Kandahar Treasure
Afghanistan
Kandahar Treasure is a social enterprise that employs 400 women artisans in and around Kandahar. The embroidery project started in 2003 with 25 women as a project of Afghans for Civil Society and has now developed into an independent organization that creates economic opportunity and the possibility of independence for Afghan women in the country’s most violent region. The organization offers income generation opportunities for Afghan women in their homes—a vital first step to achieving rights by enabling women to care for themselves and their family and raising the level of respect women have in their homes. In addition to Income generation, Kandahar Treasures provides home-based literacy education for women and girls, social events for women, health awareness, and links to medical care.
Women in Kandahar
After decades of war and violence, Kandahar and Southern Afghanistan remain impoverished and insecure. There is a lack of economic opportunity in the region for both men and women. The women of Kandahar, in particular, continue to face violence, severe restriction of movement, poverty, lack of rights, lack of access to education, and lack of access to basic health. Over 90 percent (90%) of women in Kandahar are illiterate, unable to read simple street signs or sign their names. As a traditionally conservative and patriarchal society, women are restricted to housework and childcare and are often confined to their homes—risking violence if they venture out without a male family member. Illiteracy and restricted movement contributes to lack of access to medical care or basic health information such as hygiene or children’s health. While women continue to face these restrictions, many are also widowed by the ongoing violence and now find themselves in the position of primary breadwinner for their family. Kandahar Treasures believes that these women, who are now earning an income through the revival of traditional embroidery, are central to brining peace to Afghanistan as they invest in their children and gain the confidence, education, and economic leverage to stand up for their rights.
Afghan Embroidery
Women from Southern Afghanistan practice a rare form of embroidery with silk thread, Khamak (pronounced kha-mahk), an intricate art that involves counting the threads of fabric weave rather than drawing and copying patterns. This technique, inspired by Islamic geometric design and floral motif, is thought to be at the root of a number of embroidery techniques throughout South Asia and the Middle East. Due to the longstanding war, it is also an art form at risk of extinction. Traditionally Khamak was used to decorate the shawls of Southern Afghan men, table linens, and women’s head-coverings. Today, the women of Kandahar Treasure build on these traditional motifs while creating new designs. They produce Khamak today as a vital source of income; a way of preserving a dying traditional art; and an opportunity to escape the stress of daily life and focus on creativity and beauty.
