Afghan Action - Trading Fairly

Afghan Action’s carpets fall into the ‘fairly traded’ and ‘naturally organic’ ranges. They are produced using high quality, traditional, hand made materials, wool from Ghazni sheep and mainly natural dyes. Since we started in September 2005, trainees and workers have been provided with daily meals and have access to onsite health care and health education, working from 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm, 6 days a week. All staff and trainees have also benefited from daily literacy and numeracy classes (now accredited by the Afghan Ministry of Education).

Afghan Action is the only organisation in Kabul to operate a training school and carpet factory providing training, employment, education and health care for young men and women (some of whom have disabilities) - and also import the carpets on a fairly traded basis to the UK.

We are now in discussion with Rugmark about gaining accreditation for our carpets.

Our skilled master trainers design and supervise the production of the carpets and manage weavers and trainees. Experienced trainers are responsible for recruiting and teaching the trainees to weave. The trainees receive a fair stipend during training and the graduates in the factory receive a basic wage and additional volume payments for their monthly output of carpets.

Working conditions in both the school and factory have been greatly improved over the past three years, with running water to taps and toilets provided from a newly dug well. Click here to see our testimonials.

Our original aim was to train 350 young men and women (including some disabled people) over 3 years in the skills of weaving traditional handmade carpets and to employ up to 100 ‘graduate’ trainees. By August 2008 we had achieved our training target and were employing 174 people, but the worldwide recession has forced us to cut back for the time being. 

Buy a unique carpet from Afghan Action and not only will you have the pleasure of enjoying one of these enchanting traditional carpets in your home or workplace, but you’ll know that you’re really helping Afghanistan get back on its feet.

How?
- Young people receive the education and training they need to help them make the best start in life;
- Employment in good conditions brings in badly needed income for young people and their families;
- Communities are able to help themselves by re-establishing Afghanistan’s traditional carpet industry and developing international markets;
- A practical alternative is provided to working in the poppy trade or engaging in violence.