Arzu assists in the reconstruction of Afghanistan by empowering women, their families and their communities. We believe that income generation opportunities and support for community development enhance and reinforce each other. A holistic model of working in Afghanistan both strengthens the role of women in today’s Afghanistan and establishes a framework of success for the country as it moves forward.
 
Our rug-making project creates opportunities for women to generate consistent income. In addition, we invest in the future of the women and their community by providing literacy and education classes as well as essential healthcare. Meeting these three interdependent needs sets a foundation of stability.

Arzu’s program is designed to become self-sustaining. This is a progressive economic approach for a non-profit organization engaged in international development activities. At the “break-even point,” proceeds from the sale of Arzu rugs will be sufficient to pay for the costs of all our programs. The more rugs we sell, the more women we can employ and the more children can go to school. By the end of 2007, Arzu had enrolled 235 households, or 2,050 people, in our program.

Social Contract

Money alone will not change people’s lives. They must also have access to the essential skills necessary to sustain change. Therefore, core to the Arzu approach is our “social contract.” By signing this contract with Arzu, the weaver agrees to send all of her children under the age of 15 to school full-time and to all woman from each household attend literacy classes.  In return, Arzu agrees to pay the weavers market rate for their weaving, plus an additional 50% bonus upfront. 

Where children cannot attend a government school, Arzu provides classes to be set up in villages.  Since most girls are well behind the education standards for their age group, Arzu established “Fast Track” classes so they can catch up and join their peers at a government school.

Afghanistan suffers the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world.  In response, Arzu focused its health initiative on maternal health by partnering with medical providers near weaver villages. Arzu provides transportation for pregnant women to and from clinics for pre- and post-natal checkups, as well as immunizations for newborns. We take a broad-based approach to recognizing critical health needs and are in the process of expanding the services we offer to our weavers and their communities.

 Fair Labor

Weaving is a centuries-old tradition for many Afghan families, handed down from mother to daughter.  Traditionally done in the home, weaving enables women to care for their children while simultaneously earning wages. As 20% of Arzu weavers are widows, it is crucial to provide environments that enable their roles as mother, caregiver and breadwinner.  

Though crucial in the chain of making a rug, women are traditionally marginalized by men who control the amount they get paid and the number of hours they work. Now, Arzu standardizes the payments and work.  Arzu reconnects women with the resources they require by reconstructing essential, but missing, industry links. Since virtually none of our weaving families own a loom when they join Arzu, we have undertaken a systematic cost-sharing program to provide high-quality metal looms on a “rent to own” schedule. 

Arzu operates under a code of practice regarding the use of child weavers that is more stringent than that of Afghanistan’s government. Arzu requires all weavers’ children under 15 to attend school full-time. We monitor the children’s attendance and performance to ensure that families comply with this requirement. For example, Arzu staff review the attendance sheets at government schools and discuss unexplained absences with the families.