Tailoring: A Small Business Skill for Afghan Women

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your support of the Afghan Institute of Learning’s sewing and tailoring programs! Each year, thousands of Afghan women and girls come to AIL’s Learning Center to take classes in tailoring and sewing, enabling them to earn an income and support their families.

Hasina is one such girl. Hasina has two younger sisters. Her father was a farmer, working on the farms of others to earn an income for his family, but then he became sick and is no longer able to work. Hasina was searching for a job when a friend told her about the AIL Learning Center near her village. She was immediately interested and registered for sewing and literacy classes at the Center. Hasina’s teachers report that she was one of the hardest working students in the class and graduated from the sewing class in nine months.

Today, Hasina is a professional tailor, and is able to earn an income that supports her family. She says, “I believe that all of my achievements are because of AIL who established this center in a remote area. I owe my life to them. They really changed my life and the life of my family. I now encourage other women to get educated as well.”

Each year, thousands of women and girls just like Hasina come to AIL Learning Centers to learn to sew. In Afghanistan, buying clothing off the rack is too expensive for most people to afford. It is common for people to either sew their own clothing, or if they are unable to sew, to hire someone to do it for them. The ability to sew is a highly valued skill in Afghan society, one that gives the women a steady income while also saving them the money they would have spent on clothing for their own families.

Thank you for understanding the value of this program, and for choosing to support it!