The federal minister for development is wrapping up her surprise tour of Afghanistan in which she announced a number of multi-million-dollar aid projects. But security constraints and a national holiday meant Josee Verner was unable to actually see any of the ongoing projects that Canada is funding.

Canadian diplomats and aid organizers have been under tight, government-imposed travel restrictions since diplomat Glyn Berry was killed in a roadside bomb attack last January.

Verner, the international co-operation minister, had to restrict herself to meetings at the Kandahar airfield and secure army compounds.

She told Canada AM on Monday that in meetings with Afghan officials, including the ministers of women's affairs and education, she was able to glean enough information to know the aid money is being well spent.

"At the end, this is the people of Afghanistan (who)will tell me what they need. and I'm sure we'll continue to work together and we will get good results," she said.

Included in her announcements:

• $14.5 million on a girls' education initiative in Kabul.
• $10 million for ongoing construction projects in Afghanistan.
• $5 million towards micro-credit initiatives to help women establish their own businesses selling and growing fruits and vegetables.

The education project will be established by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee and will involve the building of up to 4,000 community-based schools and the training of an equal number of female teachers.

Verner on Sunday had a photo opportunity in which she handed out bags to Afghan schoolchildren and watched them recite poetry and play music.

Her two-day stay, however, overlapped with Eid, the celebration that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. As such, the country has virtually shut down, although Verner said Monday that this did not hamper her visit.

Verner's trip comes as questions swirl back home about the effectiveness of the reconstruction taking place in southern Afghanistan. Critics complain the mission has been all war and no aid.

"We have announced that we will have more soldiers by the end of the month," Verner told Canada AM, "but as well, we increased our people in our CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) teams here and we are in the process to hire seven Afghan people to help us . . . to make sure what we do here is also the priority of Afghan people. That's the way CIDA wants to work here."

The Senate National Defence and Security committee recently criticized CIDA for not being able to show evidence of progress -- something that experts increasingly say is the key to winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said they're trying to free up any restrictions that stand in the way of development.

Ottawa has promised C$100 million a year to Afghanistan for 10 years ending in 2011. It's to be spent on everything from small loans for entrepreneurs -- many of them women -- to vaccinations, textbooks and de-mining programs.

With a report from CTV's Paul Workman and files from The Canadian Press