About us
The Solidarity Committee for Afghanistan (SCA), formerly known as the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, is a rights-based development organisation dedicated to the empowerment of women, children and people with disabilities in Afghanistan.
A four-decade legacy of empowering women, children and people with disabilities
SCA was founded in 1980 as a reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. While our initial focus was advocacy for the Afghan people’s right to self-determination, we soon also started raising funds for humanitarian support. In 1982, we carried out our first operations by supplying medicines and equipment to clinics in Afghanistan, and thereafter added on support to schools, community development projects, and the rehabilitation of people with disabilities.
SCA’s approach has evolved, from the emergency responses of our early days to an increased focus on development interventions for sustainable impact. During the last two decades, SCA has been among the largest actors in Afghanistan within health, education and rural development. We have carried out our work in close cooperation with community-based structures and, increasingly, in partnerships with national civil society organisations, networks and professional associations.
In 2024, SCA reformed its operating model in Afghanistan through which it handed over its own implementation to partner organisations on the ground that henceforth are supported and capacitated by SCA. As of 2025, we work along a three-pronged strategy of policy-advocacy, supporting partners on the ground, and building public commitment.
Organisation
SCA is a non-governmental organisation, with no religious or political affiliations. We are a people-to-people movement, organising thousands of individual members across Sweden in solidarity with the Afghan people.
The SCA Board is appointed and held to account by our members at the SCA annual general meeting. Our Secretary General, stationed at SCA head office in Stockholm, oversees all operations and reports to the Board.
SCA sources of revenue include private and philanthropic fundraising as well as institutional grants. We have vast experience of partnering in funding-streams from bilateral and multilateral donors including Sida, EU, UN-agencies and the World Bank.
Our values
Responsiveness: We work in respectful cooperation with target groups to address their needs and legitimate demands with an emphasis on local ownership.
Impartiality: While upholding the duty to be inclusive and non‐discriminatory in our approach, we do not take sides in conflicts and do not support specific factions or parties representing various interests in society.
Equality: We promote equal opportunities and facilitate equal access to resources for all citizens, including women, girls, boys and people with disabilities.
Social Justice: We strive to be fair to all with whom we work. While working to affirm the rights of all individuals, we recognise that differences in gender, individual capabilities and identities give rise to varied needs and interests.
Integrity: We are true to our mission, maintaining honesty and transparency in all of what we do and say, upholding a spirit of openness and sharing with stakeholders, while always being prepared to be held to account for our actions.