“‘Arzu’ means ‘Hope’ in Dari” explained Connie Duckworth of Arzu Studio Hope. “We want to provide hope for any woman in Afghanistan that wants to work to give her children a better future!” John and Janet Conti opened their home for the evening, inviting guests to hear about Arzu, and get a first hand look at the amazingly intricate rugs woven by the Afghan women.

Walking through the front door, guests were immediately introduced to an array of rugs, some large enough to the fill the foyer, and others draped across a couch, or running along a table. “The Hope rug is a copy of the Pazyryk rug, which carbon dates back to 500 BC” explained Duckworth as we stood around the amazing representation of history, art, and hard work put in by some of the amazing weavers in Afghanistan.

Sug Schusterman quickly scooped up a basket of Peace Cord bracelets, another product created by the women of Arzu, encouraging guests to purchase one for a $10-$15. Peace Cord bracelets are hand woven out of parachute cord, and secured with an authentic military uniform button. This idea was inspired by the actions of the military who teach their troops to weave the parachute cords in the same way to relieve stress. The production of these bracelets allows Arzu to employ over 150 more women per day!

If you are interested in learning more about Arzu Studio Hope, looking at or purchasing one of the extremely detailed rugs, or purchasing a Peace Cord bracelet, visit arzustudiohope.org or peacecord.org!