TAKHAR (SW): The NGOs in the rural areas have provided vocational training to women and hence the women have been working alongside men to contribute to the economy. These vocational trainings include tailoring, poultry production and home gardening.
Hadai Sharq (Oriental Gifts) is one of the NGOs that have been able to provide tailoring training for 25 women for six months in Baharak district of Takhar province. The graduates from this training program have started several tailoring shops in the city of Taloqan now.
The Shahnaz tailoring shop, located in the suburb of Taloqan, is one of the shops where several women are engaged in sewing. Shahnaz the owner of the shop which completed the sewing course in the vocational training program offered by the Hadai Sharq last year, has started her own shop to offer sewing and tailoring courses to other women in the city.
Shahnaz said that many women have been trained in her courses and now they train other women in the city.
In a conversation with Salam Watandar, Shahnaz said that the sewing and tailoring skill has had a positive impact on her life so that she could bring food to her family and cover her living expenses easily.
Although she complained about the inadequacy of facilities and lack of advanced sewing machines, she said that with the sewing machines currently available, they can satisfy the needs of their customers.
Most of the women who have finished the vocational training programs are satisfied with their jobs, however, most of them have complained about the inadequate facilities and lack of advanced sewing machines.
According to these women, if they have advanced sewing machines, their income level will increase and they can be able to hire more women. They called on the government to pay more attention to women’s economic situation and create job opportunities for women.
The officials at the Hadai Sharq organization told Salam Watandar that their projects have raised women’s capacity and have had a positive impact on their lives.
Khatira Mirzad, a teacher in the tailoring and sewing courses of this organization told Salam Watandar that this NGO has provided tailoring and poultry production training to women and has helped them after the training programs as well.
According to Khatira Mirzad, this NGO has provided one or two sewing machines and other tailoring accessories for each woman participated in their programs.
In addition to providing vocational training on sewing and tailoring courses, Hadai Sharq organization has also implemented projects on advocacy, basic citizenship, public awareness and legal support as well.
Razm Ara Hawash, Director of Women’s Affair in Takhar province told Salam Watandar that such NGO projects have increased the capacity and awareness levels of the women who have been supported and trained by these NGOs.
She added that last year has been a productive year for women in Takhar due to the increased number of projects offered by the NGOs in various districts in Takhar and now these women can use their experience to support other women and also generate income for themselves.
Though, Razam Ara Hawash said that these programs are not enough, and more literacy and other vocational training programs should be offered to women in rural areas so that the women should be independent and achieve self-sufficiency.
ENDS
