An Update on Zindagi Now: 2026
Over the last seven months, we are very proud to have graduated a further group of 30 women from our Zindagi Now programme in Kabul. In November, I was lucky enough to attend their graduation and to meet some of the new group who started the course in September.
The women I met were truly inspiring. The graduates are already working on business plans and setting up websites and Instagram accounts to give their work visibility.
It is humbling to see the excitement and determination in the eyes of these women. Despite the many challenges they face, they are rising above them and showing the world what Afghan women can achieve.
We were particularly excited by the launch of a new branch of Zindagi Now in Badakhshan, in the high Hindu Kush mountains, close to the famous 7,000-year-old lapis lazuli mines.
Marwa and Aishwa, two sisters who recently graduated from the Kabul course, decided to return to their home in Badakhshan. They were determined to share their skills with women in their community.
They made the long two-day journey home by bus and set up a workshop from scratch. Decorated the space, purchased all the tools and materials, and oversaw the construction of workbenches to create a warm and welcoming workshop. They advertised the course, and 16 women enrolled immediately.
“I grew up watching the lapis leave my mountains and belong to everyone but us. When this training opened, it felt like a door finally opening in the dark. Being chosen showed me I can shape my own future - and one day help other women do the same.”
- Faiza, Zindagi Now Badakhshan student
Over the past six months, the sisters have dedicated themselves every day to making the course a success. The programme has been so impactful that the graduates have asked for a further four-month extension to continue honing their skills
When Mohammad and Fawad travelled to Badakhshan in late December to visit the course, they were amazed by the women’s talent, achievements, and the beautiful jewellery collections already created.
There is a vibrant cross-border trade in lapis jewellery and beads with neighbouring Tajikistan, and with further training, the women feel confident that their new businesses will thrive.
We are delighted to present a new version of our necklace. It features a gently faceted stone, hand-cut by Zindagi Now graduates in lapis and aquamarine. The refined, slender-cut stone is set in 18kt gold vermeil and finished with a handmade bead.
