Afghanistan: Consultant - Jogi Study

Oct 14, 2014 | People in Need

Very little is known about the Jogi community in Afghanistan. While not an ethnic group per se, they are considered to be part of the Jat ethnic group, and are generally characterised by their exclusion from the rest of Afghan society, their semi-nomadic lifestyle and their unusual sources of income; they heavily rely on women begging. This exclusion can be categorised into two forms; the community is systematically denied formal documentation by the government (Tazkera), meaning that its members are not able to access services such as health and education, while the general Afghan society discriminates against them due to the fact that women are often the major bread-winners in the household. 

A UNICEF-commissioned report on the Jogi in 2011 found the following main results: it is estimated that there are between 1000 – 1500 Jogi households in Afghanistan, at an average of 5.3 individuals per household. On average, the Jogi live on less than $1 a day per person. Approximately 80% of children receive no education, mostly due to inability to register in schools because of lack of Tazkera although lack of experience with an education system is also a contributing factor.Never-the-less, the study found that most families did consider education to be important. 
There is little other recent information available on this community, regarding livelihoods, health, social safety nets and education. 

PIN’s Urban Poverty Programme is currently working with the 70 households of the Jogi Community in Mazar e Sherif, providing them with kits and training on urban agriculture (kitchen gardening), with the aim of improving dietary diversity and diversifying the income, eventually leading to increased resilience. Through these activities and community contacts the consultant will be able to quickly access the Jogi community. 

Scope and focus of the consultancy:
The proposed study will take an in-depth look at the extent of marginalization of the Jogi Community in Mazar e Sharif, and provide a basis for future programming and advocacy for this community. The study aims at identifying and analyzing the development needs of the Jogi community in Mazar, and the limitations faced in the sectors of education, documentation, health and WASH, food security and livelihoods. The results of the study shall shed light on the most effective combination of short and long term strategies for improving the status, livelihood conditions and access to services for the Jogi community in Mazar-e-Sherif

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