Where Hope Grows, Miracles Blossom

Kawsar is a student of Islamic Law at Balkh University and a member of Murwarid SHG and Durakhshan EG in Shir Abad Village of Dehdadi District in Balkh Province.

She is 23 years old, living with her parents and sister.

Four months ago her mother encouraged her to join WEE-RDP/MRRD.

After joining WEERDP, she received a loan from the Self Help Group (SHG) and started sewing swaddle blankets (Qundaq/قنداق - a blanket to wrap in infants so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted for the safety of the child). In the beginning, she made some samples of swaddle blankets and sold it in the village shops. However, she realized that she could expand this business; therefore, she got access to local markets with the assistance of WEERDP and won a fixed-term contract for reasonable prices.

Now, she receives 25 orders monthly and sells them for 150 AFN each in the village markets.

Kawsar is enchanted for being optimistic and she waters the tree of her hope daily to bear fierce fruit.

Eventually, another business idea struck her mind that was endorsed by her family and school friends after a comprehensive consultation. She got a loan of 3,000 AFN from her SHG, bought 150 books from a Bookstore in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif for 18 AFN each, and sold it for 30 AFN in the library of her school. As a result of selling books, she earned a significant profit.

Currently, she has 12,000 AFN income monthly, and she supports her father besides paying her and her sister’s education fees.

"My books are friend of my difficult days of life. I read and sell books so that one day all the girls in our village will have a bright future" she said with a smile on her face and eyes full of hope.