How Sawsan, a strong-willed local woman is thinking of turning the Hebron Friendship Garden in a year-round market aimed at women from the community to show-case their craftmanship.
Whilst visiting a city, one can stumble upon its treasures. In Hebron, what makes this city so special is its people. One of those peope is Sawsan, she works at the Friendship Garden and is hoping to turn it into a heaven for the local women thus creating a forum where they can thrive and grow. Her project isn´t without its challenges but a born entrepreneur, she doesn´t mind facing the next hurdle.
Sawsan welcomes us warmly as we come on an EC visit with our guide Abou Mohammed. As we stand below a shrub tree which looks like vine tree, she explains that the lovely Friendship garden was commissioned and funded by a local Palestinian man to offer a place for families to enjoy time together. It has a playground for children and a small café to have tea/coffee or cold beverages. “The problem is, this space is not utilized to its full potential” tells a disgruntled Sawsan. “There is so much more we could do for the Hebron community”.
What she has in mind is a space dedicated to promoting women´s arts, craft and cooking skills. “I would like to create a friendly environment where local women could present their work and sell it to the visitors of the Garden.” One could easily imagine market stalls around the centre piece of the flowery and leafy garden where customers could be sipping a mint tea whilst looking at what is on offer. “Hebron women have been passing on their skills for craftmanship for years now” says Sawsan “Ceramic, embroidery & weaving, soap making, olive-wood carving, pottery, glass-making..). Not only would it be a great forum for all these creative women to meet and exchange ideas but it would provide an extra income for the families and empower the women of Hebron.
Having said that, there are hurdles to the project, further funds are needed to refurbish the garden and make it more weather-proof for the winter. Sawsan says “The current banking system makes it difficult for a local self-employed Palestinian to open the appropriate account in order to receive foreign investment/donations. Sawsan says “We, Palestinian, we are resilient people, we have no choice in the matter. I believe in this project and I will make it happen” She is no stranger to challenges, a few months ago, Hebron officials closed her arts and craft shop down because of a landslide causing cracks on the ground and deemed a public hazard. She will have to undertake serious work before she is allowed to open it again. “In´shallah (god willing).
Follow Sawsan´s Facebook page “Memories of Hebron” If you´d like to support her project in anyway please contact her on Sawsanalshareef@gmail.com
