Miss Khadija Ahmadi is a very powerful lady with a strong determination who acts as a guide to her colleagues in hard work, motivation and perseverance in Tolo Production Group. She has been struggling to make the team develop for many years, even fought with the illness she had and could manage to stand on her own feet and keep his team up as well.

Brief biography of Miss Khadija, the head of Tolo Production Group

Khadija is 22 years old. She is living in a family of 9 members from Ghor province. She said problems, poverty and animosity in Ghor province made them leave their place of origin to move to Herat and settle in Jabrail Township. Fortunately, she entered Help TVET courses and learning a vocation raised hope in her. She was struggling with heart disease and had to leave the group. Her leaving severely affected the group. But once she recovered, returned back to the group and the group regained its motivation. They continued to work with refreshed strength and succeeded again.

This group says, “OSAA Employment Services Center cooperated with us a lot in providing consultancy and marketing for their business which was very effective for their business promotion and marketing. Meanwhile, this group could successfully get work permit from Herat Craftsmen Union.

Completion of training, starting business and setting up “Tolo Production Group”

Upon completion of training from Neswan Center in Jabraiel, Khadija came up to set up a small business with her classmates. She created a working group with graduated women of TVET courses. Enjoying strong motivation, she could create a plan and established an association of handicrafts and food processing called “Tolo Production Group”, thereby could make money for herself and her group mates.

There are 10 members in this group and they have turned into a successful and famous group in Jabrail. The productions of this group are: pickles, jams, confectionaries, traditional food, handicrafts and fur-making. This working group started its work with an initial investment of 10,000AFN. Extremely poor women are working in this group but with diligence and perseverance they believe they can make progress and become wealthy. This working group receives many orders daily and make at least 15,000AFN/month.

There are several units in the structure of this group like marketing, procurement and quality assessment units so that they can improve the quality and sales of the business. They sell their products in Neswan market. They have participated in around 100 exhibitions throughout Afghanistan. They sell their products mostly via exhibitions in Kabul, Herat and Jabrail annual exhibitions.

The “Tolo Production Group” tries to sell their products with standards label in order to meet the quality criteria of the market.

Future plans of “Tolo Production Group”

Khadija and her group have a lot of plans to improved and develop their business. They are working on a production company and want to expand their business, create jobs for many women and prevent illegal migration which is caused by unemployment.

Miss Khadija and the members of “Tolo Production Group” appreciate OSAA, Help INGO, WFP and other organizations and facilitators of TVET program which provided services like small business training, motivational programs, marketing and other complementary supports during and after training.

Source: Help Media and Culture Department