RAFIF ESLIM

PALESTINE_ A group of women sewed clothes from tent fabric damaged because of storage at the crossings or during inspection, where Israeli forces deliberately tear it by inserting a sharp tool. These outputs come within the economic empowerment project in the Gaza Strip in Palestine.

One of the trainees in the workshop, Saja Darwish, says that the beginning was in learning the correct steps for sewing, and then the first piece of clothing was completed. But she and the work team collided with the absence of fabrics in the markets, which pushed the "Tamkeen" Center to think of an alternative, which is tent fabrics. She noted that they may be better than some fabrics available in the local market at a price that exceeds the consumer's ability to buy, given the high prices that the residents of the besieged city live in today.

It turns out that tent fabrics vary among themselves; there are fabrics that become soft with repeated washing, and there are other coarse fabrics from which it is difficult to make clothes. She noted that these products may be suitable for the winter season, in light of the increasing demand from mothers for clothes and the approaching school season, by sometimes merging them with old clothes, thus recycling an old piece with a new one to improve the quality of the product offered, until the Israeli forces allow fabrics to enter.

Gaza Women Turn Suffering into an Opportunity to Learn

Meanwhile, Nadia Al-Basyouni, one of the women from the deaf and mute category, indicates that she registered with the center because it supports persons with disabilities, and she did not know what could be offered to her there. But when she engaged in learning sewing with women of the same age group, she felt psychological comfort, as most of her time that she used to spend alone now has someone to share with her and support her. Her happiness increased when she taught her colleagues sign language and they began talking with her in it.

It turns out that despite the difficulty of preparing clothes from tent fabric, it was an opportunity to prepare an alternative that is usable and actually meets a need, especially after a long training period she spent learning on the sewing machine. She noted that upon completing the training, she can obtain a source of livelihood, as she now has a craft in her hands that enables her to live with dignity.

For her part, trainer Azza Salam says that at the center she trains two groups, each group containing 25 male and female trainees, to learn the basics of sewing such as working on the machine and cutting patterns. Due to the shortage of materials during training, the direction turned to using tent fabric after cutting and washing it to produce pieces that can be used. She noted that the Israeli forces "deliberately tear the tents" during the inspection stage, thus they become unsuitable for pitching and are recycled in another form.

She adds that clothes are available in the market but are extremely expensive, confirming that the high prices affect even furnishings such as covers, tablecloths, pillows, and others. It turns out that some types of tent fabrics become better with washing because they do not contain polyester and are close to cotton fabric; indeed, they are better than some fabrics available in the local market, while the coarse fabrics are used to make handbags to be environmentally friendly.

Other Projects

For her part, trainee Heba Yaghi says that she benefits from the project within the artificial intelligence and remote work program, and she is studying the executive assistance specialization so that she can compete in the labor market. Indeed, she recently received an offer, but she preferred to complete the training so that she could strengthen her skills in artificial intelligence, as she still faces some difficulties in learning and working with it, in addition to web development. She noted that she is happy with the experiences she is gaining and with integrating with girls of the same age group.

Trainee Shahd Abu Omra explains that making jewelry, crochet, and wool is the most prominent thing she has learned. She also developed her drawing skills and was able to complete her first painting with the help of the center, which took care of providing raw materials. She noted that the most prominent thing she learned is that accessories include decorating the place and women's jewelry, and not only earrings and rings; making roses and gift wrapping all fall under the same category. But what pleases her most is learning sign language and integrating with girls with disabilities.