Connie Duckworth Carpets

An afghan carpet ride.

Connie duckworth carpets.

Connie duckworth is the founder and chief executive officer of arzu a social. Since that visit with the u s afghan women s council a non partisan initiative tasked with supporting afghan women duckworth has devoted her life and career to rebuilding afghanistan carpet by carpet. Arzu was founded in 2004 by connie duckworth in what was a pretty interesting journey said melissa bertenthal arzu s vice president of international programs. The only higher end products were locally woven carpets.

And jim kunder assistant administrator asia and the. Charles arthur traces the afghan carpet s journey from point of production to point of sale. Duckworth founded arzu a. For centuries afghanistan has been a leader in carpet production but years of political instability have damaged the industry.

Kabul afghanistan march 29 2005 from left. I bought four small ones and took them home to chicago. After leaving goldman sachs connie duckworth launched a second career with arzu studio hope a nonprofit rug business that gives afghan women jobs as well as access to health care and education. 11 2001 and left new york for chicago bertenthal said.

U s afghan women s council members. Connie duckworth the ceo of the us based afghan carpet wholesaler arzu studio hope explains over the past year or two the rise in insecurity along the pakistani border has made it increasingly difficult to import carpets from afghanistan. U s afghan women s council members tim mcbride senior vp of government relations freddie mac. When connie duckworth flew into kabul for the first time in 2003 the city below looked like berlin after world war ii she says.