<font face="verdana" size="1" color =#CC0000><b>* New * </b></font> Rented van of visiting Afghan women reported stolen; $10,000 in crafts missing

3/30/2005

CLEVELAND A delegation of 10 Afghan women who are visiting Ohio to make business contacts lost $10,000 worth of crafts when their rented van was stolen.

The group represents 2,000 craftswomen who make purses, shawls, jewelry and other wares.

We arrived to find a market for these products, said one of the women, Parwana Wafa. Instead of help, we lost everything.

The van was stolen Tuesday after it was left idling outside a hotel. In addition to the wares, the group reported missing one passport and three airline tickets to Afghanistan.

The Great Lakes Consortium for Training and Development, based in Toledo, used a State Department grant to bring the group to Ohio for four weeks.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.