Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
Empowering women and girls through skill development
NEI is empowering Afghan women throughout the soy value chain. In partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Women Affairs, NEI has trained 40 women agronomist, who then have trained over 20, 000 women farmers on farming best practices. We develop grassroots programs in impoverished areas in 6,000 villages to teach women and widows the health benefits of soybeans and how to use soy in Afghan traditional recipes. NEI identifies key influencers and hires them as soy ambassadors to other village women.
In 2022, NEI started a tailoring training program for girls in order to address the growing economic crisis facing 8 out of 10 families in Afghanistan after the Taliban government take over. Afghan girls receive training in sewing skills, pattern-making, garment construction, and marketing. This type of economic empowerment is a socially and culturally acceptable way for girls to learn a valuable skill that will help them generate an ongoing income for their families.
Women empowerment through entrepreneurship
Our goal is to help rural village women and widows become more financially self-sufficient through the raising and selling of both eggs and chickens in their local markets. This provides income and protein for their families. To date, NEI has established 3,500 poultry coops in households.
Highlight:
Ms. Zarifa of our poultry business development program
“Before NEI came into the picture, I was raising some local breed hens from home, but the egg production was low. NEI’s poultry program and training changed all this.”
- Ms. Zarifa, Kabul province
"I am Zarifa. My father is Ghulam Rabbani. I live in Qaly Shumlzai village of Paghman district of Kabul Province. I am widowed with 2 daughters and a son. Over 200 families, including myself, are having a hard time making a living to care for our families. Women are confined to the home, but thanks to NEI, we have a way to be home and improve our livelihoods through the poultry program.
Before NEI came into the picture, I was raising some local breed hens from home, but the egg production was low. NEI’s poultry program and training changed all this. When the NEI poultry staff came to this village and explained the poultry program to us, I was so happy for this useful teaching by which I learned the best ways to raise poultry and constructed my own quality chicken coop."
