The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women.

Farzana Ibrahimi has created a new brochure for her business in Afghanistan, Kandahar Health & Development Organization. Way to go, Farzana!

A glimpse at the brochure for Kandahar Health & Development Organization.

Click here to download Page 1 of brochure

Click here to download Page 2 of brochure

Technorati Tags: Afghanistan, brochure, business

Peace through business

by Heather Caliendo
The Journal Record August 26, 2009

OKLAHOMA CITY – On a simple bridge in a quiet backyard, a Rwandan and an Oklahoman take a moment to reflect on their journey.

Nadia Keza and Angie Hendricks talk on a bridge on Hendricks’ property in south Oklahoma City. Keza’s stay with Hendricks has built business and cultural bridges for the two women. (Photo by Maike Sabolich)

“We have a great relationship,” said Angie Hendricks, president and chief executive of Bentley Hedges Travel Services in Oklahoma City. “But I think it takes a lot of trust with each other, and that trust will allow us to go forward.”

Lori Rasmussen from OETA’s Oklahoma News Report covers PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students, Saudah Nalule and Roqia Sajjadi, who mentored in the Oklahoma City area. Click here to learn more about OETA.

News9 in OKC and Channel 6 in Tulsa covers 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS student Roqia Sajjadi and Oklahoma City businesswoman Nancy Hyde.

By Melissa Maynarich, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY — A group of business women from Afghanistan have joined in on a mentorship program in an effort to promote “Peace Through Business.”

Twenty-nine women from Afghanistan and Rwanda are in the U.S. to learn how to run a business and the latest technology from local business-women.

The program is called “Peace Through Business.” Roqia Sajjadi traveled from Kabul, Afghanistan to a local CPA’s office in Oklahoma City.

“I learn more and more about management. It’s very useful. It’s very good for me,” Saijadi said.

Saijadi is the owner of her own accounting business in Afghanistan, but she is learning how to better execute operations at her company by the example of her mentor.

“They have employee problems, they have cash flow problems. You know, how do I get the money to do this? How do I serve my clients better? Their issues are the same, and that’s what you find is that we’re all doing the same thing, just a little differently,” said Nancy Hyde, an accountant and Saijadi’s mentor in the “Peace Through Business” program.

Saijadi and Hyde were paired in the program by the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women. In the ”Peace Through Business” program, relationships are fostered to help with economic development in collaborating countries.

The Institute believes this program is an extension of what soldiers are fighting for in the war-weary nation of Afghanistan.

“Creating peace, and freedom, and democracy for their people, and we believe if you educate a women,you educate her family and you educate her village and her community,” said Dr. Terry Neese, Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women founder.

Saijadi plans to return to her country and to her business with the knowledge she gained with her mentor hoping that what she knows now will help make a difference in the future.

“I want from my government help us, support us. Because we are women, and women don’t have any support there. So I need your help, your government’s help, my government’s help and your attention,” Saijadi said.

Once the women complete the program, they are committed to communicating with their mentors for at least one year.

Next week, all 29 women in the program are traveling to Dallas to meet and talk with former first lady Laura Bush

Leadership Development week is already half way complete. The 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students made

Northwood Professor Barbara Vogler hands 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Rwandan student Jane Natukunda a rose during the opening welcoming ceremony on Monday morning.

it through the first weekend — jet lag and all — and were primed and ready for classes to start. Every day, our Afghan and Rwandan students gain more energy, more excitement and more empowerment!

The opening ceremony on Monday morning by Northwood University was as tender as it was beautiful. As Dr. Kevin Fegan, Provost of Northwood, welcomed the students, he emphasized the importance of education.

“As teachers, your opportunity is to always help students know what they don’t know that they need to know,” he said.

After Dr. Fegan welcomed the women as Northwood Knights, each of the Afghan and Rwandan students were “knighted by roses,” as each student received a single rose from the Northwood team.

As Dr. Fegan put it: one giving to another is one of the most important symbols we have.

Lydie Hakizimana stands with Nancy Hyde, Oklahoma City businesswoman who led a session on the importance of finances in a business.

After the students’ knighthood, day one soon kicked off a full morning full of financials — business plans — profits — you name it — with Oklahoma City business woman Nancy Hyde leading the way. Lunch blew in another Oklahoman down to the great state of Texas: Brian Bush from Oklahoma Christian University. His speech focused on what this week is really about: leadership.

“The networking opportunity you make this week will be invaluable to you and the success of your business,” he declared. “My challenge to you is ‘women rock the boat!’”

