At least 1,000 women each month will learn tailoring and how to run a small tailoring business from their homes. Women enter the course not knowing the basics; they leave with a means to a livelihood and the capacity to provide for their own families sewing needs.

Challenge

Poverty remains widespread in Afghanistan's struggling economy with refugees particularly hard hit. Widows are especially vulnerable to unemployment and poverty. In order to help widows and other women AIL began tailoring classes. These classes teach women to sew a wide variety of clothing from patterns which they can then sell. They can then make clothes for their families and set up a small home business.

Long-Term Impact

Women learn to save money they would have spent on clothes in order to purchase a sewing machine and start a small business. Course graduates sew their family's clothes, start a home-based business and/or become sewing teachers.

References

1. http://www.afghaninstituteoflearning.org
2. http://www.afghaninstituteoflearning.org/
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7t1Xu_MwHg
4. https://www.ted.com/talks/sakena_yacoobi_how_i_stopped_the_taliban_from_shutting_down_my_school?language=en#t-1652

Additional Documentation

https://www.globalgiving.org//pfil/1156/projdoc.xls

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