Hasina Aimaq
A phrase has stuck with Hasina Aimaq throughout her life: "Always take the risk. If you don't take the risk, there is no life." Hasina's mother told her this from a young age, and the mantra has guided her from starting her own business to saving her family.
Hasina inherited her tenacity and determination from her mother, who started a business as a single parent in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan. The Taliban do not allow women to study or work, so when Hasina's father passed away when she was only one, her mother created a business in secret to provide for her family. Hasina's mother began making clothing for other people inside her home. Over time, the work expanded into collecting and modifying clothes for the market. Despite the many dangers and challenges of disobeying Taliban law, Hasina's mother persevered to create a thriving small garment workshop. "My mom was trying to do something. She wanted to create something for us. She wanted us to survive," explains Hasina.
Afghan society under the Taliban is male-dominated, and female leadership is unacceptable. Every day, Hasina's mother trod the fine line between pursuing her goals and maintaining good communal relationships to avoid scrutiny from the government. Hasina's mother used her business to help people in similar circumstances. She began hiring other women with no male family members struggling to provide for their families as she had. "In the Taliban, women have no power, no voice. Despite all of the restrictions, she wanted to support people. My mother was always finding an alternative to overcome challenges. She never stopped in the face of adversity," says Hasina.
Hasina's mother overcame the challenges of education and business under Taliban rule. The Taliban prohibited women from attending school, but Hasina's mother taught her daughter secretly. She would risk hiding Hasina under her burqa and transport her to different homes for lessons. Once, the Taliban stopped Hasina and her mother because they noticed her family repeatedly visiting the same house on certain days. When questioned, her mother told the soldiers she was taking Hasina to learn the Quran. Little did the Taliban know Hasina hid her school notebooks inside the Quran. "My mother's hands were shaking. We were lucky they didn't check inside the book. Not everyone had the courage to do this. My mother took huge risks for me and others," states Hasina.
The Taliban left Afghanistan when Hasina was in fourth grade, and her family's situation began to improve. Her mother's business became public and was able to grow. She opened branches and hired more women and families. The government reopened schools when Hasina was in fourth grade so she could complete her education. Hasina's mother encouraged her schooling and helped her get into university. "Girls going to school was a dream because of the restrictions we had experienced in the community," explains Hasina. She attended a private university in Kardan, Afghanistan, while looking after her two young children. Hasina received her master's degree in business administration. "My mother is my role model, inspiring me to pursue business. Plus, I was already involved in the company she had created," says Hasina.
Hasina's accomplishments and passion for business knowledge led to her participation in an entrepreneurship training called Peace Through Business. The two-part program occurred in her home country and Dallas, Texas, where she attended an international conference for business leaders and won the event's 'Business Person of the Year' award. Each student received a female mentor and came to Oklahoma to learn on-site and exchange experience and knowledge. Susan was Hasina's mentor. "I felt like Susan was genuine and wanted to help me. I remained connected to Susan when I went back to Afghanistan. We decided to work together because she was launching the gallery," says Hasina. Hasina continued communicating regularly with Susan via email and phone, discussing ideas and offering advice.
During Hasina's time at university, her mother decided to hand the business over to her daughter. She hoped for Hasina to be the face of the company, which is why she had initially named it Hasina's Designs. Hasina helped her mother grow the company in many ways. She reimagined local materials for a variety of outfits and home products. Hasina believed their clothes could share a positive message about Afghanistan's women and culture.
Each collection came with a description of the community behind the items and their symbolic meaning. "Social media is one perspective, and you often don't see the creativity or good parts of our society. You see war and bombs, not the talented women or their artistry and intelligence," says Hasina. She desired to show the world her community's skills and aspirations, portraying another side of Afghanistan's cultural story. For example, Hasina's Designs transformed a burqa into a party dress. "We should use it the way we want to use it. The burqa is just a fabric. We can cover ourselves but choose how we do so," says Hasina. By reimagining traditional materials, Hasina strives to show how artists can respect and evolve culture simultaneously.
Susan fell in love with Hasina's work and wanted to bring her collections to the Gallery so more people could experience them. Susan hoped to support this business of talented Afghan women, and Hasina saw it as an excellent opportunity to showcase her country's stories through their beautiful work.
In 2021, the Taliban returned to Afghanistan. Hasina and her family did not know what to do when the invasion started, but Hasina knew the Taliban would come for her. The Taliban cut off water and electricity and went from village to village, home to home. Susan and Hasina had been working for many months on an initial exhibition of the Afghan works for December 2021. Hasina sent Susan an initial shipment of sample work, but as their conversations continued, Hasina shared her fear for herself and her family and the need to leave the country. Susan reached out to a wide swath of people with a compelling written story about Hasina. The story reached the Chief of Staff of the Oklahoma governor, who worked with Susan to get Hasina and her family out of the country. Working day and night, the governor's Chief of Staff ensured Hasina's family a place on one of the first flights leaving Afghanistan.
Before leaving home, Hasina spent three hours burning all her business paperwork to protect her family and the other women involved. Soon after, she and her family fled to the airport with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a letter from the Governor of Oklahoma along with the manifest with the names of her family members. They waited several hours in the hot sun with no water or food among 4,000 people attempting to leave the country. Hasina repeatedly tried to show a Taliban member the letter from Oklahoma and the plane manifest but was violently threatened and ignored. "My mother's words on risk stuck in my head. I went back to the Taliban and told him that we had a letter to go. He shot his rifle close to me and said the next bullet would be in my head. I told him to shoot me. I said: If you're not listening to me, then shoot me," says Hasina. The man slowly directed his rifle towards Hasina's head when another Taliban soldier asked what was happening. Since they did not speak to women, the soldier instructed Hasina to have her husband return with the letter, and they were finally allowed to get on the flight. Hasina and her family spent another two weeks in hotels and military camps in Qatar with only the clothes on their back and the small items they were allowed to take. After days of incredible duress and uncertain fate, Canada offered them a flight to Toronto. With the same risk-taking that Hasina's mother harnessed to build opportunity for her daughter, Hasina bravely saved the lives of herself and her family.
Hasina is now rebuilding her life in Canada as a mother, wife, daughter, and leader. "Looking to the future is not easy, but it is not impossible. I am still healing from the trauma, but I believe things will move forward and change for the positive. It will take time, but I am hopeful," asserts Hasina. Alongside supporting her family, Hasina is helping other Afghan refugees transition to Canada. Hasina supports women writing applications or advocates for families as a representative. Following in her mother's footsteps, Hasina courageously uses her skills to help others and build bridges to surpass barriers. Hasina's dream is to return to designing and owning her business. "I came here with nothing, so I need to start over. I am moving forward. I know from experience that we can overcome our challenges, whatever they may be," says Hasina.
1515 Lincoln Gallery and Susan are committed to doing whatever they can to continue supporting Hasina as she reconstructs her work and assists other Afghan women who are also restoring their lives as refugees. 1515 Lincoln Gallery is planning an upcoming exhibition of work by Afghan women with Hasina curating the collection.
