Each month in Mindful Business Matters, Jessa explores the local sustainable and wellness business landscape, highlighting companies' unique work and connections to the city.
Arzu Studio Hope
Daily news stories about Afghanistan conjure visions of war, turmoil and threats, but one social business enterprise headquartered in Chicago brings us a new inspiring narrative–one of empowerment, design and sustainability.
Arzu Studio Hope helps Afghan women and their families overcome the cycle of poverty by providing a means for dependable income and access to education and healthcare by distributing the high-quality, design-centric rugs they weave. Arzu features four hand-knotted rug collections made with handspun sheep’s wool, and whenever possible dyes derived from natural materials.
Connie K. Duckworth, a Lake Forest, Ill., resident and former partner and managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co., founded Arzu in 2003 after a trip to Afghanistan with the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council. She was inspired to change the impoverished conditions for women and children, which why Arzu’s mission goes far beyond paying women fairly and selling their products.
Every woman who works with Arzu signs a social contract—an agreement to send all children under age 15 to school full-time, to allow all women in their household to attend Arzu literacy classes and to permit Arzu to transport pregnant women and newborns to clinics for pre- and post-natal care.
“We’re about building communities, the rugs are not just one-off projects,” says Alyssa Rome, chief operating officer. “We’re staying and trying to help a bigger picture.”
Working with Afghan communities is a process that takes time, including getting the right people on the ground, having patience and respect for cultural norms. When entering a new community, Arzu staff must ask the elders (Shuras) for permission to seek out women who want to work with the studio and are willing to sign the social contract.
Arzu currently has a 32 person all-Afghan team (not including weavers) in the Bamyan and Faryab provinces that monitor both social benefits programs and rug production. According to Rome, operations are safer and more effective with an Afghan staff, and it creates more jobs in the country.
“Production and finding women who are eager to work will never be a problem,” says Rome. Right now they have more women who want to join the program than they can handle. However, as demand and rug sales grow, so do the opportunities Arzu can offer Afghan women.
Amidst the increased turbulence in Afghanistan, Arzu achieved their most ambitious project yet in December, 2009, by opening the doors to a women’s community and laundry center, featuring a classroom for literacy classes or meetings and a large loom room to accommodate looms that can’t fit in the weaver’s homes. The community center offers women a place to socialize and learn, while also avoiding harsh winter conditions while washing clothes and dishes. A community garden-greenhouse and a sports center are scheduled for completion this year.
How to Connect in Chicago
Arzu recently launched a new e-commerce site, but Chicagoans can check out the beautiful rugs in person at one of four local retail locations, including Green Home Chicago and Minasian Rug Company in Evanston, Ill. Or for a unique and personal opportunity, Suzana Rizzo, Arzu’s vice president of sales, is available for private rug viewing appointments. For more information, call the Chicago headquarters at 312.321.8663.