Rural Livelihoods
From Skills to Self-Reliance: How IGA Support Transformed Mohammad Aimal’s Life
Background:
My name is Mohammad Aimal, and I am a resident of Chahardi village in Batikot district. For years, my sewing skills were my only source of hope. Yet without proper tools and materials, that hope could never turn into a stable livelihood.
I worked as an apprentice tailor, earning only 100 to 120 AFN per day, an amount that was far from enough to meet the basic needs of my family. As the head of an eight-member household, I constantly worried about how to provide food, clothing, and security for my children. I lacked the essential equipment to open my own shop, keeping me trapped in a cycle of low income and uncertainty.
Objectives:
Everything changed when I was selected for a livelihoods and economic recovery intervention funded by DRA-AFJR, led by Cordaid, and implemented by the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan (RRAA).
Through this project, 302 vulnerable households were supported with Income Generation Activity (IGA) kits to help them establish sustainable small businesses. After a careful assessment process, on 29 December 2024, I was selected to receive a tailoring IGA kit. The kit included two rolls of quality men’s fabric, a clothes iron, a 5 kg gas cylinder, and other essential tailoring materials required to start my own business.
Impact & Success:
For the first time in my life, I had all the tools needed to turn my skills into a real source of income. Today, I am the owner of my own tailoring shop, a dream I had carried for many years. My income has increased significantly, allowing me to meet my family’s daily needs with dignity.
Beyond improving my own livelihood, this opportunity has enabled me to contribute to my community. I currently mentor a 16-year-old boy named Sohail, who comes from a nine-member household. In exchange for his work, he earns 25 AFN for sewing each set of clothes, making between 2,500 and 3,000 AFN per month to support his family.
I extend my sincere gratitude to DRA-AFJR, Cordaid, and RRAA. This intervention has not only improved my financial situation but has also restored my self-reliance and strengthened my sense of responsibility toward my community.