#chopan

Zolaykha Sherzad, 36, gets her redesigned traditional silk chopan or robe adjusted, on February 6, 2005 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Zolaykha has a small non-governmental organization receiving a 3 month grant from a French fund to teach young women about traditional Afghan embroidery, tailoring and dress making. She employs one tailor who teaches 12-14 women 6 hours each day. Zolaykha trained as an architect overseas and came back to Kabul after the Taliban regime was kicked out in 2001. Her aim is to be self sufficient with exports of Afghan clothing designs. All the women in her workshop were wearing burqas under the Taliban and the tailoring program would not have been possible during their 1996-2001 rule.