Women at afflicted Bir Al-Abd revive Bedouin-style woolen crafts

CAIRO – 8 February 2018: In spite of the difficult circumstances faced by the women living in Sinai, their quest for a positive change and a tangible impact on their societies is always clear cut.

In the village of Bir Al-Abd, where around 315 of its people were killed in the deadly terrorist attack that targeted at Al Rawdah Mosque in early December, women are reviving traditional crafts that are at risk of dying out.


FILE: Bdouin women grouped together for woolen knitting training


Sitting together over the edge of the dunes, a group of Bedouin women are spotted sewing, embroidering and weaving wools to craft handmade kilim woolen products.

Fatima el-Sayed, a Bedouin mother who is learning about the kilim tradition, said that she is happy that she got to do work other than the daily household chores, adding that her craft work offers her the opportunity to further develop herself.

Thanks to a nongovernmental organization operating in Sinai, more Bedouin women living in the remote city of Bir Al Abd are being provided with opportunities to earn money and raise their income through such things as being taught traditional wool-weaving techniques. Most of them lack traditional education and living standards are decreasing following the loss of the main breadwinners in the Rawdah mosque terrorist attack.



FILE: One of the trainees sewing wool thread

Zienab al-Abady, a member of the NGO, said that there is an increasing demand for such handmade, traditional products at the international fairs that women can take advantage of to earn a better living.

Abady added that the training takes from 6-8 hours daily, six days a week and includes teaching the trainees new weaving techniques.