Without a doubt, life changed for people around the world after September 11,
2001. For the founder of the Women of Hope Project, Betsy Beamon, this
event meant the end of a 24 year career with the airlines and found her embarking
on a trip that would change her life, and the lives of thousands of women in
Afghanistan.
With the airline industry in limbo, Betsy took a year’s leave and made
a trip to Afghanistan. She saw the plight of thousands of women and children
who were left to fend for themselves in a male dominated society that was bereft
of able bodied men to take care of them after 25 years of war. While she
returned several times with donations to help the women, she knew that this was
not going to fix the long term problem of helping the women to learn to support
themselves. After many prayers and sleepless nights trying to figure out
what to do, Betsy hit upon an idea that she thought might solve their problem. Remembering
a visit to Epcot Center as a 6 year old child and seeing an exhbit of the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Betsy wondered if teaching these women how to grow
food hydroponically could alleviate their hunger as well as begin to earn an
income from the produce. Over the next two years, partnering with the Institute
of Simplified Hydroponics and working with the Ministry of Agriculture in Afghanistan,
Betsy educated herself about this growing method and started the first project
of the Women of Hope Project to Afghanistan – hydroponic gardening.
Hydroponics is a method of growing food in containers using any type of medium that will hold the roots of a plant, but giving the plants nutrition, not through the soil, but through watering with nutrient infused water. She chose 54 women ranging from 14-70, all head of their household, for her first class. Through an interpreter, she taught them how to grow food hydroponically. With support from friends, churches, other organizations and individuals who believe in the project, Betsy was able to get the funds necessary to help many of the women buy the supplies to start their own garden (about $350.00 for initial set up).
While Betsy was working in Afghanistan, a network of volunteers supported her efforts back here in the United States. Volunteers held fundraisers, spread the word about the project, and raised money to support Betsy’s expenses to be able to continue to live in Afghanistan. Today, 7 years later, volunteers continue to be the backbone of the operation to support Betsy’s efforts to maintain a consistent presence in Afghanistan to continue the work to help women learn to support themselves and their families.
The Women of Hope Project has firmly planted itself in Afghanistan, and the story continues today, with new projects. The hydroponic project was put on hold as the refugee families she was working with were moved to a new village, Ben-e-Warsak, 90 miles outside of Kabul. A school was established by Betsy at this village, teaching 130 boys and 70 girls. The school continues to be supported by WOHP.
In Kabul, where Betsy lives and does most of her work, she has begun the biggest project to date, The Embroidery Project. It supports a network of over 1000 women who make hand embroidered products such as table linens, pillow covers, bookmarks, ornaments, aprons, etc., that are sold in Afghanistan and in the United States to support the individual women. She has also established a Learning Center in Kabul where the women can bring their products to be sold, attend classes on starting a business, and learn literacy.