WFWP Afghan Cultural Center and Library Opening

Written by: Marilyn K. Angelucci

As many people know, the Afghan women are suffering greatly and have not been given the opportunities that other women of the world enjoy. Many families have been leaving Afghanistan looking for new opportunities especially for their girls. WFWP Afghanistan has decided to face this problem and offer some opportunities to the Afghan women that have escaped their country and found refuge in New Delhi, India.

On October 18, WFWP Afghanistan with the support of both WFWP International and WFWP Japan was able to inaugurate the WFWP Afghan Cultural Center and Library for the forgotten girls of Afghanistan that are now living in New Delhi as refugees, with about 40 women and girls in attendance.

The Opening Ceremony served as a moment of reflection, determination and celebration. There are very few programs for the Afghan Refugees in New Delhi, so the Afghan Embassy was very supportive and grateful for the work we are doing. The Second Secretary of the Afghan Embassy to India, Mrs. Suhaira Najhbe, expressed her gratitude at the opening ceremony. Dr. Zoe Bennet (online), International Vice President of WFWP Middle East, and Mrs. Marilyn Angelucci, President of WFWP Afghanistan, both gave welcoming remarks. Mrs. Etsuko Yamanoi as the Project Manager and Sania Feda Taj as the Center Manager dedicated many months to establish this place for the Afghan women. Also Mrs. Yamanoi’s daughter, a university student, came with her mother as a volunteer and will stay in India for six months to support this project. We are so grateful for their dedication and devotion to this work.

For the last two years WFWP Afghanistan has given scholarships to worthy Afghan women for sewing and design classes. After graduation they can support themselves or their families in some way. Based on this success WFWP decided to expand this work through the Cultural Center and Library. The WFWP Afghan Cultural Center and Library is a program that will include sewing classes, English classes, character education and computer classes in the future. We have also established a library with the support of WFWP International for the women to use freely and be able to research their hobbies and interests in a safe and comfortable environment.

In the Afghan refugee neighborhoods, the women cannot find a place to meet or to gain skills and techniques to improve their lives. So, this center especially dedicated to women is a welcome refuge for the women. This is a place where they can not only learn new ideas and skills but also be able to socialize with their fellow Afghan women and make a network of like-minded women. This will be a base on which we can do many more activities for the women to empower them and prepare them to participate in their communities as peacemakers.