Her situation was hopeless - and getting worse. Born into poverty in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, Ramzia never had high expectations of life. But even the few dreams she might have had were shattered when disaster struck. Her father was killed in the country's civil war and, soon after, the district of Kabul she lived in was reduced to rubble by rocket attacks. Like millions of other Afghans, Ramzia and the surviving members of her family chose exile over death, and fled to Pakistan.
When the war ended, they returned to Kabul, but they were under no illusion as to what awaited them there. "Literally millions of refugees have poured back into the city," says Eric Sinclair, Medair's Country Director in Afghanistan. "Many arrive with just a few boxes of personal belongings, hoping to find employment and start building a new life. But even for men, there is not enough work. For families with no grown-up men, life is terrible. Last winter, thousands froze to death because they could not even afford glass for the windows of their shacks."
Ramzia's family had few options. While she stayed at home to look after her blind mother, her two little brothers - aged eight and ten - roamed the streets of Kabul day after day, selling cigarettes for two cents a piece, in an effort to raise enough money to buy that evening's bread.
"One morning, Ramzia walked into our training centre," Mohammad Shafi Sharifi remembers. With Medair's support, the 44-year-old has established training centers to give women from especially hard-hit families the chance to earn money working from home. "I thought, this is exactly the sort of person we are here to help." For a few months, Ramzia attended tailoring classes, learning to sew dresses she could then sell. "At the beginning, we give our trainees a lot of support," Mohammad says, "but as they progress, we gradually encourage them to find buyers for their products so they earn money for themselves. During the last couple of months, we do not give them financial help at all. All their income comes from what they themselves make and sell. This way, they learn not only tailoring - which is straightforward - but also how to make a living from it. This way, they can continue to support themselves and their families once the course is over."
When Ramzia finished her course in September, Medair organized a small ceremony at which the Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs handed her and fellow graduates sewing machines to enable them to continue their new trade from their own homes. During her graduation speech, Ramzia was full of hope, speaking of her dream of establishing a cooperative of seamstresses. "When I asked her what difference the project had made to her everyday life, she didn't hesitate for a second," says Mohammad, his mustache curving into a broad smile. "She said her family has gone from being hungry to eating meat twice a week. And then I looked at all the faces in the ceremony, and thought of all the 455 women we have trained this year alone. That moment just brought everything into focus - 455 humans, 455 families, 455 sad stories with a happy end. It was worth it."