Bamyan girls seek govt support for their artwork

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Five girls who sell their art works in a shop in the provincial capital of central Bamyan province, ask the government to support their skill and resolve their problems.

These girls who have displayed their paintings in their shop named Selsal art shop for sale in Bamyan city, say that they learnt the skill of painting in a three-month training from Aga Khan Foundation.

They said that lack of access to a stable electricity, limited customers and poverty were their main problems, asking officials concerned to respond to their problems.

BasgulKarimi, one of the five girls who participated in a painting training program by Aga Khan Foundation in Bamyan city in 2018, said she and her four other friends opened the shop this year to sell their products.

In an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, she said, “The problem of artists is that our products have no buyers because most of Bamyan people have low economy or they have little awareness about these arts.”

She asked the government to support them by finding market for their products in Bamyan and other regions of the country.

Karimi said that their workplace was not a proper place for working and it would be better if they were provided with a suitable location. Bamyan Women’s Affairs Department had promised of cooperation, but it did nothing so far, she added.

Mehdia, another girl artist who also goes to school, said that she also received the training and now working with her colleagues to produce and sell their artworks.

Bamyan is one of stable provinces of the country in terms of security, where women and girls are working alongside men in various fields to improve their family economy, she said.

“I am still a student. I also attend an English language course besides my school and work in Selsal Workshop, before we opened this shop, I was working in my home where I would receive many orders from our customers,” she said.

She also complained about shortage of electricity and asked for solution to the problem.

Meanwhile, ZakiaRezayee, head of Bamyan Women’s Affairs Department said, “The Women’s Affairs Department is directly engaged in providing business and economic opportunities, we were able to do different activities through aid giving organizations.”

Rezayee said that her department recently reached an agreement with an organization to prepare businesswomen for coordination with markets where they could design their products based on customer’s demands. She said that Selsal Workshop girls would be also included in the program.

Mds/ma