Things to be Grateful For

Over the weekend, I attended a microfinance awards ceremony. Afghan MFIs submitted reports about their best clients to the panel. Twelve winners were selected in various categories: returning refugees, war widows, demobilized soldiers, alternative livelihoods (i.e. people switching from growing opium poppy back to legitimate work), agriculture, and businesses outside of Kabul. At the ceremony, the winners told their stories to the judges and attendees, the former who then voted on first and second place prizes.

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought I'd tell a few of their success stories. They certainly remind me of how fortunate I've been and of how much I take for granted.

A Refugee Returns to Rebuild Her Life
Nasrin Dost Mohammad

Nasrin Dost Mohammad suffered deeply during the Taliban period. Her husband lost his leg during the factional fighting. Her five year-old son froze to death during the winter, when she was too poor to buy wood for heating fuel. When twenty of her family members were gunned down by the Taliban before her eyes, she and what remained of her family fled on foot over the mountains to Pakistan. There she lived as a refugee, supporting her disabled husband and her children by working as a seamstress.

In 2002 Nasrin returned to Kabul, where borrowed $100 from Parwaz, a local microfinance institution, to make quilts and curtains from her home. Her tiny business grew, and she took out a second, larger loan. After securing contracts with stores to sell her products, she now grosses $600/month in sales and employs five other women in her business. Not only does her microbusiness support her own family, but the income her employees earn supports five other families in Kabul.