Monday afternoon focused on marketing and the real life stories of American women business owners — from Dallas specifically, including Nina Vaca, Terri Quinton, Gail Warrior and Patricia Christian Rodriguez. It was by far one of the students’ most favorite panels thus far. Why? Because these American women were real in sharing their life stories; they exposed the challenges they have faced as women and as business owners. They found the common threads between the American woman business owner and the Afghan and Rwandan woman business owner.

“I loved Nina,” 2009 Rwandan student Francoise Uwamwezi boasted. “I think she is similar to me — she has four kids; I have six. I think we are the same. She was talking about her life like it was mine.”

Lunch brought on more leadership — servant leadership to be exact, presented by Nan Ellen Nelson, a true leader in women’s issues.

“As servant leaders, you must humble yourself,” she explained as she challenged the women to their own leadership launch.

Her presentation was interactive and engaging. When asking the students the meaning behind self discovery, Deborah Kagwisagye answered:

“Finding your inner self, what you’re made of, what you are able of accomplishing, and the potentials within.”

As Nelson asked the women to think about the ways to improve self discovery, the ideas chimed in from around the room:

“Accountability and transparency.”

Nan Ellen Nelson, daughter of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), helped the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS class "unleash the leader within through self-discovery."

“Honesty.”

“Walk the talk.”

“Doing the right thing when no one’s watching.”

“Selfless.”

“Flexibility.”

As you can already tell, our 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS class is well on its way to bringing change and leadership back to its countries. Their eagerness to learn grows by the day — by the session — by the speaker!

On Tuesday afternoon, the students were given a new empowerment tool — a highlighter from Northwood Professor Sabine Adams, department chair of banking and finance.

After much research into both countries, Professor Adams went into an in-depth discussion about the economic situations in Afghanistan and Rwanda. The students couldn’t get enough of her!

“Dr. Sabine’s teaching was full of energy — and when she was teaching, all of the students were not tired,” said 2009 Afghan student, Farzana Ebrahimi.

Professor Adams with 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students (from left) Immy Kamarade, Asma Ataie, Shakila Rozbeh and Frozan Raufi.

Fellow Afghan student, Khalida Dunya, shared that same respect.

“The lecture of Sabine was a highlight of my week, because when she lectured, we could get everything,” she said. “She gave us very brief information about the comparative advantage for all three countries – Afghanistan, Rwanda and America.”

The importance of community was truly the spotlight of Tuesday night. Community officials and leaders from Cedar Hill all gathered together at Northwood to mingle and honor the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students.

The turnout was incredible! And the two proclamations issued by both Dallas County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield and Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke took the students by surprise.

In Dallas County, August has now been officially declared PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS month and in the city of Cedar

2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS facilitators, Eron Asiimwe and Manizha Wafeq, stand proudly next to Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke after he announced a proclamation from the ciy of Cedar Hill that Aug. 11 is declared "PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Day."

Hill, Aug. 11 is now PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS day. Our program just keeps expanding; our outreach ever-growing.

The 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Afghan students arrive in the U.S. after their long journey.

Well, the eagles have landed. The Afghan and Rwandan women of the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program have arrived to their final destination: Dallas, Texas … America! It only took six groups of flights, five airport shuttle runs, 12 (temporarily) missing pieces of luggage and three trips to Wal-Mart … but the women are safe and sound and so happy and grateful to be in the United States and for this opportunity of a lifetime.

The Afghan women were the first to arrive, and after flying from Kabul to Dubai (16 hours straight in the air) to Atlanta and then to Dallas, needless to say, they were tired.  But, that didn’t stop them from giving their “Rwandan friends” (as they called them) a warm welcome when they arrived on campus several hours later. In the midst of eating dinner, as the Rwanda women entered the dining hall, every single one of the Afghan women immediately stopped eating, stood up from their seats and extended hands and hugs.

The global adventure for these women has begun. Farghana Alimy, a boutique owner from Afghanistan said it best in her introduction during the day’s cultural exchange.

“I’ve come here to connect Afghan women with a global world.”

The Institute couldn’t have put it better. In bringing these two cultures together on the same campus this year, the

Immy Kamarade as she introduced herself to the full PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS group.

door to international partnership opportunities has truly been opened. Immy Kamarade, who owns and operates a coffee plantation from Rwanda, expressed her eagerness to pay forward the knowledge she will gain from her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program … even before her Leadership Development has begun.

“I just sat down and thought about it, and the effort that this has taken,” she said. “I want to thank the Institute for this seed of love. Where there is love, all will be well. And I promise to plant that seed when I return to my country.”

