Hello, my name is Asila. I have lived in Dallas since 2017, but I am originally from Kabul in Afghanistan. I earned a Bachelor’s degree and was a teacher of both elementary school and of high school students in Afghanistan. I still love to teach–it is my passion. After arriving in Dallas and getting connected to an ESL class at a local community center, the instructor heard about my sewing skills and invited me to teach private lessons to some of her American friends and their children. I taught sewing lessons to them for 8 weeks and really enjoyed sharing my skills and teaching again.

I am inspired by my sister, who is still in Kabul, and my new friends who teach me how to improve my skills in applique, embroidery, and crochet. I am still continuing my ESL classes and just completed a Montessori teacher training program. I hope to become a teacher’s assistant in the future while also continuing my sewing business. I have two children, a young son and daughter and my husband is a construction inspector here in Dallas. I look forward to helping support my family with the sales from my very own Etsy Shop.

I have been sewing for thirteen years and learned to sew and make clothing from my sister–she had a successful tailoring business in our home country. Since arriving in the USA, I have learned more accurate methods of measuring and also how to make small accessories and seasonal items. I’ve learned more about American fashion and American customers and how to design products for them. I’ve also taught myself new embroidery techniques using resources I found on Google and YouTube. I did try to set up an Etsy shop in the past but I did not have all the external resources required, such as a bank account, to properly set up a shop. I am so thankful for this opportunity now to sell my products in my own Etsy shop, it has been a dream of mine for a long time. Thank you for your support and I do hope you enjoy my designs.

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About the Afghan Refugee Collective

Together, Etsy and Nest are proud to present a new collective within the Uplift Makers program featuring shops from Afghan refugees across the United States. These shops feature traditional Afghan needlework and home decor - all handmade by women who are resettling and rebuilding their lives in the United States.

Our world is experiencing the highest levels of human displacement on record. In 2020 alone, 80 million people were displaced from their home countries. While refugees may come to a new country not knowing the language or how to navigate the systems unique to their new home, many do come with a craft-based skillset which they can leverage for immediate income generation, which is very much needed as they start their new life.

With this collective of refugee-owned shops, Nest and Etsy are creating market access opportunities for Afghan refugee artisans that can be home-based and realized with access to basic infrastructure and resources. In partnership with Vickery Trading Company, a non-profit in Dallas, supporting the resettlement of refugees, Nest and Etsy delivered targeted training & product development resources to the refugee-owner of this shop.