ARZU was founded in 2004 as a social business enterprise with one clear mission: to empower Afghan women through sustainable employment.

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2 MISSION ARZU, meaning hope, transforms lives by empowering Afghan women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty through ethical, artisan-based employment, education, and access to healthcare. ARZU was founded in 2004 as a social business enterprise with one clear mission: to empower Afghan women through sustainable employment. Starting with 30 rug weavers, ARZU has since employed some 700 Afghans, 95% of whom are women. Net proceeds from the sale of award-winning, hand-knotted ARZU STUDIO HOPE rugs directly benefit Afghan women, their families and their communities. Beyond paying living wages through quality incentive bonuses, ARZU creates lasting impact in the region through the holistic delivery of critical services: education of women through adult literacy, computer, and English classes; preschool education for children; maternal healthcare for pregnant women; housing for the homeless; parks and playgrounds for families; and clean water and nutrition initiatives for the community. This ecosystem of jobs and benefits produces tangible, positive change and sows the seeds of stability in this war torn country. IMPACT By leveraging the power of financial incentive, ARZU has systematically shifted the paradigm of a patriarchal society to one where women in our villages are economically empowered, literate and have the resources to care for themselves, their families and their communities. ARZU has changed the status quo for women: ARZU weavers earn 68% more than the average per capita Afghan income. Women, who initially signed for wages with a thumbprint, now read, write and do math at a 5th grade level. Since 2006, ARZU has not lost a single mother or child during childbirth in a country with one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. Some 300 women per month, formerly confined to their homes, now come through the doors of ARZU s two Women s Community Centers to access the classrooms, tearoom, and laundromat, and to build lasting friendships. 600 pounds of fresh produce grown and dehydrated at ARZU s two-acre Women s Co-op Garden help feed formerly malnourished women and children. Greenery at ARZU s five-acre Central Park can be seen from the air in the otherwise barren landscape. A dozen formerly homeless families now live in ARZU s low-income housing. Children graduating from ARZU s three preschools are the stars of first grade in government schools. English and computer classes create a bridge for women and teen girls to the broader world outside their own villages. a r z u s t u d i o h o p e. o r g

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4 ONE WEAVER S STORY With the help of ARZU s literacy program, I am now literate and my children attend Government Schools. ZAHRA My name is Zahra. I am 45 years old. I am a mother of five daughters and three sons. When the Taliban came to Bamyan, my family and I were forced to flee our farm, leaving everything behind, to live as refugees in Pakistan. Life in the refugee camp was very hard and my husband and I could not provide for our children. I tried to earn a living as a weaver in Pakistan but even though I worked tirelessly, my wage was never enough to even cover basic household items or to feed everyone. After the defeat of the Taliban, we returned to Bamyan to find our home and farm destroyed. Once again, we had nothing. In 2005, ARZU came to our village and I joined the carpet-weaving program. I have been working for ARZU ever since. With the money I have earned, we built a three-room home and even have a TV, satellite dish and computer. With the help of ARZU s literacy program, I am now literate and my children attend Government Schools. My youngest child attends the ARZU preschool. My oldest daughter and son both go to the University. This organization is the window of hope for my family and me. a r z u s t u d i o h o p e. o r g

5 Photo Credit: Eric Laignel Photography

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7 FAST COMPANY CONTRACT a r z u s t u d i o h o p e. o r g

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9 BIOGRAPHY Social entrepreneur Connie K. Duckworth serves pro bono as Chairman and CEO of ARZU, which means hope in Dari, the non-profit organization she founded in 2004 to empower destitute women weavers in rural Afghanistan. From a starting point of 30 weavers, ARZU has transformed into a learning laboratory for holistic grassroots economic development today employing some 500 Afghans and supporting an eco-system of education, maternal health and community programs. Ms. Duckworth retired in 2001 as a Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, the first woman to be named a sales and trading partner in the firm s history during her 20-year career. For the past decade, she has focused her business lens in roles as a corporate director, author and activist. She is a Trustee of Equity Residential (EQR) in Chicago and Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee and a Director of Steelcase Inc. (SCS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In her philanthropic work, Ms. Duckworth is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, an Overseer of The Wharton School, and serves on the boards of the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago and NorthShore University HealthSystem, in Evanston, Illinois, where she was the first woman Chairman of the Board. The recipient of numerous awards for leadership, social impact and innovation, Ms. Duckworth holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. She is married to husband Tom and the mother of four children. AWARDS and HONORS Challenge Winner 2015 Nancy Vincent McClelland Merit Award 2011 Gold Award Winner Best New Product Lifestyle and Social Impact 2011 Interior Design Best of 2009 The Best of NeoCon 2009 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship 2008 a r z u s t u d i o h o p e. o r g