Tashabos: Youth Entrepreneurship Education in Afghanistan

CIPE is helping to teach vital business and entrepreneurial skills in schools across Afghanistan. Through Tashabos, CIPE provides training for teachers, textbooks, and other vital materials for students who are eager to learn. In 2008, CIPE implemented a new business proposal writing competition for students with monetary awards and a business start-up course for the winners. Widely popular with students, Tashabos provides young people with much-needed business skills. With their newly acquired capabilities, these young Afghan entrepreneurs are starting new enterprises and contributing to the growth of their families’ businesses and the Afghan economy.

Success Highlights

• With the business knowledge and confidence gained from Tashabos, Ms. Shabnam, a 10th grade student at Zinab Kobra High School, started her own beauty shop, employing 10 other people. She is now designing clothes at home and is planning to open a tailoring shop to meet demand.
  
  
• Inspired by the Tashabos curriculum, 15-year-old Muslim convinced his father to loan him the money to open an eyeglass shop in the heart of Kabul in 2006. In 2008, Muslim expanded his business and hired an eyeglass technician, an eye doctor, and two assistants.
  
  
• Uninterested in business before Tashabos, Baset now plays a key role in his family’s tailoring shop. He markets the business to new clients, including ministry employees, and secured a permit to sell at the U.S. Army base. In one year, Baset’s new business techniques increased revenues by more than 30 percent!

Tashabos Today

• In 2008, 508 Tashabos students in Afghanistan started businesses, employing a total of 769 people, 86 students expanded their family business, and 46 students increased the efficiency of their family business.
  
  
• CIPE expanded the program to 13 new schools in 2008, distributing 9,553 textbooks and 6,953 exercise books.
  
  
• With the full recognition of the Afghan Ministry of Education, Tashabos reaches more than 23,000 students at 44 schools in Kabul, Bamiyan, Nangahar, and Parwan.
  
  
• Watch a video in Dari (with English subtitles) about Tashabos on CIPE's YouTube channel.
  
  
• Download a pdf flyer about Tashabos.

Support Tashabos

Through public donations, CIPE will expand Tashabos to other parts of Afghanistan, starting with urban centers. With $10,000, CIPE can expand its program to a new city and reach 1,500 students.