- Friedrich Nietzsche
An ARZU weaver and her child
What is amazing about Afghan women is that they are still standing after all they’ve seen and experienced. With a life expectancy of 44 years, life is short and harsh. Yet, despite the daily hardships of grinding poverty and insecurity, they have a resiliency of spirit that inspires me every day.
Each time ARZU registers new weavers, our local staff records their personal stories. While each narrative is individual and personal, recurrent themes are woven throughout these histories. Virtually all have lost loved ones—parents, husbands, children. Many have been displaced as refugees when their villages were overrun and their homes destroyed. All struggle with poverty’s constant companions–hunger, disease and depression.
For example, Shah Gul, 39, experienced a devastating loss several years ago when Taliban fighters tortured and killed her 16-year-old daughter. The funeral threw the family into debt, and before joining the ARZU program, Shah Gul says, “It had been a long time since we had even seen meat and fruits.” Shah Gul says that joining ARZU has saved her life and saved her family. “From the support of ARZU we are very happy and thankful,” she says. “Now, just ARZU helps us, nobody else…just ARZU.”
Or, there is Saltanat 44, whose husband’s severe drug addiction has damaged his stomach so severely that he needs a $1,500 operation. Since Saltanat’s husband has been illiterate and unemployed for decades, it is she alone who is responsible for supporting her eight children and extended family. After joining the ARZU program, Saltanat earns a steady income that eases her financial pressure. Most importantly, Saltanat has been attending ARZU literacy classes. “I can read the boards of vehicles, the hospital and some books,” she says. “I feel so happy and the only time that I feel well and happy is when I read something.”
And Keramat, 26, who lives with her parents and five siblings. Years ago when the Taliban came to power and plagued her town with violence, Keramat and her younger siblings witnessed their father losing both eyes after being hit by a rocket. The family went years without being able to earn enough for daily necessities like food and clean water. After joining the ARZU program in 2004, Keramat and her mother say that their conditions have changed dramatically. “We were always sad and sorry about our life, until the light came and ARZU started their help,” Keramat says. “I cannot explain how much ARZU has been helping us.”
In Afghanistan, where so many have been so broadly traumatized, mental health services are almost non-existent. There are simply too many other visible needs and priorities. Yet, somehow, these women persevere. How do they do it? They have developed astonishing coping skills, even if this term would be unfamiliar to them.
Dr. Raquel Cohen is an internationally recognized expert in the field of intervention and assistance to survivors of disasters. (A graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, she is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, former Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, and Professor Emeritus at the Miller School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Miami.) Over the course of her career, Dr. Cohen has developed new protocols and procedures for use by first responders and other local assistance personnel after a natural or terrorist disaster.
Thanks to Dr. Cohen’s interest in aiding Afghan women, ARZU is beginning a “train the trainers” pilot with an initial group of five local women, who will then lead support groups in their villages. The objective of this program is to provide a set of “knowledge tools” to help women develop their sense of identity and the capacity to make personal choices when faced with family violence, child rearing, depression and drug use. The learning experience will be reinforced though practicing a series of activities. Examples of motivation, adaptation, coping and problem solving will allow a woman to explore different choices of dealing with her feelings and behavior.
To quote John F. Kennedy, “ I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” We are deeply grateful to Dr. Cohen for sharing her extensive subject knowledge with us by developing this innovative training and will keep you posted on our progress implementing it.
These women and their stories inspire me…what inspires you?
Tags: afghan women Afghanistan afghanistan families ARZU STUDIO HOPE ARZU weavers children Dr. Raquel Cohen empowerment hardships inspiration life in afghanistan Social Benefit Programs social programs weavers
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