A USD 2,000 Unrestricted Grant Can Help a Small Business Owner Start Again
On 20 July 2026, a sudden and devastating flash flood struck Parun, the capital of Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.
The flood swept through the city's commercial center, causing extensive damage to markets, shops, workshops, vehicles, and business assets. Within minutes, many small shopkeepers lost their merchandise, equipment, savings, and their only source of income.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the flood claimed 23 lives, left 5 people missing, and injured 125 others. It also damaged five markets and approximately 70 shops.
Rushd Foundation has completed its initial field assessment in the affected area. Our team's findings indicate that the most severe economic losses were concentrated in the markets and commercial center of Parun. While damage to residential homes in the areas visited by our team was comparatively limited, many shopkeepers lost all or a substantial portion of the capital they had invested in their businesses.
Campaign Goal: USD 50,000
Rushd Foundation intends to provide non-repayable cash grants to support the livelihood recovery of up to 25 small shopkeepers and business owners who lost all or a substantial part of their business capital as a result of the flood.
Each selected beneficiary may receive up to USD 2,000, based on the following criteria:
- The verified extent of business losses;
- The total amount of funds raised through this campaign;
- The level of the household's financial vulnerability;
- Whether the affected business was the family's primary or sole source of income;
- Whether the household experienced the death of a family member, serious injury, or another severe consequence as a result of the disaster.
Your Support Can Help Restore a Family's Livelihood
USD 50 helps replace essential tools or basic business supplies.
USD 100 enables a shopkeeper to begin restocking essential merchandise.
USD 500 makes a significant contribution toward restarting a small business.
USD 2,000 can provide a complete livelihood recovery grant for one selected shopkeeper.
Donate Today and Help Restore a Family's Livelihood
The Flood Did Not Destroy Only Shops
In Parun, a small shop is often much more than a commercial property—it is the sole source of income for an entire family.
When a shopkeeper loses their merchandise, tools, and working capital, the consequences continue long after the floodwaters have receded. A family may no longer be able to afford food, healthcare, education, or other essential needs.
Restoring a small business does more than help one individual. It enables an entire family to regain its income, creates opportunities for workers to return to employment, and contributes to the recovery of the local economy.
For this reason, the focus of this campaign is livelihood recovery, rather than simply replacing damaged property.
Findings from Our Field Assessment Team
Following the disaster, Rushd Foundation deployed a field team to Parun to observe the damage, meet with affected individuals, and assess the most urgent needs.
Based on our field observations:
- The most severe destruction was concentrated in the market and commercial center;
- Shops and commercial buildings were filled with mud, rocks, and debris or buried beneath them;
- Merchandise, tools, and business equipment had either been destroyed or washed away by the flood;
- Some shopkeepers had lost all of their working capital;
- The livelihoods of shopkeepers, workers, and their families had been brought to a standstill;
- Damage to residential homes in the areas assessed by our team was significantly lower than the damage sustained by commercial properties.
Rushd Foundation's field assessment report, photographs, and video documentation will be published alongside this campaign.
How Will the USD 50,000 Be Used?
The objective of this campaign is to provide the following:
ItemTargetMaximum number of selected businesses25Maximum grant per beneficiaryUp to USD 2,000Total target for direct livelihood recovery grantsUSD 50,000
These grants are intended to enable selected shopkeepers to purchase essential merchandise, replace critical equipment, or take the first practical steps toward reopening their businesses.
These grants are not loans and do not require repayment.
They should also not be regarded as full compensation for all losses incurred. In many cases, the actual losses may be substantially higher than USD 2,000. The purpose is to provide a practical starting point that enables affected families to restore their livelihoods and earn an income again.
How Will Beneficiaries Be Selected?
Assistance will not be provided on the basis of personal relationships, influence, or unverified claims.
Before approving any grant, Rushd Foundation will assess and document the circumstances of every proposed beneficiary.
Priority will be given to applicants who:
- Have lost all or a substantial portion of their merchandise, equipment, or working capital;
- Relied on their small business as the primary or sole source of household income;
- Can provide evidence of their business activities and flood-related losses;
- Do not have sufficient resources to restart their business independently;
- Have not previously received similar livelihood recovery assistance from another organization;
- Belong to a household affected by death, serious injury, disability, or another significant humanitarian hardship.
