Sabina had completed elementary school and two years of high school when war broke out in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was never able to return and finish her education. “I was always ashamed because of this,” she says. “After I married, I just stayed home and took care of my family and mother-in-law.”
Sabina Tufek
All of that changed when Sabina enrolled in the Women for Women International program in 2006. She was connected to a network of women through her training group, and learned how to share her thoughts and feelings with others. “I’m still shy – that’s my personality,” she explains, “but today, if I have something to say, I say it. Before, I would say nothing.
“Before the program, I knew I could do things, but I wasn’t doing anything. Now – I have no brakes!”
Sabina received training in beekeeping as part of the yearlong training program, and now raises bees for producing wax and honey. “This was always my dream,” she says. “The program gave me the courage and the skills I needed. Other women encouraged me and gave me new ideas.
“I am proud to say I am a beekeeper. It gives me a lot of self-confidence.”
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Sabina believes that it is very important for women to have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills. “Education and the opportunity to earn an income are the wind at your back,” she says. “Many women don’t know how they can make change until someone shows them and motivates them.”
Sabina is inspired by the courage and resilience of a woman she has known for many years, her husband’s cousin, Huma. “Huma’s husband died in a car accident and she was left with two young children,” tells Sabina. “She found a job as a cook and gave up everything to provide a good upbringing and education for her children. She has built a home, and her children have become successful.
“Huma is my inspiration. Whenever I have a problem, I remember her and she inspires me to succeed and deal with any challenge.”
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