Patterns of Change
Afghan Hands Project, Afghanistan
In Afghanistan a widow, or any single woman, is considered a family liability – and in this war-torn country, there are many of them. To earn their keep, women often end up doing menial chores from dawn till dusk. New York-based make-up artist Matin Maulizawada, who was born in Afghanistan, started the Afghan Hands Profect to give such women a fighting chance. Afghan Hands provides education and skills training at centers in Kabul and Jalalabad. Some 200 women come to study – everything from reading and writing to how to understand a contract – and to work, doing stunningly detailed embroidery and sewing, which brings them an income. But Afghan Hands’ long-term goal is to help women move on from handicrafts to something that will truly sustain them – to school or work that allows them to thrive.
(Newsweek, October, 26 2009)
The purpose of the Afghan Hands Project is
