From butter to business: Elham's Story

Every mother dreams of building a great life for her children. But for Elham, living in one of Afghanistan’s most remote and underserved regions, that dream often felt out of reach. Then, an opportunity came her way: one that allowed her to rewrite her story and create the future she had always hoped for.

Elham's Story

In rural communities like Elham’s, where vital resources are often out of reach, women and marginalised groups have typically borne the heaviest burdens. As a widowed mother living with a disability, Elham’s daily challenges were intensified, and she was unable to find secure employment due to discrimination and the severe restrictions placed on women. The head of her household and sole caregiver to her two young children, Elham's family was often unable to afford essential food and basic necessities, and Elham experienced significant stress as a result.

Determined to make a change, and resolute in her dream of building a secure future for her children, Elham spoke to her local Afghanaid team about her situation and the support she could receive, quickly enrolling in a life-changing programme. Alongside other women in her community, Elham began an initiative to become a dairy farmer, provided with goats, a dairy processing kit, and extensive training in dairy production.

Elham quickly excelled in the programme, mastering the creation of butter, milk, yogurt, and qoroot, a popular salted milk product across Afghanistan. After receiving all the necessary tools and newly equipped with goats of her own, Elham was able to produce these dairy products from home, creating a new source of nutrition for her children whilst also packaging and selling additional batches in the local market. Now able to earn a reliable income on her own terms, Elham is able to better afford the basic essentials her family required, whilst gaining newfound optimism and confidence.

In recent months, Elham’s goats have continued to reproduce, creating an ongoing, reliable source of income and food security, and growing Elham’s assets as a livestock owner. Through her resolve and with the right resources, Elham was able to overcome the challenges outside of her control and begin building a brighter, more hopeful future for herself and her children. She is proud of the impact she has been able to have on her own life with Afghanaid’s support.

Working with people with disabilities

All of our projects are specifically designed to target the most vulnerable people, including those with disabilities and chronic illness, helping to remove the barriers which may prevent them from enrolling in our projects, earning an income, and playing a role in driving progress in their communities.

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One women = one agent of change.

You can support more women like Elham to forge new futures amidst the difficulties they face, and become role models in their communities. Give a gift today and provide life-changing support to these future change makers:

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£5 could provide a rural Afghan woman facing poverty with a package of vegetable seeds, enabling them to feed their families from produce grown in their own gardens.

£12 could buy the required stationary and booklets for a woman learning literacy, so that she can live with greater independence.

£86 could pay for tailoring training, a sewing machine and support for a vulnerable woman to start a small tailoring business.

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