Photo Via Gallup
Women in Afghanistan are living under some of the most difficult circumstances in the world. Violence and discrimination against women and girls has sharply increased across the country. Women are not allowed to attend school, go to work, or sometimes even be in public places. Freedom and independence have faded.
Through an incredibly bold partner, SowHope recently funded a project that was, surprisingly, allowed by the Taliban. The project has so far helped 120 Afghan women join commercial cooperatives where they receive vocational training, counseling, and a stipend while they learn a skill. Before the project, most of the women earned on average about $10 a month, mostly by begging. Now the women report earnings of 3 to 10 times their original income.
The group and individual counseling provided by this project have been crucial. One woman, Nagin, who came from a poor family, faced gender-based violence in her home. As a child she was not allowed to go outside of her home. She took care of 6 younger brothers, so she was never able to attend school.
Married for 13 years, Nagin wasn’t able to get pregnant. Her husband would not support her to get medical help to have a child and her father-in-law treated her horribly. She asked her brothers for support, but they didn’t respond. She had a strong desire to have a child, so she adopted a baby boy, whom she loved as her own. Her husband, however, would not support them, and Nagin felt hopeless as no one seemed to care about her.
Nagin found hope when she joined a SowHope-funded tailoring cooperative and learned to sew. She also attended the counseling sessions which gave her tools to address her psychological struggles. She found comfort from meeting with other women. Nagin went from earning $10 a month from begging to making $75 a month selling clothes that she makes. Now she can send her son to school and provide for their basic needs. Nagin expressed her gratitude for this project which gave her skills, income, hope, and a promising future, ultimately restoring her sense of dignity.
Thank you for your commitment to supporting projects that change the lives of women like Nagin.
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