Decisions, decisions…

My first 6 weeks of officially working for Ayadi Organization I did on-the-ground research of various crafts around Egypt.  I was looking to find a craft that has been passed down for hundreds of years and that would benefit from working with Ayadi.  My vision was not to create something new.  I didn’t want something redundant or to recreate the wheel if it had already been created and spinning, but rather to build on others' work and make more impact. 

To name just a few of the beautiful craftsmanship that are part of  Egypt's rich and dying cultural heritage, I saw glass being hand-blown in the City of the Dead in Cairo, pottery in Fayoum (1.5 hours from Cairo), mother-of-pearl boxes being cut and assembled, etc….  Every time I saw a new craftsman at work I wanted to work with him.  But of course to be realistic and to have impact, I decided to start with one craft for a 6-month pilot project, and then expand or reassess. 

I then came across the khayameya worker s (tentmakers).  I was fascinated.  The khayameya work dates way back, the first piece was found in a tomb of the Pharoahs.  They were originally tentmakers, but their work has evolved over the centuries and now they predominantly make pillow covers and large canvases.  I was shocked that no groups, NGOS or otherwise, were working with them (that I could find after extensive research).  There had been talks/proposals to work with them but nothing implemented.  I saw potential and the need. I came across a very kind man and decided to start my work with him and his workshop of tentmakers.  My first order was for a meager 5 pieces…