"Before women can participate in building peaceful communities, they must be able to sustain their families.”

-- Anne Glauber

Three decades of war has destroyed the economic structures and businesses Afghan families once relied on for support. Helping to rebuild an economic base for women in Afghanistan, ACS manages a home-based income generation project for women in Kandahar city.

The Women’s Income Generation Project launched in 2002 and provided an outlet for women who cannot work outside the home. Many women depend on the embroidery not only as a means to earn an income, but to also keep themselves busy during the long homebound days.

This program is highly successful, with over 500 women participating all over the city and more asking to be included every day.Based in Kandahar, the very cradle of the Taliban, and the most conservative city in the country, ACS brings work – and thus income, and the beginnings of independence – to women where most are required to stay in their homes. ACS women visit some 25 houses throughout Kandahar, bringing raw materials (beads, cloth, silk embroidery thread, etc.) and purchasing finished work, making sure the money gets directly into the hands of the specific woman who produced the work.

Khamak is a hand down tradition taught to girls by their mothers, grandmothers or elder sisters starting as early as ages six or seven. By the time the girl reaches age twelve she has already mastered the art. This fine work is done by counting the threads of the fabric weave to stitch geometric shapes with silk-thread. The work is done in a sitting position with the work positioned on the top of a bended knee.

The final product to this intricate, detailed stitching and embroidery process are stunning scarves, beaded necklace, belts and other items. They are rich in color, quality and exacting detail.

For more specifics on what goes into producing Khamak and WIG, read a presentation given at Sui Dhaga Symposium —an international conference on Southeast Embroidery and Design held in New Delhi, India. ACS flew 18 women who make up the Women’s Income Generation Project’s “Master Embroiders” to the conference.

So few had seen Khamak that many designers from all over Southeast Asia asked our WIG designers for lessons. The women were happy to oblige and gave khamak lessons to all who wanted to learn the craft.Khamak pieces produced from WIG have sold all over the world, bringing together women who made this Kandahari trademark with the international community. ACS Field Director, Rangina Hamidi, conceptualized the WIG program and managed its fast-paced expansion from 80 participants to 500. Her vision for WIG is to turn the project into a self-sustaining business—led by and for Afghan women. The business modeled from the success of WIG was developed with the help from The Business Council for Peace. For Afghan women, WIG has provided both economic and education opportunities and also a safe community for women to work and receive information. The WIG project has been a treasure amidst post-conflict Afghanistan. This explains why the business inspired by the success of WIG, will take the name Kandahar Treasures.

Rangina discusses Kandahar Treasures, the WIG project and partners in the United States in a Roanoke Times article.

Rangina explains:

“Many women will not venture out of their homes to work… Women are afraid to really have a presence in an all-male-dominated society… Most of the women who can now work are products of the war."

The overall impact of the Women’s Income Generation Project and its successor, Kandahar Treasures, is simply extraordinary. This has empowered women to take control of their financial standing in their households, it has raised the social and economic class of poor women who were once considered untouchable by society at large and the project has served as a source of information-sharing with a community of women.
 

The Women’s Income Generation Project depends on our international partners for success. There are several ways for you to contribute to our continuing accomplishments:

• Order WIG Pieces Khamak pieces make wonderful gifts and decorative home items. Buy WIG products for yourself or others. All WIG profits are returned directly to the Afghan women in the project.
• Make your store/organization a WIG Partner: Stock WIG items in your store and create a
  
• Host a WIG Lecture: Gather friends and colleagues to learn about life on the ground for Afghan women. This will be an opportunity to raise awareness on the situation in Afghanistan and to sell khamak products after the lecture for who are this interested.
  
• Sponsor Supplies for WIG: Sewing machines, cloth, embroidery supplies. Help ACS provide raw materials to the Afghan women who make WIG successful!

With the uncertain security situation in Kandahar, many local families keep their children home and out of schools. At one ACS WIG center, a woman involved in the Women’s Income Generation Project asked if it would be possible to set up a home-based education program for schoolchildren in her neighborhood.

With her talent and help from ACS, an on-going home-based education program is in full swing for girls in one of our WIG communities.

It is believed that women and children are the first and last to feel the impact of war. But these small efforts and dedicated women prove the promise for a peaceful tomorrow.