ARZU, meaning “hope”, transforms lives by empowering Afghan women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty through ethical, artisan-based employment, education, and access to healthcare, thereby changing the way they see the world and their place in it.  ARZU is an innovative model of social entrepreneurship with a mission to create economic stability for communities in need. 

Through the sale of Afghan-made rugs and Peace Cord® bracelets, ARZU STUDIO HOPE supports a holistic approach to sustainable poverty alleviation through artisan-based employment that empowers Afghan women. Women, earning fair labor wages, weave exquisite hand-knotted rugs and paracord bracelets. Innovative social benefit practices drive transformational change by providing grassroots access to vital education, healthcare, clean water and sustainable community development programs. 

The organization’s project creates a transformational equation to poverty alleviation.  Real lives transformed by real wages, earned from real ethical employment + an eco-system with access to literacy, healthcare, preschools, clean water and housing = Real families lift themselves out of poverty. 

ARZU weavers earn 68% more  than the average Afghan. 55% own their own home.  70% own cellphones.

100% of ARZU weavers are literate when 90% of rural Afghan women are not. 20% of ARZU families have at least one child in University. 

To date, ARZU has not lost a single woman in childbirth, in a country with one of the highest maternal death rates.

Leveraging the power of financial incentives, ARZU has systematically shifted the paradigm of a patriarchial society to one where women are economically empowered, literate and have the resources to care for themselves, their families and their communities. 

Staff
ARZU, Inc. currently employs a staff of 51 in Afghanistan which monitors both social benefits programs and rug production. This all-Afghan team of dedicated individuals works closely with weavers and their families to maintain a safe, healthy and productive environment.

The organization’s health and education monitors visit their weaver families weekly to ensure the children of the household are attending school regularly and that the family is receiving treatment for any illness or injury. ARZU, Inc. monitors also provide oversight to ensure that child labor is not employed on ARZU, Inc. rugs and to track and witness all payments to weavers for their work.