Decades of war have left thousands of Afghan children orphaned, but corruption through the ranks leaves even those in orphanages without the proper care and resources that they should be receiving.

Money meant to cover basic needs for the children - food, clothing, proper housing - often ends up in the hands of corrupt local officials.

Sayyid Abdullah Hashemi, the nation's new national director of orphanages, has earned himself a reputation as a man out to clean up the nation's children's homes, notorious for abuse and neglect.

But with local power dominating in the Central Asian nation, this official from Kabul has found it difficult to enforce his rulings. When he has tried to fire bad managers, powerful local connections have seen them quickly re-instated.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Mazar-e-Sharif.