BUSINESS: Sana Handicraft & Knitting Co. (handicrafts)
Nadia, 40 years old, ownsSana Handicraft & Knitting Company, in addition to her role as director of business for the women’s association at the Women’s Garden in Afghanistan.
With a background in design, after returning to Afghanistan, Nadia helped women earn a living by taking their finished handicraft products to shops around Kabul to sell them. Eventually she saved enough money to open her own shop in the Women’s Gardne.
Nadia’s business and 20 employees create unique handcrafts, such as table clothes, placemats, photo frames, kitchen utensil holders, pillow cases, chair covers, aprons, envelope organizers, dresses.
In the future, Nadia wants to start a school uniform company.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Nadia wants to learn new ways of trading, new markets and how to take her company to an international level.
BUSINESS: MALAL Trading Company Limited (fruit processing & trading)
Malalai, 22 years old, co-owns MALAL Trading Company (MTC), which specializes in fruit processing and trading.
The company purchases, processes and trades dried fruits and has more than 100 warehouses and the support of 1,000 Afghan families. The company markets export products, such as agriculture produce, dried fruit and mining products worldwide. Other distribution products include chemical products, construction materials, machinery and equipment.
For now, MTC purchases and sells fruit locally, but the company would like to break into the international market in the future.
In order to run this large-scale operation, MTC has 89 skilled employees and more than 1,000 daily wagers and about 345 raw material suppliers. Malalai has 15 employees in her office.
“We strongly believe that every successful outcome of an entity is proportionate to professionalism, expertise and dedication of people involved in that project and we can ensure such people.”
The company also provides self-help training and seminars to create awareness to 1,000 registered Afghan women, to help enhance their production capacity and create job opportunities.
MTC’s main focus is to directly supply dried fruit and nuts buyers from the world’s major markets through B2B & B2C models. To do so effectively, the company has grouped into consortia of producers.
Over the next five years, Malalai hopes to help re-integrate MTC into the global dried fruit and nut market, after decades or war and economic isolation.
By participating in PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Malalai wants to learn more about business ethics, management, marketing, human resources, staff development and advocacy.
Zarlasht, 24 years old, owns a floral decor business. She and her family run the shop.
Before the Taliban, Zarlasht’s family owned a successful manufacturing company with more than 200 employees. Her family was financially stable, and her parents worked hard to provide the best for Zarlasht and her brothers and sisters.
Zarlasht would often enjoy picnics and restaurant outings with her family – she described life as marvelous.
“Abundant moments were passing—one by one—without us fully realizing their worth.”
After the war began, things started to change in Zarlasht’s life. She could no longer play outside without fear of being kidnapped. She could no longer accept dolls or pens or other gifts, because they could be wired as a bombing device.
“I will never forget the moment the war was started. We were playing in front of our home. When we heard the voice of bullets, we were so happy. We shouted and jumped, not know it was war and that it was dangerous.
My mom ran to me and yelled, ‘Come fast. Let’s go home. Don’t stay here!’
I said to my friends, ‘Let’s go to my house and watch the bullets from window together.’ And that’s what we did, not realizing that we were enjoying the start of our dark coming days. The bullets came with greater frequency, along with other sounds of danger and violence. We grew afraid, and our laughter and shouting stopped.”
Eventually as the danger grew, Zarlasht and her family had to leave Afghanistan.
“Along with our wonderful country, we left all of our happiness. We left our beautiful house that my parents had built out of hope and our factory that my grandfather—after years of hard work—had built into a successful business. But at that time, we could only think out how to find a safe place for our family. My idyllic childhood died in the face of war and migration to neighboring countries.”
Though Zarlasht’s innocent childhood may have died with the war, her and her family’s entrepreneurial spirit lived on.
Zarlasht started her flower-making business during the Taliban regime. She would make the artificial floral designs at home, and her brother would sell them to shopkeepers.
Zarlasht’s creations are used for home decoration, wedding parties, birthdays and events.
In order to make this her full-time business, Zarlasht would like to learn more about how to run a profitable business, how to hire the right people for the rights job, marketing, managing and accounting.
