“Donna” – Khalid’s Story
People seem to think that “Donna” (Khalid’s real name) is some kind of princess or the daughter of the king. But she’s not. Khalid was born into a poor family.
His father was a poor man, so his mother sent him off to live with his aunt for the winter, and then when it was time for the fall migration, she sent him with some friends to work in another village, where they would be able to provide food for the newly arrived people. Khalid’s father was afraid that his son wouldn’t be able to survive, so he sold him to some smugglers. He fell in love with a boy who worked as a servant in a shop and later on got married.
His middle name is Haly, which means “the one who finds a path.” Khalid went back to the village and never told his story. But this year, when Khalid was twenty-six, an old man in the village offered him work in his shop. Soon Khalid became a skilled weaver, and when the old man died, Khalid took over the shop.
He owned a tractor, and a horse, and he was very happy to have everything he needed to work with, but still he didn’t know anything about people, and he didn’t know how to give gifts. He decided to do some shopping, and found some widow’s old clothes for sale, and realized he could start sewing clothes in order to get money.
He learned how to sew, and at first he used only his old clothes to make some of his clothing. He was not very good at it though, and his creations were very cheap. So Khalid started making more complicated outfits, which he sold at a higher price.
His nickname in the village was “Dressed”. Now he has all kinds of customers. He makes clothes for men, women, boys, girls, and even babies. He says that he even makes clothes for babies.
However, he still hasn’t been able to earn enough money to send his mother back to the capital. But every day he hopes to start selling his clothes, and maybe someday he will be able to buy things like a house and a new home. He hopes that things will change for the better, and to feel proud of himself.
Khalid is always happy and laughing as he makes handmade clothes for everyone. When you look at his photos, you can see that he is really the happiest person you’ll ever meet. He can not imagine that his life could be easier or better.
