Products:  Embroidered bags and purses, linen shawls, placemats, jewelry cases, jewelries, and doll
Beneficiaries: 50 women from the village of Idna.

Idna is a remote village (pop.20,000) nestled among scenic hills southwest of the city of Hebron.  In spite of the beautiful natural settings, the village suffers from critical unemployment, adult illiteracy, and inadequate health and educational facilities.  Due to the lack of jobs men of the village traditionally went inside Israel for day labor, which accounted for most of the village’s income source until September 2000, when the Intifada began and they lost access to their jobs.

In 1998, a group of women started Idna Ladies’ Association, a small income-generation project.  With the help of Toshiko Mizumoto, a Japanese designer and sewing instructor, 31 enthusiastic women have learned skills in product design, sewing, quality control, inventory, financial management, and organizational skills.  The association has grown from a humble room to a workshop equipped with machineries and worktables.  Over the last few years, the women have significantly developed their creativity and designing skills, creating original products known for their prettiness and practicality.

Naime, Nuha and Sadieh, who live in Idna and run the association, beam as they speak of their work. “When we began, it seemed like a dream that we would have our own association and earn income.  Today, we’ve done it and are doing it well.

Idna faces a grave future as a large area of the village land has been confiscated by Israel for the construction of the Separation Wall in early 2005.  The Wall’s trajectory runs through Idna, isolating the most fertile part of the village’s agricultural area and underground water from their owners.  More than 50 families have lost their olive groves and grazing land for livestock.

In light of these challenges, the women aspire to continue developing the Association. The project, they say, has changed the lives of the women who now earn between US$50 and US$120 monthly, a modest yet significant amount for impoverished families.  The women have gained a sense of independence and self-worth by obtaining skills and becoming the main contributors to family budgets. 

“It makes me very happy when we receive orders from customers,” smiles Naime.  “And it makes me doubly happy when I see my colleagues are happy because of the work.”

Contact Idna Ladies’ Association:
Telefax: +972-(0)2-229-1353
idnaflora@yahoo.com
OR through Sunbula:
info@sunbula.org
P.O. Box 8619, Jerusalem 91086 

View their products on Sunbula Online Craft Market