Social Enterprise Fully Integrated with Corporate Identity

T&Bs most distinguishing characteristic as a company is its long history of engendering socio-economic empowerment for the local Afghan population. From its foundations as the for-profit arm of a non-profit entity that specialized in vocational training of Afghan women, T&B has been a powerhouse of meaningful, practical linkages between the non-profit and for-profit spheres of Afghanistan.

To date, T&B reserves a portion of its factory space for educational and training programs. These are operated by Maharat, formerly known as the Afghan Women’s Vocational Skills Learning Center, an Afghan non-profit organization that uses its self-authored sewing curriculum, entitled the Step By Step Sewing Book, to train local women in the skill of tailoring. As is not commonly known, Afghan women traditionally are not familiar with the craft of sewing or the handling of machinery. The machinery element of sewing is identified as a “masculine” activity and has historically rendered Afghan men as tailors and Afghan women as only embroiderers, a less lucrative, though more laborious, activity.

T&B, in its pursuit of international standards, believes that women make better sewing factory workers. Over the years, T&B has not only financially supported the training of hundreds of Afghan women, but its increased use of sophisticated machinery never before used in Afghanistan, such as computerized bartackers, buttonholers, buton attachers, belt loop makers, pocket placers, etc. has allowed the

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