AFGHAN WOMEN ARE ALL BUSINESS IN THE SEARCH FOR EMPLOYMENT

October 6, 2014 Maggie Farrand

*© David Snyder/Creative Associates International.*

When Kamila Sidiqi started her company in 2005, she was an exception in Afghanistan: an educated woman and an entrepreneur. Few women at that time had access to education – only 18 percent of women were literate – and even fewer were able to start a business.

NAILING DOWN A SKILLED LABOR FORCE IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN

October 6, 2014 Maggie Farrand

MEHR saw huge potential in training construction company employees, and used the AWDP grant to develop specialized courses for them in addition to skilled plumbers, steel workers and electricians.

DEVELOPING A SKILLED WORKFORCE IN AFGHANISTAN

October 6, 2014 Maggie Farrand

Afghanistan is plagued by a gap between high demand for mid-level technical and business management skills and the relatively low number of Afghans who possess them. AWDP reverses this pattern by using a market-driven model, where employers are invited to help customize programs based on their actual needs for specific skills.

Americans by Choice: Giving Thanks for Family Near and Far

April 1, 2014 Maggie Farrand

Coming to the United States from Afghanistan is not an easy move. But for Haseena Niazi, it only took until November 23 – and her first bite of turkey – for her to realize it wouldn’t be so bad.

To Haseena, her family is everything. She remembers as a child – she’s the youngest of 12 – sitting around the dinner table, listening to her siblings’ tales from school and her father’s from his office. Even though she was too young to add her own stories, she still enjoyed hearing theirs.

On November 23, a mere three months after her move from Kabul to the U.S., she found herself sitting around a different dining room table – this time with her newfound American family – celebrating Thanksgiving.

A NAME WITHHELD, A PASSION SHARED

March 5, 2014 Maggie Farrand

I met a young woman in Kabul whose story I want to share. We were in the lobby of the prestigious private high school where she taught. It was a hot afternoon in September, yet she wore a floor-length black dress and light blue headscarf wrapped closely around her face, not even a strand of hair peeking through.

A NORMAL DAY IN KABUL

February 10, 2014 Maggie Farrand

When I think about my time in Kabul, Mursal and her friends come to mind. The images that stick in my head are not ones of violence, poverty or devastation. They are of routine activities and everyday dreams.