100 AFN Capital became Seven Million AFN

By: Shuja Noori
She has participated in Kabul’s Badam Bagh Agricultural Exhibition, saying that her products are of better quality. According to her, her products are warmly welcomed by people inside and outside the country.
Marghoba Safi, head of Afghan Women’s Development Factory, has recently introduced her product under the name of “Marghob” in the market.
She produces nine types of soaps from native plants and flowers. Mrs. Safi produces these soaps under the Marghob’s company and has considerable achievements.
Mrs. Safi says that she has built a small farm to grow flowers and medical plants, parts of her products’ need are met from the farm. She later process and produce the soaps. She buys the remaining needs of her factory’s production from Kabul bazars (market). Her soaps are produced under the name of Jafari, Zoghal, Gul-e-Gulab, Sonbol, Saffron, Olvera, and are supplied to the market.
She has been engaged in agriculture and trade for four years; her factory is staffed by 20 other women as well.
She added, “I started with a small source; from buying and selling with 100 AFN (1, 30 USD) and expanded to seven million AFN (90,615 USD). The technical assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture has also been effective in my work. The agricultural exhibitions have also been an opportunity through which I could communicate and network with many customers.”
The products of this factory are currently exported to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Central Asia, attracting peoples’ attention. “Our soap customers are not only in Afghanistan; we also export to foreign countries, which are frequently welcomed by people and we receive order from them many times.”
She uses lavender, cumin, saffron, rose, black seed, and turmeric in composition of her products.
Marghoba Safi said, “Our factory has a production capacity of some 5,000 soap a day, but currently we produce 2,000 soaps a day, all of which are outsold. We have small production facilities, God willing, we will develop. Ten people work with us permanently and receive monthly-based salary. Another 10-15 people work with us on daily wage. We buy some essential materials from the domestic market.”
In addition to producing variety of soaps, this successful lady also engages in other social activities aimed at empowering women. “I have created women’s self-sufficiency groups,” she adds.
She further stated that 25 other women work with her and she advises them to become successful entrepreneurs.
Fatima Tamim, one of the employee of the factory who has come from Iran and works in the factory over the past six months. She said, “I have been working in this factory for six months, training 20 women. I wish that Afghan women are empowered; thus, I am here to work for the benefit of myself and my fellow Afghan women.”
She concluded, “Women must take responsibility for themselves. I also used to work in Iran, making pickles and jams. I still work and can make cucumber, garlic, turmeric pickles and I can also make carrot and cauliflower jams.