Afghan women take part in the vocational training program in Kabul
Students from five schools across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have been challenging each other to spend only one loonie a day, for 10 straight days as part of the Canadian Red Cross Dollar a Day campaign. That means no movies, no fast food or other small purchases that we all typically take for granted. Think about it. How many of us go an entire day without spending more than a dollar?
The amount is symbolic. Many Afghan women survive on less than one dollar every single day. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about issues like poverty and lack of access to basic services and even education for women in Afghanistan. The campaign goes further and encourages students to fundraise to support a Canadian Red Cross program that empowers women in Afghanistan.
This week, as they conclude the campaign and mark International Women’s Day, the students got to hear Faisal Mahboob from the Canadian Red Cross shared some first-hand stories about Afghan women involved in the vocational training program in Kabul offered by the Canadian Red Cross and the Afghan Red Crescent.
The participants in the vocational training program, many of them widows or women who have wounded during conflict, learn useful skills like tailoring or embroidering that will help find work. It’s a small step to helping them improve their lives and be able to provide for their families.
Faisal Mahboob is also giving a public presentation focusing on Afghan women and the vocational training program in Charlottetown on March 8 at 7 pm, room 328 in McDougall Hall at UPEI.