Educating Girls in Afghanistan

Educating Girls in Afghanistan– We met Wendy Summer last year at a sale of handcrafted and one of a kind items. She introduced me to her company Zaanha and immediately I was taken in by her exuberance. I pledged Womanswork to participate in her newly formed Zaanha Fund to sponsor the education of a girl in Kabul, Afghanistan named Nilab.

Through The Zaanha Fund Nilab went to public school this year instead of spending her days on the streets of Kabul. Wendy is so impressed with Nilab, and her mother, who has four daughters and wants to see them educated (not a widely held attitude there), that she hopes to eventually send Nilab to private school.

Wendy recounts how her business came about:“ In 2003, through the Business Council for Peace, I met and have been mentoring Afghan women entrepreneurs, teaching them to run and grow their businesses. I’ve made multiple visits to Afghanistan and have been privileged to meet the families of these women and learn first hand the fervent desire the parents have to see their children educated.”

Wendy’s work with Afghan artisans led her to offer many beautiful handcrafted items on her website at www.zaanha.com.  A portion of all sales goes to her Zaanha Fund to educate young Afghan girls.

On her most recent trip to Kabul Wendy took a group of students she sponsors to a mall. They had been admiring her sunglasses so she bought a pair for each of them. Says Wendy,”It was a nice way to reward them for working hard in school.”  Zaanha welcomes all who wish to become involved in its efforts to send Afghan children to school. You can contact Wendy Summer through her website www.zaanha.com.