ABU DHABI Dozens of Syrian women who have lost everything to war have found a new source of livelihood – stitching, thanks to a UAE charity project called ‘Sew for Syria’.
Set up by Barbara Evans from the UK and her Syrian friend Nada Doucsh the three-day project has helped empower the refugee women, housed in a small orphanage called Ufuk (horizon in Turkish) at the Turkey-Syria border, by teaching them how to sew clothes – for themselves and others.
Loaded with 300 kilos of donated fabric, sewing machines, knitting needles, buttons and crochet hooks, Evans and her five-member sewing team travelled to Ufuk in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, bordering Aleppo on the Syrian side, two weeks ago. The three-storey orphanage houses 42 families including 146 children.
“What we saw was a heartrending. There were women who have lost their children, and children who have lost their parents. It was overwhelming,” Evans told XPRESS.
During the course of the project, the orphanage was transformed into a sewing school with volunteers whipping out orders to sort fabric, take measurements and follow designs.
“We divided women into three groups based on their proficiency in sewing. We taught them how to sew baby quilts, stitch skirts and other kinds of garments. They have also learnt to sew pencil cases, bags and other items they can sell in the local markets,” said Evans.
Though many women had not seen a sewing machine before, their enthusiasm to learn a new craft was overwhelming, she said.
Matter of pride
“They are proud people. They don’t want to live on charity. They were crying out of happiness as we taught them how to stand up on their own,” said Evans who is also the founder of Dubai-based charity Rags to Riches that converts used bed linen and fabric to useful clothing for underprivileged children.
Theresa Tsui, a volunteer on the Sew for Syria team, said the trip was a humbling experience. “To work alongside these women who have gone through the worst in life taught us to count every day as a blessing,” said Tsui from the UK, who runs a sewing and craft shop ‘reMADE DXB.
The project was sponsored by Cana Turk, a Syrian NGO founded by Dr. Amer Taleb, who is also one of the sponsors of Ufuk.
Speaking to XPRESS, Canadian-Syrian Taleb said the initiative will have a long-term impact on the lives of the beneficiaries. “It teaches them a skill. It is not about offering them a pack of food or clothing,” said Taleb.
After Turkey, the team is planning to replicate the initiative in Nepal and Afghanistan.
“We have already been asked to travel to Nepal to teach sewing to women who were displaced by the earthquake last year. We are also considering Afghanistan as the next destination,” said Evans.
