I was blind, now I’m free

17/02/2010

Elizabeth is a BMS worker in Afghanistan, working with several projects.

These include an education initiative that provides literacy and business-awareness lessons to young women in Kabul.

Staff at the project collected some of these stories from women whose lives have been affected by the course:

Afghan woman learning literacy and business skills

My name is Parwen and I was an illiterate girl. I was busy doing crocheting at home because I wasn't allowed to go to school. I used to see the other girls in our neighbourhood go to school and I felt so sad, abandoned and deprived because I could not go. Now I have been allowed to go to this course and I am learning reading and writing. I also learned that I can use my little money to do something. I bought six metres of fabric for £8.57 and six reels of thread for £0.78. My total expenses were £9.35. I made four shawls from the fabric and embroidered them with the thread. I sold each shawl for £7.80. Total sales were therefore £31.20. That meant £21.85 profit for four days work.

My name is Qudsia. Business and literacy were both important for me. I was a tailor and did tailoring but I couldn't take the measurements of my customers, nor write them in a notebook. I learned from the business course that materials should be of good quality and where to buy materials at a cheaper price.

I am Fawsia. Business and literacy are both important because I didn't study at school and couldn't read or write anything. Now I am able to read and write a little. I can solve my problems. Business lessons are important because they open our mind to where we should go and what we should do to make our life better. For example, where we should buy fabric and thread and where we should sell our products to make a good profit. Business lessons persuade us to start an activity to enable us to achieve a higher level of living.It helps us find a lot of information about business.

Khalida is my name. First literacy was important to me, then the business lesson because if we don't know literacy we can't start a business. Business lessons are important for us because I didn't know what market research was and we didn't know about product manufacture and improvement. Now I understand what product and market research is and I know how to buy good quality material to improve my business.

My name is Zarmina and from as soon as I came here I learned a lot of things about business which are really helpful for me. I don't have any problem with my family. The only problem that I have is that the income of my family is very low. My brother is very young and my father is very old so they can't work. I really like the business lesson because by learning about business I want to help them. My family is happy that I learn a lot of things about business and literacy and they always encourage me to continue the course. Now I am doing some work, I make some money from my work and can help my family.

My name is Homa. I was illiterate and I was ashamed of my illiteracy. I could do tailoring and crochet. Now I am studying in the literacy course and am very happy. I bought one spool of thread for 25p and with this thread I made four wash mittens. I sold each wash mitten for 20p each. Total profit was 55p. I realise now that an illiterate person is like a blind person.

Please pray for Elizabeth and and her colleagues in this exciting work, and for these women named here, that they might discover all the riches God has in store for them.

To support projects and people like those providing literacy to Afghan women, click here.

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