Tajwar is a hardworking mum from Fayzabad in Badakhshan. She used to spend her days in the home, but since signing up to receive training and enterprise development support from Afghanaid, she goes out to work at a dairy with a group of other mothers. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Afghanaid has established 8 small dairies and 16 milk collection points across the northeastern province of Badakhshan and trained 1,500 women in milk production, hygienic processing, marketing and management. As a result, Tajwar and women like her are now earning their own incomes and financially contributing to their families’ food, health and hygiene needs and supporting their daughters to regularly attend school. Better still, now that Tajwar and her coworkers have shown what they are capable of, they feel more confidence and they are gaining greater esteem and influence in their families and communities.

"Already the business is making a big difference for my family... I can buy what my children need for school, so they can improve their situation." 

In Fayzabad, each month 5 different women from different villages work at the dairy processing centre on a rotational basis. This has created a strong network of women across the villages, through which they can share knowledge and support.

"The training was great, we learned we shouldn't keep the cows in the house because it spreads diseases - now my family is healthier. Afghanaid taught us which feedstuff is best and we add much more greenery; now the cows produce more milk. 

Now we are saving most of the profits to grow the business and buy the land the dairy is on, so we don't have to keep paying rent. Already the business is making a big difference for my family. Now I've more money and more freedom in how to spend it. I can buy what my children need for school, so they can improve their situation. 

Being part of the dairy also made a big difference to my life. I'm more confident; I can go out in public; my family respects me more and my children say, 'don't look down, look ahead'.

In the future we want a women's market where we can sell our own products and attract more customers. We should be the producers and the shopkeepers because at the moment we have to sell to male shopkeepers and they take some of our profits."

And Afghanaid did just that; read about how we opened the first ever Women's Markets in Badakhshan.

Find out more about our work with women.