Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future

by Rangina Hamidi, Mary Littrell, Paula Lerner (Photographer)

Winner, Silver Medal in the Multicultural Category, 2018 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Fifteen years ago, Rangina Hamidi decided to dedicate her life to helping rebuild her native Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Taliban had been driven out by American forces following 9/11, but Kandahar was a shambles. Tens of thousands of women, widowed by years of conflict, struggled to support themselves and their families. Rangina started an entrepreneurial enterprise, using the exquisite traditional embroidery of Kandahar, to help women work within the cultural boundaries of Pashtunwali to earn their living and to find a degree of self-determination. Thus Kandahar Treasure was born. This book traces the converging paths of traditional khamak embroidery and the 300 brave women who have found in it a way to build their lives. The late, award-winning photojournalist Paula Lerner was dedicated to telling the stories of women in Afghanistan. Her remarkable images throughout the book show Afghan women's profound struggle, strength, and beauty.

172 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this book with expectations that were unfulfilled. That is not the fault of the book and my response to it underwent considerable change in the course of reading it. My stars hover between 3 and 4.

I wanted to learn about khamak embroidery. The book is fundamentally the story of the social business enterprise, Kandahar Treasure, established by Rangina Hamidi, a young Afghan-American who returned to her country of birth to establish a business that would promote and preserve Afghan craft and provide safe work for women, particularly widows, within safe and acceptable boundaries.

The business appears to have met those goals. It has tapped a market for high quality traditionally embroidered garments in the communities of the Afghan diaspora, and it has enabled hundreds of women to maintain and contribute to their family’s survival. It fits within a tradition of outsourced cottage industries helping families survive and transition in times of social and economic upheaval. The role of Buckinghamshire lace-making when enclosures created widespread unemployment in Britain would be another example.

Such enterprises go beyond relief by developing skills and tapping markets. They do not, of course, address underlying causes, but build a base of possibilities that assist change.

There were things that troubled me about the business model - how does it adapt as the US military is withdrawn and local demand is met by cheaper, machine-made versions? Is the market for fine quality, traditional clothing sustainable and what happens to the embroiderers if it declines? Is this niche market transferable to other enterprises?

Of course, Kandahar Treasures is a good story and has improved the lives of more than 1000 women and their families. It is, as the title proclaims, a shining example of creativity, enterprise and improvement within boundaries. The metaphor of the embroidery worked within a framework of geometric boundaries is a clever one.

The embroidery is interesting and towards the end we do get some examples and basic information about technique and design. There would be some interesting comparisons to be made with other cultures where men’s clothing has traditional forms of embroidery, using mainly one stitch, such as Norwegian pattern darning. The fineness of the khamak work is extraordinary - especially using untwisted synthetic thread. Even if we had more examples and pattern, it is unlikely to be reproduced by hand outside the network of highly skilled Afghan women.

This has left me with far more questions than I began with. I’d like to see some actual examples of the work. I applaud the embroidery and the enterprise which is paying the daily household bills of many families. It’s great that such beauty is being produced. There is, however, a question and story somewhere about the stretching of the boundaries.

This book is, perhaps, necessary but not sufficient.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars - I really liked it.

This book began as a glimpse into Afghan artistry for me but ended up being a dive into Afghan culture, history, and politics. I learned more about Afghanistan and the lives of the women there than I ever had before. Not only is there beautiful imagery of their amazing embroidery work, khamak, but also glimpses into a few of the women's personal lives. I think those stories were my favorite part.

I'm left wanting to now see a piece of khamak in person as well as learn more about these women and Afghanistan's history.

Thank you for a beautiful, mind opening, inspiring read.

I received a copy through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book with fascinating story - development project done correctly! (Meaning developed by an Afghani woman - with local resources and local mores totally respected.). The photographs are wonderful, as are the personal stories.

[Debra Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a remarkable story of Afghan women using their cultural practice of embroidery to build some income, dignity and autonomy.