Tailoring: A Small Business Skill for Afghan Women

Tailoring and sewing skills are a lifeline for women giving them the opportunity to earn some money and contribute to the family income.  Most of AIL’s Learning Centers offer sewing including our newly opened center at Zamanian in the Herat area. This center is focused on 5 areas: Languages, Sciences, Computing, Arts and Skills such as sewing. This shows that centers cater to a wide range of student needs from academic to income-generating skills and basic education such as reading and writing.

Mastering sewing skills gives women confidence in their abilities, purpose, respect within the family and community and raises their self-esteem.

Here is Hafiza’s story, “I live near Kabul. When I first came to the center I knew nothing about sewing. I was not sure I could learn how to sew. The teacher and my family encouraged me and I worked hard at it. Now I am able to sew any kind of clothing and I am also able to teach other women how to this craft. I have my own tailoring shop in my community. I sew clothes, teach women and earn money from this for the family.” 

The 2021 Sakena Fund annual report is attached and we hope you find it interesting. 

Your support makes all the difference to women’s lives in Afghanistan! Thank you.

• Annual_Report_2021_compressed.pdf (PDF)
  

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AIL’s Learning Centers were examined by the Taliban and remain open as they comply with gender segregation rules. We have instituted changes such as switching to an emphasis on post-6^th grade girls education. Of course, we continue to provide income generating skills training such as tailoring, beautician, English and computing.

One of the first classes women take at a Learning Center is sewing. This skill provides immediate financial help to a family, as the woman takes on sewing clothes for her family members. She can start up her own home sewing business, obtaining work from neighbors and friends or selling items in the market. Other students have gone on to work for clothing companies as tailors. 

A sewing course boosts the confidence of women who often arrive at a center unable to read and write and many have never had formal education beyond a few years of primary school. The students who complete the tailoring course feel empowered to go onto other learning.

Why Do AIL centers work?  This from an administrator, “The centers’ personnel have a close relationship with the local community. The personnel are invited to the elders' meetings and have been appreciated and encouraged by them. They have built a friendly relationship with the elders and the people and have made presentations about the multilateral programs to everyone, so they can direct people’s wishes and expectations.”  

AIL  Outreach 2021: 23,905 students, 18,132 PPE distributed, 6 health clinics, 50-bed Covid-19 hospital, 95,593 patient treatments, 59,888 health education, 13,050 food aid families served, 22 radio broadcasts daily, 8 hours of TV programs, 12 provinces reached.