Braiding chains of hope
Born to Afghan refugee parents in Iran, Fereshteh, Razieh and Tamanna all face unique challenges. They share a passion for hairdressing but could not afford to study it professionally. “I convinced a beauty salon to accept me as an intern, but they forced me to do cleaning only and did not let me learn, so I quit,” explains Fereshteh, with sadness.
To help Afghan women in Iran develop a source of income, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has begun offering hairdressing training along with other vocational courses, thanks to the generous support of the European Union. Not only is this a chance for women to gain new skills and livelihood opportunities, but NRC also provides a childcare space and transportation in collaboration with its local partner, a charity called ILIA.
“I had always wanted to learn hairdressing since I was a child, but training was so expensive. I registered for this training course two years in a row hoping to get selected, and was finally successful this year,” says Tamanna.
Fereshteh, Razieh, Tamanna and their classmates have learnt different hairdressing styles and techniques on the course, such as chignon (a style of bun), hair dyeing, makeup, keratin treatment and various haircuts. Each of them has identified a speciality they would like to focus on for the future. Chignon and haircuts are the most popular choices. They are all keen to receive advanced training to expand their skills in their preferred areas.
A space for learning and friendship
The learning opportunity also fostered new connections among the Afghan women.
“We are all in touch with each other. I call my classmates from time to time to ask questions about different methods of hairdressing,” shares Tammana.
Being a mother of two children, she used to feel depressed at having to stay at home all day. Now, even though she cannot work away from home because of her children, she is happy that people from the neighbourhood reach out to her to get their hair styled or their makeup done. She feels proud that she does the makeup for her sisters so they can save money.
More opportunities, but challenges remain
With the training they received, Fereshteh, Razieh and Tamanna are now ready to start their professional careers.
“I have just started working in a hair salon. With the income I have received so far, I have bought all the chignon tools for myself,” says Fereshteh.
She is not the only one who has started on a career path. Razieh was also close to signing a contract and starting a job when she and her family had to move to another city. Because of the high inflation, they couldn’t afford to pay their rent in the capital, Tehran. She is now looking for work in her new city, hoping she can quit the low-paid packing job she did for many years.
NRC in Iran
Since 2012, NRC has been assisting displaced Afghans in Iran as well as their Iranian host communities. We work to improve protection and access to basic humanitarian services across 11 provinces (Alborz, Tehran, Yazd, South Khorasan, Hormozgan, Kerman, Razavi Khorazan, Qom, Marzaki, Semnan, and Sistan and Baluchestan).
Since mid-2021, NRC in Iran has scaled up its work significantly in connection with recent developments in Afghanistan, while maintaining all existing programmes in Iran.