Where two applicants have sustained similar business losses, priority will be given to the household facing the greater humanitarian vulnerability.
Final beneficiary selection will be carried out by the Foundation's responsible committee through a documented review and assessment process.
What Happens If Less Than USD 50,000 Is Raised?
Rushd Foundation will not commit to providing all 25 grants until sufficient funding has been secured.
If the total amount raised falls below the USD 50,000 campaign target, the available funds will first be allocated to a smaller number of applicants with the most severe verified business losses and the highest levels of vulnerability.
Our objective is to provide meaningful support that enables businesses to reopen, rather than dividing limited funds into amounts too small to make a practical difference.
The final number of beneficiaries and the amount awarded to each recipient will be disclosed in the campaign report.
What Happens If the Campaign Raises More Than Its Target?
If contributions exceed USD 50,000, Rushd Foundation will publish a public notice before allocating any additional funds.
Subject to verified needs, additional funding may be used to support other small business owners and individuals whose livelihoods were affected by the same flood.
No surplus funds will be redirected to an unrelated project without a public explanation and appropriate notification to donors.
Why Direct Cash Assistance?
The needs of flood-affected shopkeepers are not the same.
One individual may need support to replace carpentry tools, while another may require assistance to restock food items, clothing, household goods, or equipment needed for a workshop.
Direct cash assistance allows each selected beneficiary to address the most urgent needs of their specific business.
Cash grants will only be disbursed after the following steps have been completed:
- Field verification;
- Beneficiary identity verification;
- Assessment of losses and vulnerability;
- Approval by the Foundation's committee;
- Confirmation that similar assistance has not previously been received;
- Completion of all required payment documentation and receipts.
Our Commitment to Transparency
All funds allocated to this campaign will be recorded under the following dedicated reference number:
NUR-FLOOD-2026
Rushd Foundation will publish a financial and implementation report containing the following information:
- Total amount of funds received;
- Number of donors, where disclosure is appropriate;
- Bank transfer charges and direct implementation costs;
- Net amount allocated to livelihood recovery assistance;
- Final number of selected beneficiaries;
- Amount awarded to each beneficiary;
- Date and location of each distribution;
- Beneficiary information without revealing identities where privacy protection is required;
- Field photographs and supporting documentation obtained with appropriate consent.
The dignity, privacy, and personal information of affected individuals will be fully respected. Their photographs, names, and personal stories will not be published without their explicit permission.
Send Your Donation
Please transfer your contribution to the official bank account of Rushd Foundation.
Account Name: Rushd Foundation
Bank Name: Ghazanfar Bank
Account Number: 1189160000002
SWIFT/BIC: GHBKAFKAXXX
Currency: USD
Please include the following reference number when making your bank transfer:
NUR-FLOOD-2026
Using this reference number enables us to allocate your donation specifically to the Nuristan Flood Livelihood Recovery Campaign.
After completing the transfer, please send a copy of your payment confirmation through one of the following channels:
Email: info@rushd.ngo
WhatsApp: +93 745 878 888
Donate Today
A Shop Can Be Rebuilt. A Family's Hope Can Be Restored.
Within minutes, the flood swept away the results of years of hard work and savings.
Your support can help an affected shopkeeper reopen their business, restore a family's source of income, and make the first step toward a dignified recovery possible.
Stand with the people of Nuristan today.
Help one of 25 small business owners start again.
Campaign Information
Campaign Organizer: Rushd Foundation
Campaign Goal: USD 50,000
Target Beneficiaries: Up to 25 verified small shopkeepers
Maximum Grant: Up to USD 2,000 for each selected beneficiary
Location: Parun, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Campaign Reference Number: NUR-FLOOD-2026
Sources of Information
Figures relating to casualties and infrastructure damage are based on humanitarian reports published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) following the July 2026 floods.
Information regarding the concentration and nature of business losses is based on Rushd Foundation's field assessment conducted in Parun.
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