OWE Office Manager Sina Cross, who has been with the firm for sixteen years, was born in Afghanistan. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the mid-80’s with her family at the age of ten when conditions in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls, started to deteriorate.
Sina (at far right) with her family in the mid-1970’s
Sina is well aware of the tragic consequences that 30 years of war has had on women in Afghanistan and therefore proudly supports the work of her brother, Matin Maulawizada, who was recently featured on the Katie Couric show, along with actress Claire Danes, for his work creating employment opportunities in Afghanistan for disadvantaged and disenfranchised women. You can see the video by clicking here or visit Matin’s website, Afghan Hands.
Sina’s father Abdul was a doctor and when she was growing up in Afghanistan, with her mother Karima, her grandmother Shabobo, and her five sisters and brother, it was expected that the girls would go to school along with their brother and that all would go to college one day. The arrival of the Russians in the early 80’s, followed by the rise of the Taliban, changed those expectations and today women and girls in Afghanistan are often prisoners in their own homes or exposed to violence and abuse when attending school or venturing out in public.
Sina and brother Matin
Sina feels enormously lucky to have been sheltered from the war and able to come to the U.S. with her entire family to pursue an education and a life free of constant fear and oppression, but she is deeply touched by the limited opportunities for Afghan women not as fortunate. As an Afghan woman, she passionately supports her brother Matin in his efforts to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of these women, who are employed in a social enterprise that he started in Kabul about 10 years ago.
“Matin is amazing and has put so much of himself into the project – I’m so grateful that I can play a role in supporting his work,” said Sina. “100% of donations and proceeds from the sale of the handmade products go back to the women themselves and the economic independence that they earn makes such a big difference in their lives.”
Afghan Hands (www.afghanhands.org) is a 503(c) non-profit organization that supports disadvantaged and disenfranchised women in Afghanistan, helping them gain independence, education, and livable wages. At centers in and around Kabul, these women learn to create exquisitely embroidered shawls and scarves. Donations and proceeds from sales of the hand embroidered scarves are used to expand these centers, helping Afghan women connect to a wider world.