Daughters: 2 Sons: 1

Life has ups and downs, the ups are less and downs are a lot. Afghan women’s lives have always been full of sorrows and afflictions. Among those women who have many problems in her life is Ms. Najiba. Najiba always blamed herself and until now she thinks of herself as the criminal of her husband and her in-law’s family. I asked her what are the reasons of all your pains? She told me that she couldn’t explain every thing near the women. She told me that first you should promise me that you will keep my secret as your secret. Then she started to tell her story.

“I was 8 years old. At the time my mom was busy sewing a blanket. She was putting needle on the blanket, I was sleeping. My brother was taking the needle and he was teasing my mom and running around the room. Suddenly he felt on me. The needle went through in my eye. I suddenly got up. I was screaming. I saw that blood was coming from my eye and tears were flowing from my eyes. At night when my father came home and the next morning he took me to the hospital. At that time we were refugees in Iran. When the doctor checked my eyes, he said that I had lost my one eye and then the doctor put lens in my eye. I couldn’t see clearly from my damaged eye. Finally, my one eye became blind.

My father thought that I would be at home forever. Then he engaged me. My father was addicted to drugs and my mom was washed clothes in a neighbor's home to find money for us. My father swears me not to tell my fiancée about my eye. After some years I got married. When I went to my husband’s home, my in laws had lots of expectation from me, but I couldn’t do the house chores during the night. When I was doing the house work at night, I was falling down. At that time my in-laws were telling me bad words.”

“They were telling me, ‘Don’t you have eyes? Why you are putting your self every where, are you blind? You are acting like you are blind and that we should not ask you to do any work.’ They said if we know that you were blind, so we will get another wife for our son. Our son's future will be destroyed with you. At that time I was asking myself why my father betrayed me and my in laws family. Why didn’t he say all the facts? Why did he marry me off? Lots of questions found its way to my heart. I was crying a lot when I was thinking about my father’s house and their condition. How my mom was working at another's house and my father was using the money on drugs. He was using opium. My mom was sewing blankets for neighbors. I was astonished that my in-laws knew about my eye. Maybe they will take my children from me. Maybe they will divorce me. There fore, silently, I tolerated all their words. One of my sisters in-law was always mistreating me. She behavied very rudely to me and she was telling my husband to beat me. At first my husband accepted whatever his sister said and he was violent with me. Now he knows that I am working with him together. He says nothing to me and he is not beating me. When he didn’t know about the fact he beat me. Other wise he says nothing to me. I secretly go to the other area and work in the other's house and wash their clothes. I work a lot, but I earn very less money. For example, in one day I wash 10 carpets, several clothes, but I earn only 200af. One day I worked and I felt lots of pain. When I came home I couldn’t do the house work and I became very sick. I got a fever. My income was much less. I was very sad.”

“Finally, I decided to take a loan from AWC. By receiving the first loan, I bought string and started to knit. From designs I was knitting. Day by day my life was getting better. My daily income was about 100 af and weekly I was earing 700 af. After that lots of changes came to my life. At first I was eating only once per day. Now I was able to eat 3 time's a day. I was able to buy a rug because I had no rug in my room. I was able to buy house materials. At first we all ate on one plate. Now all of us have separate plates. When I received the second loan I bought good quality strings and continued knitting. Now I could solve my economic problems. I was paying all of the expenses for my children for their school. I sent them back to school. I could cover house expenses but still my problems are not over. My life is full of sorrows and problems. When I had an operation on my eye the doctor advised me to have another operation after 10 years. Otherwise the lens will be destroyed and it will need to be cleaned further. The doctor said if I didn’t take care of it, it will damage my other eye too. Because of the weak economy I can’t afford operation. I have 2 problems. One, that my in-laws don’t know and the other is that I don’t have good enough economic conditions. My operation will cost 7 to 10 thousand af.”

After that Najiba said that she was very glad to meet me. She was able to tell me the pains in her heart. “I hope that before I lose my other eye I am able to see my mom. I want to see my mom because it has been a long time since I have seen her.”

Yes, I was under the violence of my sister in-law. She always tried to make my husband beat me. Now that I stand on my own feet I don’t need them at all. Now I am not under the violence of them. My life became better than before.

I am interested in many skills such as, sewing blankets, beady knit and knitting because this business has good a market and I can earn a good income.

First and second.

I bought knitting materials and I knitted curtains and clothes.

I was in the bazaar at a good rate.

Daily 100 af, weekly 700 af.

After receiving the loan lots of changes took place in my life. I worked at it and I earned a good income. At first I was taking on a lot of pain. I was washing the neighbor's clothes and I was cleaning their house and I was earning less income for it. Now I am working and from the benefit of my income I can afford to pay the expenses of my children for their school. I can cover the house expenses. Now I have saved my life from adversity.

I hope that AWC increases the loan program. I could start another business. I hope that they create good opportunities for women so that they can work and make their lives successful. And there should be a factory that the women can work in.

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