20 Afghan Women Graduate from Alight Sewing Social
Published on Monday, December 30th, 2024
Written by Hussain Ali Haidari
On Wednesday, December 10th, the Alight Nonprofit Organization celebrated the graduation of its third cohort of Afghan women from its sewing social program. Habib Rahman Rahmanyar, Community Guide at Alight, explained that the program aims to connect Afghans with one another. While learning valuable sewing skills, Afghan women can find good time and community among their fellow country women.
Khatira Azad, one of the program participants, shared that in addition to learning sewing skills, she enjoyed meeting other Afghan women.”Sitting at home all day is very difficult for women who don’t work,” Azad said. “Programs like this give us a chance to enjoy each other’s company.”
The Alight sewing social program lasted for approximately three months, meeting once a week. Habib Rahman Rahmanyar clarified that participants learned how to sew and cut fabric. According to Rahmanyar, the graduates of the Alight sewing social program are now able to sew Islamic clothing for themselves and their families.
Anisa Moghul, another participant, shared that she is now able to put her newly acquired sewing skills to good use. She added that being surrounded by her fellow countrywomen while learning a new skill has been a truly useful and rewarding experience.
To further encourage learning and provide participants with the tools they need, the Alight nonprofit provides sewing machines to the women who complete the program. Habib Rahman Rahmanyar added that they are also working to help Afghan women who have acquired these skills find employment. According to Rahmanyar, the lack of English language skills poses a significant challenge for Afghan women seeking sewing jobs. Despite these challenges, one Afghan woman who graduated from the program is now employed at a large sewing company in Minnesota.”
Meanwhile, several participants have requested that the Alight nonprofit extend the duration of the sewing program. Rahmanyar noted that the organization would like to accommodate these requests, but the program’s capacity, including staff resources and the venue, would need to be assessed.
In the continuation of his talks, Habib Rahman Rahmanyar encouraged fellow Afghans in Minnesota to actively participate in programs related to the Afghan community. He emphasized that active participation and presence would encourage the government to allocate more funding to organizations assisting Afghans. The Alight nonprofit organization has previously trained approximately 60 Afghan women in sewing skills. the program also includes childcare and meals.”