Despite their distinct differences, the women from each country are finding the similarities between them. One of the Rwandan women helped break the ice with laughter.

“I’m not married, and I’m still searching,” she began. “So, if you know anybody – American, Afghan – I don’t mind.”

Laughter filled the room.

Their goals are big and their spirits are high. Annette Karenzi, owner of a Curves-type gym, is no exception.

“My dream is to own a five-star hotel,” she said proudly during her introduction.

We are only two days into the program, and there are so many more to come. This year’s group of women are phenomenal – we know that they have the ability to bring change to their countries – and bring peace through business.

Shahrbanoo Rezai, who owns an almond packaging company in Afghanistan spoke of the woman’s role in rebuilding Afghanistan and creating peace.

“I come from a province that is very deprived and very poor, because it was just established six years ago,” she explained. “But, I am so happy to be an Afghan and to belong to one country. We see the impact of the past and now the present – and now, we the Afghan people really want just peace. At least we can try for our future.”

Hamida, a 30 year old businesswoman from Kabul, Afghanistan, is putting her unique sense of style to good use. Hamida is in the midst of launching her new business that specializes in distributing handmade goods and accessories.

While growing up, Hamida let her imagination and creativity run wild and would often be the one who was called on to pick her sisters’ and mothers’ outfits and even decorate their homes.

Using this ability, Hamida founded a business in which she buys handmade crafts from people in Kabul and surrounding villages and sells them in Pakistan. She has seen a wide range of success so far and with formal business training, she is sure to build on that.

On top of running her newly formed business, Hamida also serves as an Administrative Officer for the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.

Despite being busy beyond belief, Hamida has still found time to look to the future and knows that her upcoming trip to America will continue to aid her development.

“I believe that this training will bring new enhancements, new ways of expressing my business, and help my business become distinguished from the [competition] in Afghanistan.”

Farghana, a 20 year old businesswoman from Kabul, Afghanistan, has proven herself to be one of Afghanistan’s most up and coming businesswomen. What started as a dream to own her own retail store while living in her temporary refuge of Peshawar, Pakistan during the Taliban’s insurrection has become a reality.  After being involved in the operation of her uncle’s cosmetic’s shop, Farghana looked to the future to start her own store.

Upon returning to Afghanistan, Farghana and her mother opened up their own retail clothing store in Kabul. But that was just the beginning.

She now owns and operates her own retail clothing store in one of the city’s biggest markets. What makes her position even more unique is the fact that she is the only female shop owner in the market.  On top of running her store, Farghana also serves as the manager of the Trader Woman’s Association in Kabul.

Although Farghana treads uncharted waters being a female business owner in an all male market, she doesn’t let that bother her. She chooses to look at the business end of things.

“The most important thing at this market is the quality of our products. We are trying to have the best quality,”

Razia, a 30 year old businesswoman from Kabul, Afghanistan, has proven to shown tact and altruism in the business world from day 1. After marrying her husband and immigrating to Iran during the Taliban’s oppressive reign in the earlier part of the decade, Razia first became involved in politics.

Her husband, who served as the First Secretary at Afghan Embassy in Tehran, Iran, opened the door for her to become assertive in a work environment. Here, Razia became a member of the Executive of Diplomatic Ladies Group. This group was charged with a host of responsibilities including sponsoring charity events and reaching out to other embassies.

Since moving back to Afghanistan, Razia has joined a group similar to the one she was a member in during her stay in Tehran. On top of that, she has become an affluent contributor in business.

After working with a pottery and sewing business for several years, Razia has decided to open her own shop specializing in the same field. She feels that in doing so, she can make a difference in not only her life but in the lives of women all over Afghanistan.

“Women in Afghanistan are confined for different reasons…the main reason is lack of ownership. Men have it and women don’t,” said Razia.  “I want to open my own shop and achieve this goal of [ownership] and beat these difficulties.”

Asma, a 23 year old businesswoman from Kabul, Afghanistan, has brought new ideological thought to the way business is done in her country. After the Taliban’s rule came to an end in Afghanistan, Asma began thinking of ways to empower women in her newly liberated home country.

She first reached out to several services providers and entrepreneurs, but quickly she realized that most of them had no idea what systematic business training was. Seeing this, Asma started a small business development firm, which provides BDS (Business Development Services) to growing and budding businesses.

Asma feels that this is the best way she can help her country and her fellow countrywomen.

“I started BDS training [in hopes] of establishing many business associations for women. I want to help them generate income and help men and women [alike].”