In Sar-e-Chah village in Hairatan, Balkh Province, Laila, 41, faced the challenge of providing for a household of 20, including her husband and 18 children. Her husband worked on other people’s farmland, but his earnings could not adequately cover the family’s needs. She recalls being unable to give one of her children even AFN 10 for an ice cream, a moment that brought home the depth of their financial difficulties.
Laila wanted to contribute but did not know where to begin. Following a survey by the project team, she joined the Omid Self-Help Group through a project implemented by Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization (HIHAO). She chose livestock rearing and received three goats, providing the foundation for a growing family enterprise.
Through five group loans totaling AFN 61,000, Laila gradually expanded her livestock activities. Early loans helped her purchase additional goats, while a later loan enabled her to buy a calf for AFN 15,000. After raising it, she sold the animal for AFN 45,000.
Laila combined those proceeds with AFN 35,000 saved from milk and yoghurt sales and a further AFN 20,000 loan to purchase a cow for AFN 100,000. Reinvesting in this way helped her build an enterprise that now includes three dairy cows, three calves, five dairy goats, and three baby goats: 14 animals in total.
The business has become a shared family livelihood. Her husband has stopped agricultural labour, which brought limited returns, and now works alongside Laila and their children in livestock rearing. Project support also introduced her to business, markets, and customers, strengthening her confidence in managing the enterprise.
Laila said: “I hope to establish a larger livestock farm and, one day, use its earnings to undertake Hajj with her husband”. She asks HIHAO and the project’s funder to extend support to more vulnerable women and include vocational opportunities alongside agricultural enterprises, so others can also develop their abilities and improve their livelihoods.
