Aseel is a technology solutions company, created because the international development sector lags in the integration of technology into its services. Able to spend an industry leading 89% of emergency relief donations on food (compared to 64% for World Food Program), they are bringing efficiency unseen in this part of the global economy. They also buy all their food and aid packages in Afghanistan, unlike many NGOs which fly that food into the country, ensuring that the money continues to cycle through local community.
Beyond emergency response, Aseel have helped bring local artisans in Afghanistan to the global online market place. They have recently expanded this work to Turkey. Aseel realizes aid is not enough. Without a sustainable means of commerce, the cycle of poverty and aid will never end. Aseel is addressing both immediate needs and targeting the root cause of the problem. Handmade goods are the lifeblood for many on this planet and is a $750B market but the market leader, Etsy, does less than $3B in annual sales. Most of the world is completely left out. Aseel has brought 800+ Afghan artisans online and made more than 10,000 of their products accessible to the global consumer.
For those interested in learning more about Aseel, check out their website, or you can read about them in Time (https://time.com/6108138/afghanistan-relief-aid-hunger-poverty/), one of many publications which has highlighted their work.
