Literacy, tailoring project for women launched in Kabul

KABUL in the fields of literacy and tailoring so the participants could become educated and economically sound.    

Shukria Jalazai, head of the NGO ‘Development and Coordination of Afghan Women’ Institution, told Pajhwok Afghan News her organization was able to provide literacy courses and sewing training to women with financial support from China.   

She criticised institutions which believed women activities were ineffective and said: “The money that comes to Afghanistan and humanitarian rights of women.”  

Jalalzai said the Development and Coordination of Afghan Women organization had launched the initiative for women with financial support from China.

She said women who due to the war and insecurity remained illiterate, could be drawn into the literacy courses and in the meantime taught tailoring.  

She said women above 18 years and less than 40 years of ages were considered for the courses in order to become useful and helpful family members. She said the programme was set to be implemented soon in other provinces such as Badakhshan, Badghis and Paktika.

At least 60 women so far graduated in two batches had earned certificates from the institution and they were currently working for themselves, Jalalzai said.

Shabana, 18, one of the trainees, told Pajhwok she joined the institution’s training course one and a half months earlier.

Shabana said she daily attended the literacy course from 1:00pm till 2:00pm and from 2:00pm till 4:00pm she learned tailoring.

“My family didn’t give permission to me that I go to school but now this institution has launched an effective work and I can be educated and can also learn to work.”

She asked other families if their women were illiterate and unemployed, should send them and include them in the literacy courses of the institution. 

Another trainee, who wanted to be unnamed said that she has been undergoing training for two and a half months and was happy and hopeful with the work she were doing.

The trainee said, during the period she was able to be enough educated to read billboards and was hopeful after her graduation and end of course would be an educated and also a self-sufficient woman through tailoring.

sns/ma