Sakina Laghmani, a 41-year-old woman living in District 7 of Mazar-i-Sharif, is a member of the Sadaqat Self-Help and Savings Group. Despite various challenges and insecurity, which deprived her of an education, she has achieved remarkable success and is responsible for a family of nine. Through perseverance and hard work, Sakina has managed to earn a significant income through embroidery.
When Sakina joined the Sadaqat Self-Help and Savings Group, she realized the importance of group savings. Through business training, she learned that success in business is attainable at any age. The support from her family, especially her husband, Saleh Mohammad, who is an ordinary worker, was invaluable on this journey. When her husband was unemployed, Sakina started a Bolani (a traditional stuffed flatbread) business by taking a loan from the self-help group. Sakina says, “My husband always said that in these tough times, when even a brother doesn’t lend to his brother, the Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization made it possible for us to take a loan.”
Sakina is especially grateful to Hand in Hand Afghanistan, which helps low-income and poor families. From this organization, she has learned many skills, including the importance of group savings and access to loans, business skills, choosing the right business, market connectivity, and literacy through life skills classes.
She believes that change in life is essential, and Hand in Hand has brought these changes. In Sakina’s view, the Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization operates like an angel in impoverished communities, helping people escape poverty.
Sakina learned embroidery skills and uses the income from her embroidery to cover her children’s educational expenses, aspiring for them to become teachers and doctors in the future. She says, “From my business income, I send my children to school, pay their fees, buy them pens, notebooks, and clothes. I save some and use the rest for household expenses.”
Sakina adds, “I have many plans, including becoming a skilled embroiderer in Mazar-i-Sharif, and training many apprentices so that several women can have better jobs and income like me.”
Sakina’s message to other women is, “It’s never too late. Whenever you feel ready to start a business, know that it is the moment of your blossoming.” Sakina Laghmani’s success story is a testament to the power of willpower, perseverance, and overcoming life’s challenges.
