Kabul (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has supported 150 former drug users in Afghanistan with business and vocational skills, helping them achieve economic independence and long-term recovery. Implemented under the Recovery to Empowerment: Entrepreneurship and Employment Initiatives (REE-EEI) South-eastern Project 2025, the program provided entrepreneurship and technical training tailored to local market needs in Logar and Ghazni provinces during September and October 2025.
Participants included an equal number of women and men, with women joining the Gender and Entrepreneurship Together Ahead (GET Ahead) programme and men attending Generate Your Business Idea (GYBI) and Start Your Business (SYB) courses. All trainees developed business plans, and the 60 highest-ranked participants were referred to UNDP for seed funding, financial literacy training, and business coaching to support the launch of their enterprises.
In addition to entrepreneurship, the project strengthened employability for wage-based opportunities. A market assessment in three south-eastern provinces identified high-demand sectors, enabling 110 treated drug users to enroll in vocational programmes such as handicrafts, mobile repair, electricity, solar installation, motorcycle repair, and tailoring.
Funded by the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), the initiative aims to prevent relapse, build economic resilience, and promote social inclusion. Tite Habiyakare, ILO Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan, emphasized that equipping treated drug users with skills and opportunities not only helps them rebuild their lives but also strengthens community resilience.
