Sharifa’s Story: 
The triumph of a female entrepreneur

Sharifa’s story bears witness to the power of resilience and how much a woman can accomplish in the face of adversity. She is an entrepreneur whose triumphs are bigger than the problems surrounding her exile. 

Having fled to Iran from Afghanistan 10 years ago, Sharifa didn’t have any opportunities to speak of. She had to work long hours secretly at home as refugees were not allowed to work or establish their own business. She looks back on these 10 years as the most difficult of her life.   

After returning home to Kabul, Sharifa established her own business and began sewing clothes at home using a single machine. She was introduced to the SBT program ran by RET Germany at Dasht-e-Barchi education center, in Kabul. There, she didn’t only attend vocational trainings, but also learnt to keep books and improve her business. At the end of the program the SBT team members gave her a sewing machine as well as an iron and measuring tools for fabric. Sharifa was also given control of funds to hire an employee. Sharifa’s business is now thriving and she is able to produce a larger amount of clothes with the help of RET Germany. 

RET Germany would like to thank the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany for their endless support in Afghanistan.