Pandemic restrictions have created economic barriers for many workers who can no longer find jobs. In these trying times, Pakistani fashion designer Huma Adnan is playing her part in helping those who need it most. Adnan is the owner of FnkAsia where she has given the production line for making masks to Afghan refugee women.
According to UNHCR, Pakistan hosts more than 1.4 million registered Afghans who have been forced to flee violence and persecution at home in Afghanistan.
Refugees around the world have been first to feel the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic because they often work in the informal economy.
The FnkAsia owner has been working to help Afghan refugees for 2 years now, as part of a UNHCR project that promoted craft skills in order to train refugee women and hopefully make them independent.
With regards to this project, Adnan said:
“We all know the refugee crisis is a world crisis and it’s increasing in number by the day, I knew there is a huge community of refugees living in Karachi, I knew all these vendors that I used to see in the market, I knew they had families, they had wives. So I was always very inquisitive to know who are these people living in Karachi? What do they do?”
More and more countries are asking people to wear face coverings and masks in public to stop the spread of the virus. Local fashion brands have taken this as an opportunity to provide their customers with customized masks that will also keep them safe.
Huma has gone a step ahead and also used the production of these masks as a way to empower Afghan refugee women. She has also provided them with a space within her studio to assist in production.
19-year-old Sonia Azmi, who works for the studio, told Arab News –
“We are strong women, all working to protect our community and Pakistan from the spread of any virus, I am proud of the embroideries we do and that they are now being used in a protective measure.”
Adnan praised the women she was helping and hoped that she could further efforts in helping them reach their true potential.
“I am taking little steps but if the government and [international] organizations look towards them, it will be helpful because they are very, very talented women. Their craft is unmatched,” said Adnan adding that she hoped organizations like UN Women could help promote the work of the women.
“They are capable of making orders worth, you know, 500 pieces a day, maybe a thousand a day,” Adnan said. “Because they are so motivated and they are so ready for the world, to take over. It’s just a matter of time that they get recognized.”
via Arab News
