UCA Empowers Afghan Women to Turn Skills into Enterprises

For Amina Rahimi*, those words capture the journey she and her sister, Laila Rahimi, took when they co-founded a small mushroom-growing enterprise in Kabul. What began as a modest idea grew into a source of income, confidence and opportunity — made possible through entrepreneurship training and mentorship supported by the University of Central Asia (UCA). 

Before joining the entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment programme delivered through UCA’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) in Afghanistan, Amina and her sister had never imagined running a business. With training, consultations and hands-on mentorship provided through the UCA’s Afghan Women Access to Knowledge Economy (AWAKE) project, their idea became a reality. 

They launched their mushroom farm in a small 3 × 4-metre room in their basement, overcoming family concerns, space limitations and numerous practical challenges along the way. “This may be a small success now, but for me, it can turn into something great,” Amina said during an award ceremony recognising outstanding women entrepreneurs. 

Amina was one of 20 award winners selected through a competitive business pitch process supported by UCA SPCE. Among them, eight exceptional women entrepreneurs from Kabul were recognised for their innovation and entrepreneurial acumen and each received USD 1,000 in seed funding to support the growth of their businesses. 

Amina’s story reflects a much broader initiative. UCA SPCE has supported 1,400 female alumni across Afghanistan through a comprehensive entrepreneurship training programme delivered both offline and online under the AWAKE project. The programme focused on developing essential business knowledge, strengthening entrepreneurial mindsets and building practical, market-relevant skills. 

From this cohort, 98 women advanced to a structured mentorship phase, receiving expert guidance, feedback and real-world business support. Following a rigorous selection process, 67 participants were shortlisted to present pitch decks. Ultimately, 20 women entrepreneurs were selected as award winners. Their business ideas ranged from tailoring and food production to services and small-scale manufacturing, reflecting resilience, creativity and a strong understanding of local markets. 

Through initiatives such as AWAKE, UCA is advancing its broader mandate to expand access to practical education, skills development, and economic participation in fragile and constrained contexts. By delivering market-relevant training and entrepreneurship support through SPCE, the University contributes to livelihood creation, human capital development, and local economic resilience, while ensuring that women are able to participate meaningfully in income-generating activities within their communities. 

* Details have been modified to ensure the privacy of those involved.