The new year has brought a mixture of hope and fear in Afghanistan. Just two days after Afghans adopted a new constitution, with the prospect of a new future for the war torn country, two bombs struck the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
In a recent online diary for BBC News Online, Tearfund's Michel Kok writes about life in Kandahar and the fears and frustrations of running a humanitarian programme amid the ever-worsening security situation.
Tearfund's Disaster Response Team based in Kandahar is working with local communities to repair water supplies for irrigation and carry out health and agricultural education.
Click here to read Michel Kok's online diary on BBC News Online.