The Artisans of Sewing Seeds for Hope

Sweet and gracious, Amina is a 31-year-old mother of five girls between the ages of 3 and 12, and a set of 8-year-old twin boys. Along with her husband and children, Amina shares her home with a brother-in-law whose family sadly did not make it out of Afghanistan. Amina and her husband are from the city of Khost in southeast Afghanistan.  Amina delights in sewing beautiful, sparkly dresses for her girls for special religious holidays. She loves to crochet and is excited to sell her handmade products here in the U.S

Always ready with a shy smile and a big hug, Beduna lives with her husband and four children. The family came to the United States from a small village near the Pakistan border which was on the front lines of the war. Beduna is a fast learner, eager to learn English and adapting well to life in America. A talented seamstress, Beduna is also very fashionable and sews her own clothes. She is incredibly proud to be earning income for her family from her skills.

Smart and quick with a smile and a laugh, Mujahida is a 24-year-old mom of two young boys. During the war, her husband was stationed in combat units in Kandahar and Kabul in service of the US embassies. Mujahida has been studying English diligently since arriving in Massachusetts and is proud to support her boys’ English language learning.  She is a very hard worker and a wonderful cook. Mujahida is excited to supplement her husband’s income from his factory job by using her excellent sewing skills.

Calm and level-headed, Rabia is from a large city near the Pakistan border. While Rabia never had the opportunity to attend school, she is smart and resourceful, and has been picking up English quickly. Prior to serving in the Afghan military, Rabia’s husband had a tailor shop in which Rabia also worked. In addition to being an expert seamstress, Rabia is an excellent cook and bakes bread daily for her husband and five children. Both she and her husband are available for custom work.

Zahra comes from southern Afghanistan in an area where the Taliban was deeply entrenched. Lively and intelligent, Zahra is very hospitable and goes out of her way to make visitors welcome in her meticulous home. Zahra’s husband worked with both the Canadian and US military during the war. After being targeted by the Taliban, they fled the country with their six children. Zahra is a skilled tailor who can make just about anything, and also does traditional Afghan embroidery. She is very proud to now be called a businesswoman.