BAMYAN CITY (SW) – In a corner of the market in the Yakawlang district of Bamyan, a unique initiative is providing training and employment opportunities for women who have been deprived of education and work.
Robaba Wahedi, an entrepreneur, established a sewing workshop called “Bamika” a year ago, investing 50,000 afghanis to empower women and create job opportunities.
At just 28 years old, Robaba has already provided work for at least 15 other women. She shared her thoughts and ideas with Salam Watandar: “I decided to stand on my own feet and contribute in meeting my family’s economic needs. When I saw girls who were unemployed and not studying, suffering greatly, I wanted to help them escape the confines of their homes, so I created this sewing workshop.”
Before launching Bamika, Robaba learned sewing at home through hard work and determination, later sharing her skills with other women in the workshop. “Initially, I worked from home but didn’t have the opportunity to train girls. After obtaining an official license, I established this workshop in the market and now I teach girls how to sew,” she explained.
Maryam Mohammadi, a high school graduate, is now one of the employees at Bamika. She considers this opportunity a blessing, saying, “I’m happy to work here, and I can now contribute to my family’s expenses.” Over the past year, she has mastered sewing skills at the workshop.
Kimiya Sarwari, an 11th-grade student, is not currently attending school but aspires to become self-sufficient through sewing. She notes, “My family supports me working in this workshop. I urge the caretaker government to support and cooperate with initiatives like this so they can grow further.”
Fatima Ayubi, who recently completed 6th grade, has also joined the workshop to learn sewing as both a hobby and a source of income. “I want to learn a profession and serve my community through sewing,” she said.
The Bamika workshop has positively impacted the life of Zakia Mohammadi, an 11th-grade student. She calls for public support for women’s products: “I ask the caretaker government to allow women to work and support our products so that we can contribute more to the household and community economy.”
Robaba, the founder of Bamika, aims to expand her initiative to other provinces, creating more training and employment opportunities for girls and women in a supportive environment across Afghanistan.
