Operation Mercy has been working in Shar-e-rey, Iran with poor Afghanistan refugee women, children and youth since May 2009.

We concentrate primarily on Afghani female heads of households and disadvantaged girls, although boys are also assisted. We offer a series of educational opportunities, income-generating classes and social counselling opportunities.

Currently Operation Mercy is teaching literacy, hairstyling and tailoring classes for female heads of households, computer, English and volleyball for girls and computer, English and football for boys. Since 2010, the Social Service Department of Operation Mercy also served 1100 clients attending the project by the help of a psychologist, psychiatrist, two social workers and social science apprentices of welfare. Services are provided to both individuals and in group settings.

Maryam is one of our clients whose father has two wives and 11 children. They all live together in 60 square metres, an apartment which is below ground level and has no proper ventilation. Maryam never had the chance to finish high school as her father could not afford her school tuition. For two years she attended Operation Mercy's English and computer classes. Later she learnt income generating skills and registered in Operation Mercy's hair styling classes. Within nine months she was ready to start her own business. She made flyers with the help of her computer skills and distributed them in her neighbourhood. She rented a room and equipped it with a donated business start up kit. Now she and her three sisters are working as hair stylists and she is planning to go back to school with the money she earns.

Maryam's example reflects the success of this project by empowering women to change their own circumstances and futures.