“In countries suffering from war or post-conflict situations, such as Afghanistan, it is the most vulnerable social groups such as women, the elderly and people with disabilities who pay the highest price”. Speaking is Alberto Cairo, a partner at NOVE Caring Humans, who is responsible for the implementation of our physical rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes in Afghanistan.

The results of NOVE and ICRC partnership

In 2023, thanks to the joint work between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC/CICR) and NOVE Caring Humans, in Afghanistan more than 2,650 people with paraplegia were treated at home, with the involvement of their families, and supported in the process towards independence.

This is just one of the results of the successful partnership between the two organizations that run programs for the social reintegration of Afghans with disabilities and home care for those with spinal cord injuries.

Not only rehabilitation, social reintegration is the ultimate goal 

“Dealing with disability, physical rehabilitation work is only the first step: the ultimate goal must be social reintegration. Only then the intervention can be considered complete”, emphasises Cairo, former Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross Orthopaedic Programme for People with Disabilities in Afghanistan from 1990 to 2022.

In all, in 2023 about 4,000 people benefited from the social reintegration program through education projects, vocational courses, micro-finance, employment and sports. ICRC and NOVE also adapted several homes to make them accessible, supplied with water and equipped with sanitation facilities. In a significant achievement in term of gender equality, 40 per cent of the program’s beneficiaries were women.

Sport for rehabilitation and social inclusion

As always, sports proved to be an excellent tool for physical rehabilitation and social inclusion. In 2023, the sports project involved more than 800 athletes in wheelchair basketball and soccer. Two national basketball tournaments were organized between provincial teams (one of them in Herat, in the arena built by ICRC with the financial contribution of NOVE), courses for referees and coaches. In particular, NOVE funded the participation of the Afghan national wheelchair basketball team in three international tournaments in Thailand and China, with excellent results. The partnership between ICRC and NOVE, established in 2022, has been reconfirmed for 2024. The implementation by NOVE is entrusted to its partner Alberto Cairo, who has 30 years’ experience in physical rehabilitation programs in Afghanistan.