This is a time when, in Afghanistan, women are forbidden to speak loudly. To sing. To go out without a male escort. To work. To even learn. This is shameful and makes Afghanistan one of the most oppressive countries in the world to be a woman. Even worse is that the US Government has decided that Afghanistan is a perfectly safe country to deport Afghan families who came here legally but are losing their TPS status. This blatant disregard for the rights of women is shocking. We believe that offering accessible education for Afghan women is both protest against this injustice as well as preparation for the future. At some point, Afghanistan will open up again and will need female leaders, teachers, doctors, lawyers, computer programmers. We want to help make that happen. We know our students are resilient, creative, strong.
We want education to be unfettered from all the barriers that seek to keep them out.
This means change for us. What started out as a time around sewing machines with a handful of women in nearby apartments has steadily transformed to continue to meet the needs of refugee women in Charlotte. Most “entry-level” jobs claim they don’t require a degree, but in reality, most expect high-level English and digital skills. Very few employers are willing to bridge the gap to hire a refugee woman still learning English. What we’ve discovered is that while refugee women want to work, they’ve not been given the tools to thrive and succeed in the American workplace. Add to that, most workforce development programs are not designed for limited English speakers who are also the primary parent responsible for childcare. We listened to what our students asked for and we’re making those requests a reality. An effective job training program for refugee women should be holistic, culturally sensitive, and designed to address the specific barriers they face. So we implemented flexible classes, free childcare, interpretation, mentoring support, and job connections.
In May, 37 women graduated from sewing manufacturing classes, pre-literacy classes, and computer classes. These opportunities contribute directly to each woman’s sense of agency, social safety net, and the health and wellbeing of her personal self as well as the wellbeing of her family.
One of the things we need is more community involvement— specifically in the realm of financial giving. Do you feel the injustice but don’t have the margin to offer your time? We have the goal of raising $30,000 in total, and need student sponsors to help us continue offering free education. $350 covers the cost of a year’s worth of vocational training for each refugee woman enrolled in our program.. We want partners who can commit to giving $5 monthly, and partners who can sponsor a student for the year, and truly, anything in between.
Your financial generosity will go directly toward our goal of breaking down educational barriers for refugee women in Charlotte, North Carolina and enabling them to learn, grow and thrive!