By: Shukria Kohistani
Aryana Sayeed, one of the country’s top and famous artists, has opened Afghan-made fashion trade center in Kabul, the capital. Mrs. Sayeed says investment on Afghan women has been her long dream that has come true now.
In opening ceremony of the fashion center held with a number of Afghan women entrepreneurs, artists and journalists in Kabul, the country’s top singer said opening of this fashion trade center was aimed at self-sufficiency of Afghan women who have had big achievements in the past 20 years and do not want their achievements to be ignored in peace talks with the Taliban group.
This comes amid increasing wave of concern over future of Afghanistan and insecurities in the country. Aryana Sayeed, the country’s top Afghan star encouraged Afghan women to make further efforts towards self-sufficiency in the country.
“My dream was to have some investment in Afghanistan. My message to Afghan women is that they should struggle, be self-sufficient, study and work and should not lose themselves,” Mrs. Sayeed said, hoping that Afghanistan will reach bright future.
She said that she spent 8 million AFG (about $100,000) to create a factory to produce her clothing products in Kabul city. The clothing features modern designs sewn by Afghan women. The store officially opened after a fashion show with models walking a red carpet. Aryana Sayeed and her production people have been working for almost a year to bring their clothes to the market.
Meanwhile, a number of Afghan women entrepreneurs who participated in the opening ceremony of the fashion center asked all sides to ongoing conflict to stop war and pave the way for Afghan women to investment and work in the country.
“During the past 20 years, Afghan women have been able to almost reach self-sufficiency in domestic and home-made products particularly handicrafts. Some even invested and opened some businesses in the country,” said Nargis, an Afghan entrepreneur.
She said that the Afghan-made products had good markets not only inside the country but also beyond Afghanistan borders and world countries. According to Nargis, in current circumstances in which Afghans are kept in dark in connection with the country’s future I hope Taliban should not stop Afghan women working outside.
“We’re a new generation and want to live in peace in our country. Afghan women want to get education and work. As a woman, entrepreneur and investor, I don’t know what will happen in future. Nobody can guarantee the future,” Nargis said.
Following surge in Taliban attacks and violence across the country as well as falling dozens of districts to the hand of the group, concerns over future of the country have increased among the people particularly the Afghan women. A number of Afghan women by welcoming the opening the fashion center in Kabul city praised Aryana Sayeed’s for the step towards investment and working for Afghan women in the country, saying that Afghan women should invest inside the country and should not lose their morale.
It is worth mentioning that Aryana is a singer, songwriter, and TV personality from Afghanistan. Born in 1985 in Kabul to a Pashto-speaking father and a Dari-speaking mother, Aryana left her country when she was eight years old.
