Neelab fled Kabul last year with her family, first to Pakistan and then to the UK army base in Shrivenham where she lives with her parents in law and two young children.

Following the change of regime in Afghanistan,  women were not allowed to work, drive a car or send their daughters to school.

Due to a lack of adequate clothing, Neelab asked a mutual friend who worked for the Red Cross for a sewing machine, and developed her abilities as a seamstress. She did not have much experience with an English styled sewing machine but now can make our aprons beautifully. It took me 2 months and a road trip to a fabric warehouse in London to figure out that Neelab speaks more English that she initially let on!  She is learning English in her spare time and we discuss fabric and trim combinations at length!