AFGHAN WOMEN ‘NOODLE’ NEW IDEAS IN AGRIBUSINESS!✨💫 Since 2002, Roots of Peace is proud to support the entrepreneurial spirit of Afghan women, as they start successful new business models amidst the great challenges they are facing. As women around the world know, we must be innovative in feeding our children amidst the perils of war. In August 2021, ‘Latifah’, age 54, was a proud Professor of Physics at the University of Kabul when she suddenly lost her job due to the political collapse in Afghanistan. The strict new regime did not women to work outside of their homes, and her husband immediately left the country out of desperation--leaving her to support their five children. The situation was bleak, but Latifa decided to turn this crisis into an opportunity! Latifah had an idea to start a Spaghetti Factory! She sold all of her valuable jewelry, and purchased a old noodle machine which was placed on a cement floor which was too cold to work in the Winter, and too hot to work in a small space during the Summer. Roots of Peace recognized her challenges, and provided a grant to purchase modern equipment, a drying room, solar panels and air conditioning units. She began producing delicious noodles which were sold throughout her village, and there was a great demand for increasing her business to feed her community! The strict new laws required that Afghan women must be escorted by a ‘mahram’—a male relative to escort women covered with head scarfs, as they are not allowed to travel for more than 72km (45 miles) from their homes. So, Latifah began to hire Afghan women, and each morning the their fathers or brothers would personally escort them to the spahghetti factory to work for pay. And, each evening these same women would return to their home with delicious noodles to feed their families. The stomachs of their children were full, and the men craved these noodles and shared these delicious culinary recipe with their neighbors! Today, there are over 50 women working at Latifah’s Spaghetti Noodle Factory! Many of the women she has hired are former professionals who also suddenly lost their jobs in August 2021 and were confined to their homes. Now, women are able to leave their homes with the proper male escort, and return home with delicious noodles! The males in the family love the return on the investment, and take women back each morning for ‘more noodles’ where Afghan women hand-make these nutritious foods and share renewed friendships outside of their homes. “Afghan women are creative, and make all kinds of nutritional recipes with noodles, and it is important that it is not imported from Pakistan and Iran, but made locally in our homeland!”, stated Latifah. Women’s economic empowerment is one of our top priorities at Roots of Peace! DONATE: www.rootsofpeace.org World Food Prize Foundation
A very great and significant work
President & Executive Director at Resource Center for the Chemically Dependent Inc DBA Morris County Aftercare Center & Sussex County Aftercare Center
1wHeidi Kuhn, Roots of Peace is changing the way our Afghan women and their families are coping with the tremendous challenges that they are facing.Having my family lived in Kabul, Afghanistan for over 4 years and worked for UNICEF & UNDP, your phenomenal mission in Afghanistan is as brilliant as the sun. May the wind be always at your back. Tashakor, bisyur! Salaamalaykum, Heidi.