Embassy Welcomes Afghan Women Entrepreneurs
Chargé d’Affaires Mrs.Khojesta Ebrahimkhel invited a delegation of Afghan businesswomen under the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative and the Thunderbird Project Artemis program to tea at the embassy. The women were in Washington, DC to attend the US-Afghan Women’s Council meeting.
Mrs. Ebrahimkhel opened the afternoon’s activities with a few remarks: “Our recent meetings at the State Department and Georgetown University with Secretary Clinton, Ambassador Verveer, and Ambassador Holbrooke were a great introduction for me to the US-Afghan Women’s Council, your current projects, and your future plans. The kind of information about your experiences that you can offer me and my colleagues at the embassy will help us to assist you to communicate your experiences with others. I hope that the US-Afghan Women’s Council members will continue to look to the Embassy of Afghanistan as a resource now and into the future. We remain at your disposal”.
The women and their sponsors and translators enjoyed an afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere served up with traditional Afghan tea, food and cookies. As they learned during their US training, each woman gave her brief and concise introduction about herself and her business.
Thunderbird School of Global Management hosted 20 businesswomen from Afghanistan October 17-29 as participants in its fourth annual Project Artemis program, an intensive entrepreneurship skills course.
The program provided these women with business training, coaching, mentoring and access to resources so they can not only become self-sustaining citizens in their homeland, but also create opportunities for employment and help rebuild Afghanistan through small business.
These pragmatic, short-term programs help to open doors for women who would not otherwise have access to a business education. Students are offered mentoring and post-graduation support by partner institutions, local businesses and the people of Goldman Sachs.
All women in attendance agreed that the biggest help the world could offer Afghan women would be low or no-interest loans to help them buy equipment, build inventory, and compete against established businesses owned for decades by men.
Mrs. Ebrahimkhel encouraged all of the program participants to keep in touch with each other and with the embassy so that their long-term success can be ensured and shared.
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