Samangan entrepreneurs seek support to expand business

AIBAK (Pajhwok): A woman entrepreneur in northern Samangan province has created a small dairy factory with 40,000 afs initial investment and generated jobs for tens of other vulnerable women.

She established the factory in her house where different types of dairy products and achar are produced.

Sultana during an exclusive interview told Pajhwok Afghan News her dairy production factory has been operational for the past five years with an initial small investment, numerous financial challenges and the non-availability of a proper market.

She said: “When I started working in the dairy production sector in Samangan, my capital was 40,000 afs, but now the capital of my small factory is more than 150,000 afs, if there is the support I can expand this dairy factory to the national level.”

Besides providing work opportunities for dozens of women in their homes, every morning, raw milk were collected from houses in the far-flung areas, which was also form of work for 70 to 80 families.

Sultana said: “After collecting milk from houses in the far-flung areas, we produce yogurt, cheese, butter, masque, and various kinds of species, such as chakni, achar, and we take it to the market in the city of Aibak for sale.”

Sultana said that people should use domestic production, especially the products produced by women so that on the one hand, women’s economic problems are solved, and on the other hand, they can expand their work and generate more work opportunities for other women.

She asked the local administration to support women traders and entrepreneurs more and to open a special market for women where business women and entrepreneurs could sell their products.

Behishta Mohammadi, one of the women who work in this factory, said: “I worked here for the past two years and earn a livelihood for my family through this job, I am happy to have his job.”

She also asked local officials and NGOs to support small businesses so that more working opportunities could be generated

Zubaida Ezzati, one of the social activists in Samangan, hailed Sultan’s performance in Samangan and said the creation of work opportunities for women not only helped address their problems but it help reduced family violence as well.

Sultana is not the only woman entrepreneur in Samangan but Firashta Zarifi is another entrepreneur in the province who invested 10,000 afs and started handicraft and tailoring.

Ferishta is the owner of Abresham Factory. She told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Now she has 20 trainers and in the past, she completed the training of some trainees who now worked for themselves and they are training others.”

She said: “When I started my work in this sector, I had a capital of 10,000 Afghanis, and with this capital, I continued my work with many challenges. Now, thank Allah almighty, I am self-sufficient and can support myself and my family from this source.”

Samangan Commerce and Industry Department Director Mawlavi Ahmad Khan Khadim said his department supported 1,500 women through the government or NGOs.

He said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and has paid serious attention to supporting women workers small businessmen and is trying to support small and large businessmen and industrialists in various ways.

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