Afghan Women Learn Traditional Carpet Weaving

The Afghan Institute of Learning is very excited to have been given the opportunity to blog at Huffington Post! Our first blog about the Women’s Networking Movement taking place in some of AIL’s centers has been posted. The Women’s Networking Movement is taking place in about 30 of AIL’s centers, schools and clinics. The women coming to these centers are sharing thoughts and ideas in ways that have not been possible until recently. 

To learn more about the Women’s Networking Movement, check out our blog at Huffington Post! 

Creating Hope International, AIL’s partner, has set up a Facebook page where we will be sharing more news, pictures and information about AIL’s programs. Make sure that you ‘Like’ Creating Hope International on Facebook to get all the latest news! 

Links:

• Women's Networking Movement Blog
• Creating Hope International's Facebook Page

Creating Hope International (CHI) and the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) would like to thank all of our donors for their committed support for our cause. Every day, women in our learning centers are receiving relevant and high quality training in trades that allow them to earn an income. They are learning skills like carpet weaving, which is a skill that has much cultural significance and a long history of excellence in Afghanistan. We currently have five women taking a course in this highly prized art. All of the women are weaving carpets and earning income to support their families.

The carpets that the women weave are usually woven using traditional designs in a variety of colors.  However, using the skills of a local artisan, some carpets have been woven which depict famous historical places of Herat or other famous sites in Afghanistan.  These latter carpets are often placed on the walls of homes or buildings instead of paintings.

The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) and Creating Hope International (CHI) would like to wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons.  As you celebrate with those you love, please take a moment to look at CHI’s yearly newsletter, which we’ve attached to this report. As you will see, 2012 has been a transformative year for AIL and CHI. After years of working tirelessly to provide education, training and healthcare to Afghans, we are beginning to see a real change. The minds of those AIL works with are being opened to the possibility of a peaceful Afghan society. 

AIL is in the process of finalizing a 5 year funding plan, which will be put into place beginning in 2013. We are looking forward to sharing the details of this plan with you soon, and hope that you will find it in your heart to give generously to help us reach our goal. The people of Afghanistan are making great strides, but our work is not done yet. Instead of backing down, we need to push ahead and continue to give Afghans the tools they need to create a more peaceful country. We are hoping that we can count on you to help continue our work. 

The women are beginning to see that through education they can have a better life, and are insisting on educating their children. They are taking charge of their health, and we are seeing more and more women requesting workshops on pre-natal issues as well as reproductive health. AIL is encouraged to see so many Afghan women looking forward to a brighter future and is planning to be there to help the women lead the way to the Afghanistan of their dreams. 

• Annual Report (PDF)
  

Thank you for your support of AIL’s project. While the situation in Afghanistan continues to prove challenging, with your help AIL is finding ways to continue bringing high quality education to the women of Afghanistan. 

The teachers and students in AIL’s carpet weaving program have been hard at work. Recently a professional designer came to the center and designed several new carpets for the students to weave. The students are excited to be working on new patterns, and to be taking part in the traditional Afghan art of carpet weaving. 

The carpet weaving courses are being taught along side other traditional Afghan arts such as miniature painting, calligraphy, silk weaving and more. The center where these classes are being taught has become a center of cultural significance for the community, helping to keep alive many traditional Afghan arts. 

Don’t forget!  The holidays are a great time to share your passion for AIL and the great work that they do! GlobalGiving offers gift certificates which can be used to donate to AIL’s projects. Also, beginning December 1^st, the initial donation made by recurring donors will be matched 100% by GlobalGiving. There is only $25,000 available in matching funds, so help AIL take advantage of this opportunity early!

As we shared with you in October, carpet weaving is being taught in two of AIL’s centers. Since October, we have been able to increase the total number of students to 26 women.  Both the carpet-weaving course and the silk weaving course are very popular and are helping to teach these ancient skills to a new generation of Afghan women. In addition to passing on a part of Afghanistan’s cultural history to a new generation, the skills learned in these courses continue to provide a real source of income to the widows and poor women who take part.