The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women.

NAME: Parinaz Hissami

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

BUSINESS: MEDA (business development)

Parinaz, 23 years old, works as a business development manager for MEDA, which works with 2,250 rural female farmers in Afghanistan.

While the organization reaches over 2,000 women directly, it reaches 10,000 family members indirectly.

In addition to providing farming activities, MEDA helps these women turn their farming projects into viable businesses. As a business development manager, Parinaz provides training and support. Parinaz is passionate about her business because it allows her to take part in the development of her country, to help bring peace to families and their communities and to make a positive change.

Parinaz says that her commitment to Afghanistan is in a fundamental way a part of her search for my own identity and moral fulfillment. She has learned that education is of the utmost importance, and her training in business administration and management has engrossed her in Afghanistan’s business development. She has carefully observed development policies, short-term approaches, lack of capacities, and coordination gaps among the different line organizations.

After learning about the Institute, Parinaz believes the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program can help Afghan women develop their businesses in a successful and professional way.

Over the next five years, Parinaz wants to see that all of the women she helps can legally own businesses in their own names.

“My main goal is to have a life-altering opportunity and to equip myself with modern theoretical knowledge in the field of business development. This program will help me to better understand the complex business issues and alternative solutions that can be effective.”

NAME: Mariam Alimi

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

BUSINESS: Photography

Mariam, 29 years old, owns a photography business in Kabul. Mariam is passionate about her photography business, because she feels the need for a female photojournalist to help tell the story of Afghanistan, especially Afghan women, is so great. After three decades of war, Mariam says women face so many problems.

Mariam has discovered that there photography opportunities are few and far between, but she knows that her photography will help open eyes of people within and outside of her country. To help improve her skills, Mariam began providing photos to newsletters to help enhance articles.

Thus far, Mariam has freelanced for various organizations, calendars and exhibitions, including the Danish D Group, UNAMA, Maiwand Bank, Habibullah Haseeb Printing and Advertising.

In April 2007, one of her photos appeared on the cover of Afghan Scene magazine.

Over the next five years, Mariam hopes to learn more about the photography business and teach the trade to more women in Afghanistan. She is currently taking journalism classes.

By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Mariam hopes to share experiences with her fellow countrywomen and learn new ideas to help bring change to the lives of Afghan women.

“I know it is difficult for me and few others women who want to have their rights from different fields, which looked like black road in our ways to improve, but I believe nothing is impossible. I have to be ready to face with all, all means myself to make sure in way not lose my power and courage to not be able to go ahead.”

NAME: Hamid Hangama

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

BUSINESS: BARAN None Governmental Organization (obstetrics and gynecology health services)

Hamid, 36 years old, owns BARAN None Governmental Organization, which provides training of health services for Afghan mothers and newborn children. The company’s goal is to improve the health services of Afghanistan through the private sector.

Hamid wants to improve her country’s high mother mortality ratio, which is currently 1600/100,000. Through her company, she hopes to give Afghan mothers and infants more access to health services.

BARAN has four trainers, one medical doctor, two midwives and one nurse. Hamid opened BARAN a little over two years ago, and she owns 100 percent. She hopes to increase her staff and their expertise and knowledge.

Outside of BARAN, Hamid works full time in many roles with the Ministry of Public Health.

NAME: Taiba Ghafoori

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

BUSINESS: QAFILA (handicrafts)

Taiba, 23 years old, runs QAFILA, a handicraft business that specializes in clothes, scarves, curtains, cushions, sheets, purses and more.

Taiba is a member of the Afghanistan Women Business Federation, and in addition to running her business for the past six years, she currently works for the Ministry of Finance in Afghanistan.

Taiba and her business partners decided to start QAFILA after they had seen so many women who were unable to turn their talent to a profit, because they were either financially unable to purchase the raw materials or their families would not allow them to have any contact with people at the market.

QAFILA provides women with the raw materials for handicraft production and also takes the products to the marketplace, paying the women their deserved wages.

Taiba hopes to make her business her one and only full-time job by increasing its profitability and finding more markets for her business’ products. It is for these exact reasons she applied for PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS: to learn how to generate more revenue and increase her marketing. She also wants to develop her business management skills.

Taiba considers her strengths to be showing initiative, responsibility and dedication. Though she is still working to develop QAFILA, Taiba’s entrepreneurial spirit has her already thinkig of her next enterprising – either producing sugar or stating a kindergarten.

NAME: Masouma Abdollahi

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

BUSINESS: ASAP Development of Afghans Family Organization (business training)

Masouma, 26 years old, has just recently started up her business, which is aimed at empowering Afghan women in order to make a positive impact on Afghan society. She wants to help women believe in themselves again, and make them apart of Afghanistan’s redevelopment.

