Mothernomics Behsud, Afghanistan- Roqia’s Story
Mrs. Roqia is a 42-year-old woman from the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak province. She is one of the 15 participants in the Mothernomics tailoring center.
At the age of 6, she went to Iran with her uncle’s family. She grew up there without her parent and started self-studying because she was not allowed to go to school in Iran. Hence, she went to a literacy course and studied in the 9th grade. When Roqia was 17, her father came to Iran to marry her and wanted to take Roqia back to Afghanistan. Ms. Roqia is now living in Kabul and has 2 sons and a daughter. She says it was, at first, very difficult for her to manage a family but now she is good at it. She had never worked outside of the home and in the social sphere before joining the LFT-supported Mothernomics tailoring center in Kabul. Before Roqia joined the Mothernomics program training, she was completely confined at home and was afraid of working out and facing different people in the public sphere.
“This project that is intended to provide a work opportunity for and economically empower women who are heading their families has inspired me a lot,” says Roqia, who is now in the final month of her training period at the LFT-supported project. “This occupation has given me considerable mental peace and positive feelings about my future in this work. Furthermore, I have gained enough skills in tailoring activities and am hopeful that by completing this program, I will be able to launch my own business in this industry and make an income for my family. Roqia also adds that by participating in the Mothernomics project she has not only managed to enhance her community interaction skills but also has ameliorated the environment in her family. Similarly, with the financial incentive she receives from the center, she manages to cover her own costs and help her family financially.
From a social perspective, this experience has changed Roqia’a views on the role women can play in the families’ livelihood as well as their perception of domestic violence and its coping mechanisms. She further adds that she feels very optimistic about and satisfied with her achievements, the work of the tailoring center, its future prospect and internal management.