Tailoring: A Small Business Skill for Afghan Women

Dear Friends,

One of AIL’s newest Learning Centers is inside a women’s prison in Afghanistan. The teachers are working with the women to encourage them to gain skills and knowledge that will help them to provide for their families after they leave the prison, including teaching them to sew and tailor clothing. One of the students said the following,

“I’m a student in the sewing class at the women’s jail. Because of a mistake I made a year ago, they put me in jail. I thought that it would be the worst place in the world, so difficult and disappointing. I was not getting out for a long time, and I had no skills. During the first two or three months after coming to the prison, I was so depressed and several times I decided to commit suicide, and then one day I found out about the sewing class being taught by AIL. When I started coming to the class, I didn’t expect much from it and I wasn’t very interested, but I kept attending. After a month I realized that I had learned some skills and became interested and hopeful. I saw that having this skill could change my future and after a while I learned to sew well. I am still working very hard and learning new things. I am seriously considering making a living by sewing after I get out of  prison, which is soon. I would like to thank AIL. Thank you very much for giving me such a chance. I can’t imagine what my life might be like without this. AIL rescued me.”

For many Afghan women, learning to sew gives them a new chance at life, and the opportunity to support their families. We are so grateful to you for supporting our efforts!!

Dear Friend,

A Special Day – Today!  Matching Funds Available!

Today we have a great opportunity which we would like your help with. There are matching funds available for ALL donations made to this project today. This is a guaranteed bonus!

Starting at 9am EDT on May 13^th, GlobalGiving is matching donations on our project! Any online donation up to $1,000 made today will go even further to help our work. You can donate any time between 9am EDT and midnight to have your donation partially matched by GlobalGiving –guaranteed! Just click here and support our program on May 13^th.

The percentage of the match will be determined at midnight; the more given today the greater our bonus!

Your donation will help AIL offer classes to women like Zahra. Zahra came to an AIL Learning Center to enroll her children in classes at the center and saw that there were many women her age taking classes. She spoke with the women who told her that the center offered great classes for women. Her husband was against the idea at first, but she enrolled anyway. They had many disagreements about her taking classes, but Zahra’s husband was soon convinced that the classes were a good idea after the young women learned to sew and was able to start a small businesses sewing clothing for other families.

Zahra said “I am now so happy that I have a skill. My husband is very happy as well. He has seen that I have learned this skill in a sound, safe and good educational environment. The class has been helpful in other ways too. I have made friends, and learned so much about how to keep my children healthy. I am so thankful to AIL for offering me the opportunity to support myself and my family and changing my life for the better.”

 Please help by donating  to our project today, May 13th. Thank you.