghanistan and considered strengthening political, economic, and cultural engagement between the two countries essential in this regard.
According to the statement, the Bangladeshi delegation also expressed satisfaction with its visit to Afghanistan and the current situation in the country, and voiced optimism about the available investment and trade opportunities.
The members of the delegation said that relations between Afghanistan and Bangladesh could be further expanded through constructive engagement between the peoples and governments of the two countries.
Afghanistan’s Economy Minister Din Mohammad Hanif on Wednesday met with a delegation of Bangladeshi scholars, traders, industrialists and investors to discuss expanding economic and trade relations between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Economy, Hanif welcomed the Bangladeshi delegation during the meeting and highlighted investment opportunities in agriculture, mining, industry, energy, domestic production, transit and trade.
He said expanding economic ties with regional countries, increasing trade and attracting foreign investment are key priorities of Afghanistan’s economic policy.
Hanif added that stronger economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Bangladesh could help boost bilateral trade and investment, create jobs, increase domestic production and expand Afghanistan’s exports in the medium and long term.
Members of the Bangladeshi delegation expressed interest in expanding trade and investment with Afghanistan and shared proposals on potential areas of cooperation.
The two sides also called for stronger ties between the private sectors of both countries and greater direct engagement among traders, industrialists and investors to identify new areas of economic cooperation.
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