FAIZABAD (SW) – Closure of girls’ schools in Badakhshan has compelled young girls to turn to carpet weaving to earn a livelihood for their families.
Zarghune Heidari, a 10th grade student in Badakhshan, who has been learning weaving in a carpet weaving workshop established by the carpet weavers’ union of this province for several months, says that she started this job to avoid the depression caused by missing out on education.
“I was in the 10th grade of school, now I have turned to carpet weaving. We have been weaving carpets here for nine months. We have learned many things in this workshop but we want the school to be opened to us”.
Yasmin and Bibi Gul, two other students who left education and have been weaving in a carpet weaving workshop for nine months, say that the existence of such workshops has increased women’s access to work. They added that after learning all the steps of carpet weaving, they continue to work outside this workshop to help themselves and their families financially.
Yasmin said: “We have been working here as interns for nine months. During the time we were here, we learned enough that we can weave and produce these carpets ourselves.”
Bibi Gul said: “Before the fall of the previous government, we were educated in the school. After the previous government fell, the school gates were closed to us. We have been working here for nine months. By learning carpet weaving, we want to learn more about handicrafts and weave colorful carpets”.
Maria Alizada, the head of the carpet weaving center for women in Badakhshan, said that more than 50 girls and women are learning carpet weaving skills in this center, and most of them are girls who have stopped going to school. She also called for the financial cooperation of aid organizations for girls and women in Badakhshan.
“We have 50 students here. We work in several workshops. Here, we have carpets, rugs and tablecloths. We want to find a business that will be profitable for us in the future by teaching carpet weaving.”
Meanwhile, Abdul Ali, the head of Badakhshan carpet weaving union, said that nearly 60 carpet weaving workshops in this province are operating under the supervision of this union.
“We pay the masters a living and tell them to teach these things so that they will work in the future. Again, we taught them to learn. Around seventy people work here. All of them are trainees. We test them and pass them so that they can work in their homes.”
The head of Badakhshan carpet weavers’ union has asked the local authorities of this province and aid agencies to help the trainees. According to him, if these female apprentices are given a monthly bonus as an incentive, they will learn carpet weaving with more passion.
After the school gates were closed to female students above the sixth grade in the country, a number of these students, especially in Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan, have turned to learning the professions of tailoring, hand embroidery and carpet weaving.
ENDS
