Joss Stone Foundation in partnership with Afghan Aid

For decades, Afghanaid has been delivering wide-ranging programmes aimed at bolstering the social and financial inclusion of women. In 2022, their female empowerment programme Ignite-I encouraged female entrepreneurship and leadership within rural homes and communities. In a country where the challenges of delivering meaningful support to women have grown exponentially since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women not only needed a way to earn an income and put food on the table, but they also required a safe space where they meet with other women, learn new skills, and protect their wellbeing. Self Help Groups (SHGs) were a vital tool for facilitating just that, reaching and uplifting women facing unimaginable challenges.

Self-Help Groups are community-based collectives that provide critical economic resources and support, laying the foundation for long-term benefits for women and their families. Simply put, 10-25 women come together weekly to save and launch their own small businesses, in areas ranging from tailoring to poultry rearing. Afghanaid simultaneously deliver a wide-range of vocational training to these groups, and develop group members’ literacy, numeracy and business skills, whilst introducing rotating loans schemes to fund budding entrepreneurs. Through their new knowledge, financial resources and organised support networks, these groups of women are enabled to become extraordinary agents of change, and are able to shift societal perceptions of what a woman can achieve in Afghan society.

The results of Ignite-I were tremendous. Out of 1000 female participants: 100% reported that they intended to continue participating in their groups, with improved mental health, and raised status in homes and the communities. Income levels also increased, and there was a 73% increase in families’ reporting that they now had access to nutritious food.

Replicating this Success with the Help of the
Joss Stone Foundation

Determined to replicate this success and reach even more women through Self-Help Groups, Afghanaid, alongside generous donors including the Joss Stone Foundation, were able to establish Ignite-II, in order to continue to build women’s resilience to the stresses of life in rural Afghanistan. Recognising gender equity as a key driver for reducing poverty and suffering in the most vulnerable populations within Afghanistan, Ignite-II has prioritised 800 vulnerable women in rural Samangan province to receive this transformational assistance, who together form 40 Self-Help Groups.

From poultry farming and dairy processing to tailoring, women in these groups are receiving technical training in a wide variety of valuable areas, as well as receiving loans to invest in their own businesses and assistance in obtaining materials and tools. With this assistance, these inspirational women will be able to start thriving small businesses, and earn a steady income to support their families as they navigate Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. With Afghan women currently restricted from engaging in many areas of public life, these new avenues also provided these resilient women with a renewed sense of hope and determination. Ignite-II has also been ensuring these strong women are able to scale their impact through micro-grants and collaborations, as well as become leaders in their own right by training other women in their local areas how to establish collective support groups and start small businesses. These inputs further enhance the positive ripple effect of such initiatives in rural communities. Even in the most challenging circumstances, women can rise, lead, and create meaningful change, they simply need support to do so. To learn more about the work Afghan Aid do please go to www.afghanaid.org.uk

A woman from Samangan province that has already received support to realise her dreams and change her future is Khadija, who, after receiving support through her
group in tailoring and shawl weaving, has started her own profitable small business, and also dedicates her time to teach women and girls in her community.