Zarlasht wants to be able to hire more women and give them the joy of making their own money. In the next five years, she hopes to bring her business to a storefront.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Zarlasht wants to learn more about management, human resources and how her business can help rebuild her country.
Farkhunda, 26 years old, co-owns Almas Beauty Parlor with her sister.
The salon imports cosmetics and equipment from Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan and it currently has seven employees: four experienced beauticians and three new beauty school graduates.
In the future, Farkhunda hopes to open a designer clothing boutique to be run by women with have designing and tailoring skills.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, she hopes to learn about how to promote a business, how to develop a business plan and how to find the market for products.
Anisa, 29 years old, owns UNK, a handicraft shop. The organization was informally started by Anisa’s mother, who wanted to help the women in her neighborhood. The women were creating beautiful hand-sewn works, and eventually her mother started providing the women with raw materials.
Anisa increased the number of staff, and then found a lady who would sell the finished products. She now trains the women how to buy and sell their products. Most of the women are widows who stay at home.
Anisa hopes to start a literacy class for these women in the future.
BUSINESS: Afghan Vision Financial Consulting Company
Hanifa, 26 years old, co-owns Afghan Vision Financial Consulting Company.
After working as an individual consultant for several companies, Hanifa decided to open her own financial services company with a friend.
With her three employees, Hanifa serves local companies, as well as international organizations, by preparing annual financial statements and the taxation payment process to the Afghan government.
Other services include establishing and maintaining financial systems for companies, bookkeeping, inventory management systems, and basic training in accounting. Over the next five years, Hanifa hopes to modernize financial departments in local companies.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Hanifa wants to learn more about management, marketing and networking. Hanifa’s business partner is 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduate Roqia Sajjadi.
After completing courses in management, Yelda became very eager to start her own business, especially one that would empower women in various fields of work.
Yelda believes that Afghan women are powerful and should take part in the development of their country.
With its seven employees, the company provides logistics services, supplies and delivery, as well as training to women.
Over the next five years, Yelda hopes to open more branches of her business in other cities.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Yelda wants to learn more about basic accounting and finance, marketing, operations management, human resources, banking and business plan development.
BUSINESS: Afghan Women Empowerment Organization (AWEO)
Rahela, 39 years old, owns AWEO, an organization dedicated to the empowerment of Afghan women. Rahela took on a big risk early in life when she left her home in Mazar to help distribute medical and educational materials to Bamyan, which was under strict economic and military control by the Taliban.
After successfully re-establishing the collapsed health system in this province, Rahela began to focus on how she could help women through literacy and vocational training, including animal husbandry, housekeeping and quilt-making. All projects were aimed to generate income for women.
Rahela started AWEO one year ago after some basic planning and strategizing. After she registered the company with the Ministry of Economic, she prepared proposals.
With 10 employees, AWEO focuses on empowering rural women in aqua culture and animal husbandry. The company also implements fish farming and has introduced improved breeds of sheep and cattle, which has resulted in higher incomes for the women.
Over the next five years, Rahela’s business goals include increasing the women’s incomes and continuing to provide alterative opportunities for women in rural areas instead of growing poppy.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Rahela wants to learn more about management skills and get more ideas for starting new businesses as well as how to discover more opportunities in both local and international markets.
BUSINESS: Kabiri & Partners Consulting Services (K&PC - business development)
Homa, 21 years old, co-ownsK&PC, a consulting firm in several provinces.
After leaving Kabul shortly after she was born, Homa’s family moved to Mazar, the only city that had schools open to girls. Because the schools were full, Homa was left to study under tents. But she says this only made her more studious. After the Taliban captured Mazar, Homa’s famly traveled to Herat, where she learned how to sew and knit. While at home, Homa secretly taught herself six full grades, with the help from her parents and the neighbor’s wife – all against the Taliban’s ban against education for girls.
It was because of these secret studies Homa was able to graduate earlier than most girls her age, after the Taliban left the country. Upon graduating high school, Homa started up with K&PC.