ASAP Development of Afghans Family Organization with help provide women with the skills needed to gain employment. Her first training will focus on jewelry making.

The business first focuses on literate and educated women, especially those who are already studying at high-education institutes. Training programs include: female participation in development, gender, general basic management, planning, team building, decision-making, leadership development, office management, financial management, reporting, monitoring, supervision and evaluation, marketing and information technology.

Masouma’s business goals are to invoke change in both the attitudes and work capacity of Afghan women.

By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Masouma hopes to build a better business plan and further develop her organization.

NAME: Marcelline Uwizeye

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: B&M Styles (designer boutique)

Marcelline, 30 years old, owns B&M Styles, a boutique that specializes in designer clothing. Before she was married, Marcelline worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a job she didn’t really love. After talking to her husband about her passion for business and style, she decided to start up her own boutique. With its two employees, B&M Styles offers its customers designer clothes, shoes, bags, as well as traditional wear. The business also sells material for tailoring outfits.

Over the next five years, Marcelline hopes to expand her shop and open more branches in cities outside of Kigali. She would also like to purchase sewing machines so that she can begin designing her own clothing line.

Marcelline looks forward to her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training for many reasons, including meeting with other businesswomen and learning about customer care and what more ideas she could incorporate into her boutique.

NAME: Chantal Uwimpuhwe

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Grill and BBQ Corner Restaurant (restaurant)

Chantal, 38 years old, co-owns Grill and BBQ Corner Restaurant.

Chantal opened her restaurant’s doors after she and her husband combined their savings and approached the bank for a loan.

The restaurant’s 17 employees serve their customers with a worldly dining experience. The international cuisine includes Indian, Chinese and African selections. Lunch buffet is served Monday through Friday.

Chantal’s future goals include priding her restaurant with the best service in the entire country, to open more restaurants, as well as juice bars and potato corners in the city and in other districts. She also wants to open a health retreat center, where people can come to learn about nutrition.

Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Chantal hopes to improve upon her business plan, and to become more aware of what obstacles her business faces.

NAME: Beltrida Uwamwezi

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Solidarity Academy School (secondary school)

Beltrida, 47 years old, co-owns a secondary private school in Rwanda, Solidarity Academy School.

After the genocide in 1994, Beltrida returned to Rwanda from diaspora and with permission from the authorities, borrowed the school in her neighborhood. The previous owners had fled the country, leaving the school perfectly in tact. Fifteen years later, Beltrida has 37 teachers and support staff at her school.

The school follows the national curriculum, and students take their national exams and those who receive national certificates go onto a university-level education.

Beltrida’s business goals over the next five years include increasing the number of students who pass the national exam. She also wants to find more ways to contribute to her country’s development and to help more students and teachers learn and adopt the English language, since it is so universally used at institutions of education. She would also like to increase her employees’ salaries and be able to renovate the school itself.

By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Beltrida hopes to gain more knowledge about proper financial and resource management, human resources, and accountability.

Growing up in a family of all girls, Betrida was often told by her family members that she would never achieve anything for herself and her family. But her mother believed in her and fought for her education. But after attending school, Beltrida realized that she did have something to offer to society.

Years later, when trying to re-open the school, Beltrida was met with the same opposition – that as a woman, she could not accomplish this task. But her zeal to work and serve her community proved otherwise.

“To me, this was great achievement in life, and as a woman I felt big inside myself, feeling that with determination I can always make it!”

NAME: Angelique Uwamariya

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Eden Events & Décor (bridal wear)

Angelique, 36 years old, owns Eden Events & Décor, which focuses on tailoring bridal gowns. She first started by helping to dress brides in cultural attire. It was only natural that she started designing and sewing both bridal and bridesmaid gowns.

With her two employees, Angelique schedules appointments with brides months in advance of the wedding to discuss their vision and dream for their weddings. Angelique also helps find the right colors for complexions. Eventually, she wants to expand her shop to include a full wedding service packages, including wedding planning and a beauty salon for make up, hair dressing, manicures, pedicures and facial treatments.

Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Angelique hopes to learn more about event planning, customer care, organization and how to successfully expand her company into all of Rwanda’s provinces.

NAME: Diana Umurungi

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Fastcom Limited (business management consultant)

Diana, 34 years old, owns the newly formed Fastcom Limited, which specializes in the business management consultancy.

With its two employees, the company goes beyond consultancy to also provide event planning, communications and designing.

Over the next five years, Diana hopes to reach half of Kigali’s population, to provide the best services and to be self-sustainable and well-equipped.

By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Diana wants to learn more about marketing, management and customer care. She looks forward to interacting with fellow businesswomen. Diana is in her final year of earning a bachelor’s degree in business management.

“I strongly believe that one day, I will be the best known strong entrepreneur in Rwanda and the region with excellent services. My motto is “the sky is limit.”