A woman in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, along with her husband, has established a traditional garment production workshop, providing other women the opportunity to learn this craft and thrive economically.
Nazanin, the manager of the “Lucky” garment workshop, says that she created the workshop to boost her family’s economy and create job opportunities for other women. “My husband and I were unemployed, and our economic situation was not good, which is why I started this garment workshop,” she explains.
Nazanin adds that she receives customer orders both online and in person. “The economy is very weak, and most of the demand is for renting out Afghan garments. If we rent out a shirt too many times, it gets damaged, and we end up losing,” she says.
Every day, dozens of Afghan garments, including Kuchi-style, classic, and other types of Afghan garments, are produced by women at the Lucky workshop and sent to markets in Balkh.
The workshop manager further explains that some of the garment work is done by women in their homes, providing them with a source of income.
Mujtaba Hussain, Nazanin’s husband, who helps with the sale of the Afghan garments, says they have a dedicated shop for selling these items. “I bring the garments from the Lucky workshop here to sell to customers. Our business is doing well, and it has created a source of income for us,” he shares.
Nazanin and her husband express their plans to expand their business in the future, aiming to employ more women in Afghan garment production.
Arezo, a resident of Balkh who does some of the garment work at home, says that the income from sewing Afghan garments helps her meet her family’s needs. “I sew two to three packs with my sister every day; I stay busy with this work, and the money I make helps me fulfill my needs,” she says.
Aqela, another resident of Balkh who visited the Lucky workshop to buy Afghan garments, says she enjoys wearing Afghan garments and often orders them for gatherings with her friends. “I really like Afghan garments; for every gathering with my friends, I order two or three sets of clothes,” she says.
Afghan garments are one of the most popular types of clothing in Afghanistan, and they have a strong customer base both domestically and internationally.