Currently, the business has four shareholding partners, and as Homa contributes more, she can earn a higher percentage of the company.
In addition to contract hires, K&PC has six employees. The company is the first gender-focused business provider company in Herat and was founded in 2007. The business goal is to improve the economic situation in Afghanistan by improving and supporting women and youth.
Although women make up 30 percent of agricultural workers, they are the poorest paid; while women weave intricate carpets, the industry is generally run by men.
K&PC holds trainings, such as marketing workshops to teach women how to market and sell their products. To date, the company has trained over 1,000 men and women in Heart and Farah provinces and in districts outside of the city.
The business provides training in marketing, management, finance, accounting, packaging, leadership, business administration and more.
Building technical capacities and providing technical advice for clients (business associations and other companies) has been the second most developed area of the business since its establishment.
For 2010, saffron growing and packaging is one of K&PC’s biggest interest areas.
K&PC’s business activity plan focuses on 1) job opportunities, 2) market research and market studies, 3) private sector development, 4) natural resource management, 5) agricultural improvement, 6) women’s economical improvement and self-sufficiency, 7) environmental improvements, and 8 ) raising business legal awareness.
Over the next five years, Homa wants to help K&PC expand its services into remote districts and villages. She also hopes the company will help those women who are the most vulnerable and deprived and help them develop their skills and “give them a hand to feel stronger.”
“We look forward to a brighter future for all businesswomen of Afghanistan.”
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Homa wants to improve upon her organizational leadership skills and interact with fellow businesswomen.
Sakina, 34 years old, owns Namad, a wool shoe manufacturing company.
Sakina’s shoes are made from all-natural materials, mostly wool and leather. She makes sure that her shoes are quality and durable.
From start to finish, the shoe production involves 10 people in the process.
Over the next five years, Sakina wants to open additional factories in more provinces.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Sakina wants to learn more about how to find investors and
partners, as well as skills in the areas of marketing, networking, leadership and financial management.
Sakina believes that Afghan women can help bring positive changes in their lives by gaining financial independence. She hopes that her business helps provide this opportunity for women in her country.
“I want to be a role model for other Afghan women. I want to help them through my business and show them that in country like Afghanistan we can do lots of things, we can change and go forward our country. We can also show to other women in other countries our abilities.”
‘Enterprising Women’ spotlights PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program and 2009 graduate
The latest issue of ‘Enterprising Women‘ showcases information regarding our 2011 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program, as well as an in-depth article featuring Sarah Mukandutiye, a 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduate. Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of the publication, has been a longtime supporter of the Institute. Click here to read Monica’s Publisher’s Note and the [...]
Nonprofit leader is working to help Afghan women, girls Q: What’s happening with the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council? You and other members recently met in Washington with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other dignitaries. A: The council was sanctioned in 2002 by President George W. Bush and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. I was appointed to [...]
Awards & honors Oklahoma City businesswoman Terry Neese was recognized last week with the 2010 Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Hall of fame award. The national award honors individuals, companies, and organizations that have demonstrated exemplary leadership and support in the success of women’s business initiatives //
Betty, a 2010 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduate, co-owns Solidarity Academy School, a secondary private school in Rwanda. Mentored by Dr. Freda Deskin, Founder of ASTEC Charter School, Betty has been paying forward the education and training she received from our program and was kind enough to share it with us! Good morning Terry, I am [...]
Business hall of fame to honor Neese Terry Neese of Oklahoma City will be presented the 2010 Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame award on Thursday in Dallas. The national award honors individuals, companies, and organizations for leadership and support in the success of women’s business initiatives. “This is an exceptional award to bring home [...]
Oklahoma Lt. Governor Jari Askins receives Afghan gift
Lt. Governor Jari Askins accepted a hand-made, personalized soccer ball from Terry Neese, President, IEEW. Terry delivered the ball on behalf of 2007 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduate Taj Sirat. Taj’s company, Greenway Manufacturing produces all types of balls, employing over 250 Afghan women. Taj wished to express her gratitude to Lt. Governor Askins for her [...]
