Storai Sadat: Profile of a Modern Afghan Woman

BY SHIRINE PONT
December 1, 2007

When the Taliban took over the capital city of Afghanistan in 1996, it issued several edicts that stripped women and girls of their rights, forbidding them from working or even receiving an education. Minor violations of the strict rules on behavior and dress were met with severe punishment, such as beatings or worse.

"The Taliban had a very bad effect on women's mindset in Afghanistan," Storai Sadat recalls. "Even after they left, many women doubted their ability to work and make a living after having been confined to their homes for six years."

Yet today, Storai directs a Mercy Corps microlending program that helps thousands of female entrepreneurs realize their dreams of owning beauty parlors, raising livestock, importing clothing, and running other businesses. Since its inception as one of Afghanistan's first microlenders, Ariana Financial Services Group has supported nearly 17,000 clients, the majority of them women.

"The reason for Ariana's focus on female clients is cultural," Storai explains. "In Afghanistan, women take on a large part of the responsibility of caring for the family. It is a question of honor for them to repay any debt they might have. Afghan women simply are far more unlikely to default on a debt than men are."

Women helping women

Storai joined Mercy Corps in late 2001, shortly after U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan, and most of Mercy Corps' efforts were focused on providing emergency relief. At the time she was studying medicine at Kabul University, but with Mercy Corps she helped launch a women's center. Under her guidance, the center trained women to work as beauticians, learn other vocational skills, and even how to drive cars.

In 2003, she began working as a loan officer for Ariana. At the time, microfinance - the provision of small loans to the poor - was unheard of in Afghanistan. Islamic religion forbids the charging of interest, and the only kind of financial services most Afghan people knew was running a tab at their local merchant. But within a year, Ariana had 500 clients.

Within months Storai was named deputy director of the organization, and left school to work with Mercy Corps and Ariana full-time.

Storai faced some challenges in helping women overcome their fears after years of confinement. Many doubted their ability to cope in the outside world or to run a successful business, and those who did participate in a small business had no idea of the value of their work or of their products on the market.

"Many women would work at home and would have no idea of the value of their work on the market as they would never leave the house," says Storai. "Their husbands and sons would sell the products, so they had no information about where the products would be sold and what profit they could make."

Rapid success through ingenuity

The success of Ariana's work is evident in the success of its borrowers. Storai highlights three women who've particularly excelled: one woman who used to make kites at home now exports them to Iran and Pakistan. Another woman made enough money from her homemade jam and pickles to open a grocery store. And a third sold enough eggs to buy her own farm.

Today the challenge for Storai and her team is to expand Ariana into the areas beyond Kabul where fighting still persists. For now, Ariana is opening more branches in Kabul to meet increasing demand there. Storai wants to expand Ariana to cover all of Afghanistan and offer a diverse mix of financial products, including home loans and savings accounts.

Storai's says her favorite moments are the milestones Ariana has hit - its first anniversary and the 500th client in particular. Right now, she doesn't foresee ever leaving Ariana, which means she has many more milestones to look forward to.

Editor's Note: The video, which features New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, originally appeared on The New York Times website.

Next in this series: Tom Keffer: The Global Urge to Succeed

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