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Weaving enterprise and compassion
together for a brighter future
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
2
Introduction
Employment
Social Services
Commercial Viability
Products and Awards
Impact and Benefits
Locations
Product Gallery
Contents
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“Empowering women
for a fruitful and
sustainable future”
Introduction
The numbers are stark with child mortality above 25%, an average lifespan of 44 years, and 42% of the population living on less than $1 per day. This is the reality of modern day Afghanistan. It was this poverty that moved Her Highness Sheikha Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed to establish FBMI, an Initiative dedicated to alleviating this long-term distress, by providing resources, compassion and the opportunity for impoverished women to free themselves from economic hardship and take a leading role in Afghanistan’s future.
By partnering with Tanweer Investments based in Afghanistan, Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed’s aim is to create sustainable development by empowering women. The Initiative provides women with employment in the carpet production process, an industry they already possess skills in. It also offers them and their families critical social services in healthcare and education. The result is a holistic effort whose benefits are seen not only in fruitful employment, but also in healthier and happier families and communities.
With 3,000 low income Afghans employed, FBMI has already achieved significant success in helping the people of Afghanistan to help themselves. It is testament to the vision and commitment of Her Highness that so much has been accomplished already, and how much more is to come.
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Employment
The basic premise of the FBMI programme is to provide
sustainable opportunity. Women in particular are empowered
by using the weaving and spinning skills they already possess,
supported further with vocational training. By providing the
resources they require, such as looms and wool, and paying
a fair market rate for their work, the Initiative gives women
their dignity to feed and care for their families as well as
support the wider community.
FBMI currently employs 3,000 low income Afghans; over
70% of them are women and 35% of them are widows. The
majority engage in spinning and weaving activities from the
comfort of their home. Others hold office positions in the
headquarter facilities in Kabul and Jalalabad. Many of them
are residents of refugee camps. As the organization and
the Initiative grows, it will seek to expand into new areas
of Afghanistan, and to serve as a role model for other like
Initiatives to improve the life of Afghanistan’s citizens.
In addition to those actively involved in carpet production,
the Initiative also contributes to the employment of medical,
educational, vocational and administrative staff. These are
particularly important in ensuring that the social and welfare
aspects are in line with its commercial sustainability, a core
component of its long term aims.
“The numbers give a sense of
scale, but it is the light in the
eyes of the people involved
that tells the real story.”
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Social Services
Healthcare
Education
A unique and integral part of this model is to provide the families of working women with critical social services. The Initiative is
open to all Afghan women over the age of 15 years. These women are required to sign a contract of
accountability, an undertaking to participate in the healthcare programme and ensure that all children attend school. FBMI social service providers register families and conduct house visits to ensure this. As
a result, the health of the employees, their families and the entire community is improved and the scourge of child labour eradicated.
Free healthcare is provided to all FBMI employees and their families. Doctors visit registered family homes once a month to conduct health checks and provide vaccinations. In addition, FBMI medical staff provide on-site health education and dispense essential supplies such as soap, masks and simple medications. Patients requiring additional attention are referred to local hospitals, where FBMI has secured agreements and has since treated approximately 2,000 employees for illness and pre-natal care. In that effort, FBMI’s ambulance continues to provide emergency support to the local communities.
FBMI’s education department works to prevent child labour with a positive focus on facilitating education. All children under the age of 15, boys and girls, must attend full-time education and FBMI supervisors work closely with the schools to ensure attendance. There is a total of 7,032 children currently enrolled. In addition, women receive adult life training in health and hygiene, literacy, numeracy, and vocational subjects.
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Commercial Viability
A fundamental tenet of FBMI is to be commercially viable and sustainable in the
long term. In order to achieve this, it operates a local value chain entirely within
Afghanistan; buying local wool to support farmers, using natural vegetable dyes in
the spinning operations, and producing finished carpets for export to world markets.
Since the start of the scheme in June 2010, approximately 700 looms have been
used and over 10,000 carpets have been produced. In addition to traditional
designs, the Initiative is developing a range of contemporary carpets, including a
selection especially tailored for children’s rooms.
These carpets are sold worldwide. They are also exhibited and marketed through
international Interior Design fairs and events such as the Dubai Carpet and Art
Oasis. In addition, these carpets are supplied through partnerships with a number of
Interior Design Firms.
Products and Awards
In recognition of its achievements, the Initiative has received a number of awards, both for the quality of its products and the social impact of its programme:
DUBAICARPET & ART OASIS GOLDEN
AWARD2011
DOMOTEXMIDDLE EAST
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
AWARD2011
COMMERCIAL INTERIOR
DESIGN AWARD2011
BEST SUSTAINABLE DESIGN INITIATIVE
APPRECIATION AWARD
2011
AFGHAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES
DUBAICARPET & ART OASIS GOLDEN
AWARD2012
TOP EXPORTER
AWARD2012
AFGHAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
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Impact and Benefits
The obvious and immediate benefit of the FBMI Program is to create
a revenue stream whereby participants can regain their lives with
confidence and dignity. This revenue stream is complemented by the
provision of healthcare and education to ensure healthy, productive
and peaceful communities. It is estimated that the entire operation has
spread the benefits of sustainable economic development to more than
18,000 individuals in Kabul and Jalalabad.
However, much attention is paid to ensuring maximum benefit for the
wider community, such as buying and using only indigenous wool to
support nomadic farmers. This has a further benefit of enhancing the
value of the finished produce by guaranteeing its 100% Afghan origin.
Environmental impact is also closely monitored and minimized.
As part of FBMI’s environmental awareness commitment,
environmentally friendly chemical-free vegetable dye is used.
In addition, any contaminated water is stored in septic tanks and
disposed of correctly, ensuring that the Kabul River is not polluted.
The Initiative focuses its efforts on those who need its support the
most, the poorest and most disadvantaged in society. Employment is
provided for those living in refugee camps near the Pakistan Border,
and a further extension of the Initiative provides vital employment
for 80 women at a production facility established within Badam Bagh
Prison in Kabul.
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
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S
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UNITED KINGDOMFBMI Showroom
Unit 14 Park Royal Oriental Carpet Centre
1 Chandos Road, London, NW10 6NF
Tel: +44 (0) 208 961 5552
Tel 2: +44 (0) 791 817 7777
E-mail: [email protected]
AFGHANISTANFBMI Centre
Afshar, Kabul
Tel: +93 (0) 7855 55555
E-mail: [email protected]
UAEFBMI Showroom
865a Jumeirah Beach Road
Opposite Burj Al Arab
PO Box 27677, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 (0) 4 388 1103
Tel 2: +971 (0) 50 200 1149
Fax: +971 (0) 4 388 1136
E-mail: [email protected]
Locations
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
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Product Gallery
BLOSSOMANTIQUE TREEAGRA BLUE SEA
CLASSICCHOCOLATEBUTTERFLY COURAGE
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative
DREAM HOPECREATIVE MAMLUK HAREEZCRAZE GARDENFROST INSPIRATION
PACIFIC BROWN ROYAL MEDALLIONMEDALLION PATCHWORKKAZAKH SKY PALACEPACIFIC ORANGE ROYAL