Afghan Freedom Quilt Tells Stories of Hope, Sorrow

In the spirit of Freedom Quilts used to help slaves escape north on the Underground Railroad, Bay Area NGOs have worked with Afghan women to create an Afghan Freedom Quilt, the Oroville Mercury Register reported today. Made by widows, the quilt will be used as a fundraising tool for SEED, a three month skills training and economic empowerment program in Fremont, CA and a separate program in Afghanistan. According to the Register:

"Woven into this quilt and its stitched images of Afghanistan, flowers, doves and words of peace are the stories of Afghan widows, whose short biographies are included in an accompanying booklet."

One quilt contributor "relies on her 14-year-old son to support her" after her husband was killed, and another widow "relies on the neighbors' leftovers to feed herself and her four children."

"In a culture where men typically are the sole providers and women are sometimes punished for appearing in public without a male relative, their struggles are many."

The Afghan Widows Project and Grants for Self Reliance program are two of the organizations behind the quilt project.

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