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Bernhardt Welcomes An Afghani Female Entrepreneur
To the New World of Furniture, in Support of Bpeace Program
Left to right:
William Howard, VP Human Resources;
Anne Bernhardt, President Bernhardt Design;
Fatima, Afghani Entrepreneur;
Heather Eidenmiller, VP Brand Development.
Left to right:
Anne Bernhardt, President Bernhardt Design;
Fatima, Afghani Entrepreneur;
LENOIR, NC, November 10, 2008 –Bernhardt Furniture was among 40 companies and organizations from Maine to North Carolina who hosted Afghani Female Entrepreneurs during the October 2008 apprenticeship program sponsored by the Business Council for Peace (Bpeace).
On site for a three-day apprenticeship at Bernhardt, Fatima (whose full name and business name are withheld by Bpeace in consideration of the political turmoil within her country) owns a furniture manufacturing operation in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is one of Bpeace's 12 "Fast Runners,"Afghani female entrepreneurs selected for a three-year investment strategy of consulting, training, and mentoring which includes out-of-country apprenticeships and business site visits.
Bpeace, a non-profit, international volunteer network of business professionals, helps women entrepreneurs in post-conflict countries expand their businesses, create employment, and build a peaceful future for their communities. The organization supports entrepreneurs – because they are the great activators of sustainable economy and civil society – and women – because they are proven investments in the next generation.
According to the CIA Factbook, only 21 percent of Afghani women are literate, and women who have little work experience are forced to beg. According to estimates, there are more than 2 million Afghan widows.
Fatima was in her teens when her husband was killed by the Taliban and she herself imprisoned. After her release, she started her business in Iran in 1998 and moved it to Kabul in 2004. Today the 42-year-old entrepreneur presides over her company in face of renewed threats by the Taliban, while employing and providing benefits for 77 female workers, all of them widows, who through their wages support 623 Afghani family members.
In one of the world's poorest war-torn countries, Fatima is growing jobs and revenue at a rate significantly faster than her country's GNP, with little more than rudimentary equipment, generator electricity and a factory consisting of a large tent. Her product line includes beds, cupboards, sofas and kitchen, computer and office tables. Fatima's company generated approximately $18,000 (in U.S. currency) gross revenue in 2007; while Afghanistan's 2007 per capita income was $724 per person.
While at Bernhardt, Fatima toured the company's plants and facilities, and followed the production of a simple table from product design to finished product. During the production process, Fatima was provided advice on product development, materials, technology, product process flow and other business insights that have contributed to the company's 119 years of successful furniture enterprise. At the end of her visit, Fatima was provided with the parts and construction drawings of the table for use in her manufacturing process.
"We think we got more out of the visit than she did," said Anne Bernhardt, president of Bernhardt Design, one of the company's three divisions. "It's just amazing. Spending time with her, our lives seem so easy." Bernhardt said company participants were particularly impressed that Fatima has hired a teacher for her employees' children and a cook to prepare meals for the workforce. "Fatima's perseverance and dedication to her workers are inspiring," Bernhardt said.
During her visit, Fatima spoke with Bernhardt representatives in her native tongue with an interpreter translating. "I learned a lot at Bernhardt Furniture Company," she said. "I hope to have a Bernhardt kind of company in Afghanistan one day."
Over her three-year Bpeace apprenticeship period, Fatima and the other "Fast Runners" will have access to training, business networks, capital and markets. Her plans for the future include expanding the business to 34 other provinces in Afghanistan and moving from a tent to a building.
Steve Lawrence, Bpeace volunteer who served as Fatima's chaperone during her U.S. visit, said an immediate goal is to get Fatima's company out of a tent and into a building. "While moving out of a tent sets the stage for improved manufacturing processes, there is something more basic and more important here. A building provides Fatima's employees with security and gives them basic shelter from the elements. Right now there is no building, when winter snows come to Kabul, her factory simply collapses. " Lawrence said.
"Fatima is one of the most inspiring business leaders I have ever met," said Heather Eidenmiller, director of brand development. "In the face of the most difficult situations imaginable, she has managed to operate and grow a successful business," Eidenmiller said. "Fatima reminds us that as members of the global community, our concerns here in the States are minimal. We are very proud to have been one of the 40 host companies benefiting the Bpeace mission of stimulating job growth and more peaceful communities in Afghanistan and other countries."