Mahbooba Waizi, executive director of AWBC, cuts the ribbon to officially open the underground storage facility with the assistance of, left, Alhaj Mohammad Fazil, deputy governor of Parwan, and Parinaz Hissami, MEDA's business development officer, on her left. Behind them are MEDA Afghanistan country manager Catherine Sobrevega, centre, Mahbooba Hashimi, owner of the storage facility, right, and Mahbooba's husband, Khalil, left. Behind Catherine is Sarmanaz Hashimi, another storage facility owner, left, and engineer Sayed Hadi, owner of the Granite Construction Company that constructed the facility, right.

Afghan women participating in MEDA's Through the Garden Gate (TTGG) project had much to celebrate recently at a ceremony to open one of two new underground vegetable storage facilities in villages in Parwan province north of Kabul. Among the honored guests were representatives of AWBC – Afghan Women's Business Council – MEDA's partner in the project. CIDA is the primary funder for TTGG.

The facility, which is 8m x 5m x 2m high, can store 22.5 metric tonnes of vegetables and fruits. The owner/manager can either buy the produce of women farmers or charge them a monthly fee to store their produce as it is her own business enterprise. 

The owner provided 20% cash to build the facility, with the balance coming from a 40% grant from the project and a 40% loan from a local microfinance institution. Assuming in the business plan that the facility averages a 70% storage capacity, the owner will be able to pay back her loan of $2,000 to the MFI before the end of year 2; total investments made by MEDA and the owner will be returned by year 3.

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