Goldsmith training program
The job situation in Afghanistan is currently catastrophic: unemployment has almost doubled since the Taliban came to power. The chance of securing an apprenticeship is slim – especially for people with physical disabilities. Added to this is the de facto government’s ban on girls attending school from the 7th grade onward, and the ban on women working in certain professions, where they are no longer permitted to do so at all.
Trotz der weiterhin unsicheren Lage in Afghanistan starten wir ein ganz neues Projekt: ein Ausbildungsprogramm für Männer mit Kriegsverletzungen und angeborenen Körperbehinderungen in Kabul zu Schmuckschmiede, die auf dem bereits schwierigen Arbeitsmarkt durch ihre körperlichen Einschränkungen weniger Chancen haben. Aufgrund der aktuell bestehenden Verbote für Frauen in Afghanistan ist die Zielgruppe der ersten Testphase des Programms auf Männer ausgelegt. Durch die sehr wenigen Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten, die Frauen noch ausüben dürfen, ist es umso wichtiger, dass wenigstens die Männer Einkommen für die Familie generieren können. Das Ausbildungsprogramm beeinflusst The training program therefore not only directly .
Thanks to your donations, we were able to secure important pillars of the program in a doubling campaign with the Aurora Borealis 2022 endowment fund. Firstly, the technical equipment of the training center in Kabul, and secondly, the salaries of the training goldsmith masters, the project manager and the training salary of the 15 program participants.
ABOUT THE TRAINING PROJECT: FEMALE JEWELERS IN KABUL
The training program for jewelry makers creates realistic and, above all, diverse employment opportunities in the art of blacksmithing for men with war injuries and congenital physical disabilities. The nine-month training program includes extensive practical training in which participants learn the various skills of the trade. Theoretical knowledge is also taught, covering various disciplines from English lessons to marketing, design and accounting. In addition to theoretical and practical training phases, In addition to theoretical and practical training phases, the aim of the training program is to enable participants to work independently or as employees and to build a network with other goldsmiths.
INITIAL SITUATION
The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan since August 2021. Their takeover marks a dramatic turning point in the country’s political and economic progress. Exacerbated by global inflation and foreign sanctions, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is worse than ever. With an unemployment rate of 18.5% in 2022, almost one in five people in Afghanistan is unemployed – compared to 11.71% in 2020. This high unemployment further contributes to a shortage of training opportunities and limited job prospects for school leavers.
Due to the bans on girls and women in place since the Taliban took power, which severely restrict their access to education, the training program, in its initial pilot phase, is aimed at men with war injuries and congenital physical disabilities. Because of their physical limitations, they also constitute a vulnerable population group and have fewer opportunities for income in the already challenging job market. Given the very limited employment opportunities currently available to women, it is all the more crucial that at least the men can generate income for their families. The training program therefore not only directly impacts the participants but also their families—and thus indirectly, women and children as well.
SOLUTION
The training program to become a jeweler includes 15 places for men aged 18-40. The age range of participants is deliberately broad. This allows both school graduates and men who, due to their physical disabilities, have fewer opportunities to find suitable employment in the “regular” job market to participate in the training program. Vocational training offers them the opportunity to improve their family’s financial situation in the long term.
During the nine-month training program, participants receive both practical training as a jewelry maker and theoretical training. The practical part of the training consists of three phases: teaching the basics, consolidating what has been learned and specializing in the craft, and making your own pieces of jewelry. Knowledge of English and marketing is particularly valuable in materials purchasing and sales and is therefore also included in the training plan. A broad program of different workshops is also part of the training. They impart basic knowledge in the areas of health, accounting, design and self-employment.
The program’s goal is to enable participants, upon successful completion of the training program, to become self-employed or to accept employment in a sheltered workshop. To strengthen their position for entering the job market, participants receive an individual starter kit – tailored specifically to their needs.
Together with you and the Aurora Borealis Foundation Fund, we were able to achieve the first milestone in project financing in 2022. The basic elements of the training program cost €25,000: the salaries of the instructor and trainees, the management of the training center, and the technical equipment. The Aurora Borealis endowment funds double every donation up to this goal!
WHY TRAIN AS A JEWELRY MAKER?
PROJECT PARTNER: DAART
DAARTT
DAARTT – Danish Assistance to Afghan Rehabilitation and Technical Training – was founded in 2003 by Danish People’s Aid (DPA) with the aim of promoting education in Afghanistan through the construction of educational facilities and the provision of technical training. Since then, DAARTT has built more than 200 buildings and provided training for various courses for employees of Afghan ministries as well as for the various target groups of the educational centers. The core staff consists of highly experienced Afghan employees. In addition, DAARTT can draw on a network of international experts.
OHW
OHW (Organization for Human Welfare) was founded in 2007 with the aim of providing humanitarian aid and promoting development cooperation for people in need in Afghanistan. The organization employs over 400 people, 120 of whom are women. Following the principle “by women for women”, they set a good example for the local communities. OHW can draw on successful and extensive project implementations, a strong network and local support to ensure feasibility in the fragile context of Afghanistan. We have also already worked successfully with them as part of the earthquake emergency aid reconstruction project in Herat.
About the Aurora Borealis Endowment Fund
The Aurora Borealis endowment fund, which is financed by an IT company, was established at the beginning of the 2000s via the GLS Treuhand umbrella foundation. To date, the focus of the endowment fund has been on the targeted promotion of projects in Nepal. Support for Visions for Children e.V. has expanded the endowment fund portfolio to include Afghanistan as a project country since 2019.
ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
Extension of the project
The project for the first cohort of trainees has been extended. The participants crafted rings, necklaces, and bracelets in the jewelry-making workshop and made progress in setting jewelry. They also improved their English skills in reading, listening, grammar, and communication.
GREAT PROGRESS
The participants have made great progress in the production of jewelry settings.
Their English skills have also improved significantly through language and communication exercises, enabling them to communicate appropriately in English in their everyday lives.
KNOWLEDGE ENHANCEMENT
The project for the first year of apprenticeships has been extended. With our local partners from OHW, the group will now gain even deeper insights into the art of jewelry making.
STRUCTURE BASICS
The theoretical foundations are reinforced through English lessons and workshops in design and marketing. Furthermore, the trainees have expanded their skills and can now produce their first various jewelry designs.
OFFICIAL START OF TRAINING
The training program has started.
The English lessons and the introductory courses for jewelry making have already taken place.
