Nargis masters beadwork, finds contentment in earning

Earning a living through “needlework” has engaged Nargis since six months ago. She has mastered the intricate art of beadwork through instructional videos available on YouTube and now has an income she’s content with. Nargis aims to expand the scope of her work according to her abilities.

Using her smartphone, she has learned techniques for incorporating pearl beads into her needlework projects and has now, after seven months of independent work, achieved an income that satisfies her. She acquired this skill in an environment that imposed restrictions on girls’ education.

This young woman, Nargis, is around 20 years old and lives in Kabul. She has formed a team consisting of her brother, mother, and sister-in-law. The product of this small team is girls’ bags (party bags) featuring the art of beadwork. Each of the girls’ bags that Nargis skillfully works on sells for 700 to 1800 Afghanis.

The time it takes Nargis to make handcrafted bags varies depending on the design and the complexity of the orders. It also depends on the type of beads used, sometimes small pearls – which are more difficult – and sometimes larger pearls – which are simpler. A simple bag takes about 10 hours to complete and deliver to the customer.

She says heart-shaped designs are among the most ordered, with more orders from girls.

While it’s been about seven months since Nargis started working, she says she now earns more and imports her pearls from “China.” The pearls she imports are of good quality and don’t lose their colour.

As Nargis’s work has flourished, she aims to launch a large-scale training workshop in the near future. She herself says, “I want to pass on the art I possess to others, especially girls.”

She is striving to start an online training workshop soon to collaborate with other girls who wish to learn this art through social networks and Instagram.

Nargis adds that in the past week, she has received several orders from countries like the USA, Australia, and Uzbekistan, so she wants to expand her business.

The creamy pearls have worked magic in Nargis’s hands. Even though she wasn’t unaware of the potential of her beadwork skills, she is pleased with her current income and believes she has achieved results beyond her imagination.

According to Nargis, thousands of people may use YouTube, but most don’t know how to utilize it effectively. She says, “One must start something, regardless of whether it yields results or not, but one must do it.”

Nargis believes, “Success means allowing oneself to make mistakes until eventually reaching the goal, trying life’s challenges, and not living today like yesterday.”

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