TX ADT 5: TX ADT-5 Hosts Conference for Ghazni Women Business Owners

Purpose

TX ADT-5 works together with USDA, Polish PRT, and the Human Terrain Team to bring together successful businesswomen from Ghazni in order to discuss how the private sector of agribusiness can be expanded, thus increasing the economic stability of the region.

Discussion

TX ADT, with coordinating partners, identified that without the success of the private sector, no economy truly grows. In order to help promote economic stability and increase agribusiness in Ghazni Province, local businesswomen that had been through the Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Afghan Women program were contacted and asked to attend a conference on FOB Ghazni. Each came prepared to talk not only about their current businesses, but also their ideas on either expansion or new business ideas that would increase the agribusiness output for Ghazni Province. As 80% of Afghanistan’s Gross Domestic Product comes from agribusiness, it’s imperative that the private sector is developed along with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Outcome

The conference was a huge success in both introducing the local businesswomen to the Ghazni team, but also in initiating discussion for future business possibilities. The women were introduced to the concept of complementary business practices and business partnerships as well as informed about other business outside the region that could use their waste products for production in their own privately owned businesses. Since the conference, the Ghazni team has received seven new business proposals to review for financing through micro-grants (TX ADT), USAID monies, Ambassador Women’s Initiatives monies, or micro-financing through another privately owned Afghan finance company. There will be another conference planned in the upcoming weeks for more business owners in Ghazni.