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Mehnaz, 35, was born in Dhenda, a village in district Haripur. In the 1980s, her parents moved to Pakistan after the Afghan jihad following which her father was unable to earn a decent livelihood. The few small jobs that he did only helped bring a very small income home. As a result, Mehnaz and her family suffered from poverty and hardship. As per family tradition, Mehnaz was married to a man from her clan but despite making compromises, her marriage fell apart. Back at her parents’ home with her now year-old son, Mehnaz felt that she had added to the existing financial worries of her family. Without a place to turn to for help, she found herself falling into depression. It was during this low that she found out about the Community World Service Asia’s training in the Dhenda area. In just her second month in the dress designing trade, she was getting orders from people; she now earns about PKR 300/ per day.

Mehnaz’s determination to raise her son independently as well as contribute to household expenses led her to successfully establish a tailoring center for women in Dhenda. Currently, she is an instructor at the center with 20 women under her training. Her story is one of resilience to overwhelming circumstances and her passion to work despite tremendous challenges truly inspirational.

DurationAug 15, 2015Mar 31, 2016
LocationDistrict Sujawal of Sindh Province, Pakistan
Key Activities
  • Free Medical Consultations through Mobile health clinics
  • Provision of Free Medicines
  • Ante Natal and Post Natal Care Services
  • Sessions on Health and Hygiene issues
Participants20,000 flood affected people

DurationSep 07, 2015Mar 06, 2016
LocationDistrict Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Key Activities
  • Vocational Trainings to Afghan refugee and Pakistani girls
Participants50 (45 Afghan refugees and 5 Pakistani girls)

PhasePhase OnePhase Two
DurationSep 07, 2014Sep 06, 2015
LocationMansehra and Haripur Districts (Afghan Refugees Camps and surrounding host community)
Key Activities
  • Provide vocational skills to 216 Afghan refugees (144 men and 72 women) and 144 Pakistanis (96 men and 48 women) from the host community to earn dignified livelihood through vocational training.
  • Trades included in the vocational training program are: tailoring, motorcycle repairing, electrical work, and welding for men and dress designing/tailoring and handicraft for women.
  • Secure employment for and increase household income of 513 previously-trained and 360 newly trained graduates.
Participants360 (240 male and 120 Female) Training participants
270 Previous male graduates: Marketing/linkages:
370 (100 women and 270 men): Refresher/advance training:
216 (100 women & 116 men): Employment/linkages of newly trained graduates
240 Women: Enterprise development training
20 (10 men and 10 women): Small medium enterprises
100 Graduates (men): Linkages/employment in Afghanistan
30 Graduates (women): Exhibition

PhasePhase OnePhase Two
DurationJul 01, 2010
LocationMansehra and Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan
Key Activities
  • Skills training in auto mechanics, carpentry, electrical works, masonry, plumbing, welding, dress designing and handicrafts
  • Training on market behavior
  • Career counselling
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) writing skills
Participants1,005 male Afghan refugees and members of host communities
510 female Afghan refugees and members of host communities

I now play an important role in my family’s livelihood. We spend most of this money on nutritional needs and also health and clothing needs…I will invest some of the net profit in order to make my business more stable and productive.

Majid Khan, vocational training participant who opened his own business