Female Trader Inspires Hope and Makes Collective Dream a Reality
Located in the mountainous terrain of northwestern Afghanistan, Badghis province is one of the most underdeveloped and isolated in the country. For generations, families have survived on subsistence farming and animal husbandry. In recent years the province has been disproportionately affected by drought, conflict and a lack of basic infrastructure to support viable livelihoods in agriculture. Today, most of its residents have no reliable income.
UNDP’s Community-Based Agriculture and Rural Development – Access to International Markets (CBARD-AIM) program assists women to establish new or grow existing agribusinesses through technical and in-kind support. Banafsha, a 26-year-old female trader from Badghis, first began working with CBARD-AIM as a food processor producing pickles and jams. She honed her skills during 50 technical training sessions delivered by CBARD-AIM marketing and agribusiness development specialists. After only six months she established her business, Adnan Tasnim Trading Ltd. (ATTL), and is currently the only female-led trading company in Badghis. ATTL now provides full- or part-time employment for 28 Badghis women, most of whom are currently the sole providers for their families.
“To become an educated professional, leading my own company was my dream,” recalls Banafsha, who considers herself lucky to have a university-level education in business administration. “I chose this profession to provide job opportunities for the women of Badghis. Together we are also able to serve farmers who need to sell their crops.” CBARD-AIM facilitates business-to-business meetings, linking traders like ATTL with local farmers, and helps them maximize production volumes based on market demands. To date, ATTL has traded more than 80 metric tons of pistachio and cumin to domestic markets in Herat and Kabul. Leveraging connections established during CBARD-AIM’s participation in one of the world's largest food and beverage trade exhibitions – Gulfood 2021, hosted by the UAE – ATTL is positioning itself to begin exporting Baghdis products in 2022 to international markets in the UAE, Italy, Turkey, Spain and India.
Banafsha comes from a long line of strong, business-minded female role models. Her grandmother, who became a widow when Banafsha’s mother was only seven, took over her late husband’s trading business to continue providing for their family. Banafsha’s mother later established her own food processing center and continues to manage a local, women’s market. “I am grateful to have such a strong mother, who encouraged me to get an education and be hopeful for my future,” says Banafsha.
Although she draws inspiration from her mother, Banafsha is herself a source of motivation for a new generation of women working at ATTL. “Banafsha dares to run a business in a very male-dominant environment, creating jobs for women and female students,” says ATTL’s marketing officer. “I admire her bravery, and in the future, I hope to run my own company like her.”
Despite significant growth during its first six months, the business was near collapse as a result of the regime change in August 2021. ATTL suffered both physical and financial damage, including stolen assets and a frozen bank account. In time and with the support of her mother, Banafsha was able to coordinate with local elders and restart operations. CBARD-AIM continued its business development training, and provided ATTL with laptop computers and $1,050 to incentivize and facilitate domestic trade.
As a result, ATTL ended the year with 40 MT of pistachio and cumin sales to markets in Herat and Kabul.