Afghan Women Learn Traditional Carpet Weaving

Summary

Women learn to weave beautiful carpets, preserving their ancient Persian traditions. Carpet sales earn women income to support themselves and their families.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Herat, Afghanistan, has been a center of fine carpet weaving for thousands of years. However, this ancient art is in danger of extinction because of the last quarter-century of civil strife in Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of thousands of skilled people and destroyed infrastructure, homes, and necessary resources. This project seeks to revitalize this ancient art by supporting women to be carpet weavers with training, supervision, equipment, and supplies.

How will this project solve this problem?

A dozen women will learn a skill and earn a living wage. Carpet sale income provides funding for health care and education, literacy, computer classes, and teacher training for about 350 people in Herat per month through project partner, AIL.

Potential Long Term Impact

Many Afghan women today experience cultural barriers to employment. But carpet weaving is a traditional income-earning occupation for women in Afghanistan. Therefore, women can easily use this skill to support themselves and their families.

Project Message

With AIL’s help, I learned carpet weaving and now have a frame in my home. I weave and sell carpets. My wage improves my children’s lives. I pray for AIL’s success in helping our poor homeland people.
- Fawzia, former carpet-weaving student

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources

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