Three years ago, when Afghanistan’s civilian government fell to Taliban fighters, Feroza Haidari fled to India in the hope of finding refuge and, hopefully, a livelihood. She came to Delhi, which as per United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, is home to a community of over 10,000 Afghan refugees. Many of them now constitute a good chunk of its local economy, despite challenges that include lack of legal recognition and documentation.
However, a couple in Delhi has been changing the fates of Afghan women—especially those from the historically persecuted ethnic tribe of Hazaras —with safety, community and a small employment model. Former journalist Bishwadeep Moitra and his wife Iris Strill, a French native, are founders of Silaiwali, a social enterprise that creates rag dolls and decorations from waste fabric from apparel scraps that are generated in excess from garment manufacturing units in and around the national capital. Approximately 47% of all fibers in the fashion value chain end up as waste in the Delhi-NCR region alone, according to data from Silaiwali.
The enterprise employs Zahara women—who come from a rich indigenous embroidery, crochet and handwork tradition—and upskills them to create handcrafted decorations that hold high commercial value in Indian and international markets. Silaiwali products are sold in retail stores in 130 cities across the world. They are also sold in collaboration with MADE51, UNHCR’s innovative, market-based.