KUNDUZ CITY (SW) – A young university graduate in Kunduz has set-up a workshop to teach young girls and women the skills of sewing.
After the recent developments in the country and the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, many women lost their jobs, and this caused women, who were the only breadwinners of their families, to face severe economic problems.
Despite all this, many have not yet given up the fight. Mursal Ahmadi, 24, who graduated from university two years ago, has now set up a sewing center in Kunduz.
In an interview with Salam Watandar, the young lady said that she has been setting up this sewing center in her house for six months to create a job and income for herself and other women. She added that they are facing a shortage of some equipment and call on aid agencies in Kunduz to cooperate in completing the sewing equipment.
“We do not have equipment, we do not have sewing machines, we do not have scissors, we do not have fabric so that the girls can work on it practically, until the three months that we taught them theoretically, they can work on it practically. Here we have about 85 students, they are all young girls and women. They need to learn to sew, but unfortunately, after the recent developments, there are no departments to support us”, she said.
Mursal emphasized that the sewing center was set up for homeless women and young girls to provide training in sewing skills. According to her, there are 85 young women and girls working in the center, and a number of those who are more skilled also receive salaries.
On the other hand, the girls who work in this sewing center say that with the recent developments in the country, girls who have been educated up to the level of university can not use their knowledge in the society properly.
Temna, 24, a recent graduate of the university, says she is unable to work in government and non-government offices due to restrictions imposed by the current regime, and has therefore turned to tailoring.
“We want to be helped and supported. There are a lot of restrictions on women and women cannot work outside the home,” she added.
Beheshteh, who is 20 years old and has been coming to the center for a month to learn sewing, says she has learned a lot, but she complained about the lack of equipment and facilities in this center. “We are short of things like sewing machines, scissors and other supplies,” she said. “We ask for your help in our course. We came in this situation and we ask others to work with us to make progress.”
ENDS
