Vocational training in CARE's Humanitarian Assistance for the Women of Afghanistan (HAWA) program began as part of a food distribution program that started when the country was still under Taliban rule.  In 1996, seeking to empower the women who participated in the program, CARE began training widows to knit and make brooms - traditional crafts that were allowed by the Taliban. Since that time, the program has grown to include a wide range of other vocations.  With patience, CARE has been able to overcome Afghan society's deep-seated resistance to allowing women to work. 

Although HAWA offers a variety of training options, poultry and livestock remain the most popular because they provide a steady income and allow women to work near their homes. Gul Ghamai, a 30-year-old mother of five living in Kabul, recently received a pregnant milk cow through the project. Previously, she could only afford milk for her children every few months. Now Gul Ghamai has almost two gallons of milk per day to sell to neighbors and give to her children.  "My children are healthier now than they have been in a long time," she reports. "I lost a child to disease and malnutrition two years ago and hope that I will never have to endure that heartbreak again.  Now that I can provide for my family I feel better about the future." Taking care of the cow is a family endeavor, with older children helping to feed the cow and look after the calf.  Gul Ghamai's 13-year-old son Samiullah collects grass on his way home from school and enjoys taking the cow out to graze in his free time.  "When we got the cow I can't explain how happy I was," Samiullah says. "It was as if we had a new luxury car." 

While women in Afghanistan still face many challenges, women like Gul Ghamai are proof that a little assistance can empower women to help themselves and their families.  HAWA's vocational training has not only provided women with the ability to earn a living, but also given them life skills and introduced them to a support network of other women.  "I was alone for so long," says Sahera, "but now I have help.  I know that what I am doing now will make better lives for my children."--CARE