Our company in Kabul
Oswa’s workshop was born from a dream: to have Afghan women work together on a shared project. To build a team of seamstresses who had never worked in companies, nor with local or foreign NGOs, and who were in particularly vulnerable family situations. Today, we can say this process is underway and brings us immense joy. We are growing together and managing Omod-e-shafaq (the name of our small social enterprise on site) as a cooperative in which each woman feels fully involved. We train each seamstress so she can take on various responsibilities: sourcing new fabrics, training less experienced members, meeting the team’s requests in France, and of course, ensuring high-quality work. And we are delighted.
Our project reflects our human values: that everyone should be able to live with dignity. We work only with particularly vulnerable women – widows, abandoned women, mothers. Some have developed serious health issues. Today, the seamstresses are able to support their families. They often provide the household’s only source of income (in the broad sense). To help them and ease the mental load they carry, we’ve implemented additional support measures. Medical first – for their children. We cover consultation and medication costs. Educational too – we now provide a back-to-school allowance for each child. Our program excludes any form of charity. We walk together. We support our small Afghan team, which is progressing and becoming empowered in return. Their pride is immense.
Supporting someone and seeing them "get back on their feet" is an incomparable emotion. Today, the seamstresses go out themselves to seek potential clients in Kabul. Of course, we organize these outings to comply with Afghanistan's strict regulations on women. The team now sews uniforms for different institutions. We assist in managing this program, with the goal of enabling them to run it independently.
Setayesh is our assistant in Afghanistan. She is young and very talented. Afghanistan Today and Tomorrow wanted to develop a French cooking workshop in Kabul – and it has been up and running for a few months now. Ratatouille, Basque chicken, dauphinoise gratin, veal blanquette, fruit clafoutis – all are made with the best Afghan ingredients sourced from Kabul markets. We train each woman in this culinary art to offer them a second activity and help grow their skills. From buying ingredients at Kabul markets to preparing recipes and making deliveries, everything is managed by Afghan women. Their main clients are NGOs.
It’s a core value for us – helping the most vulnerable, especially children.
Every woman on the team is deeply committed to this, being mothers themselves
in extremely difficult situations.
They are enthusiastic about this project.
Our small Afghan team makes jams and pistachio paste for children hospitalized
in a facility in Kabul.
Orange jam, gingerbread, cane sugar plums, peach-apricot – we update the
recipes seasonally.
They handle the deliveries.
And soon, we’ll start a new program that makes us especially proud:
Our team will prepare breakfasts for an entire school where the students are
disabled and particularly vulnerable.
What a wonderful achievement for them!
Acquiring new skills, expanding horizons, restoring confidence,
encouraging teamwork – these are the goals of this program for the most
vulnerable families and children.
