![]() But most importantly you will meet these master crafts artists who will open doors to their realm with a smile. Take a map of Egypt and we will trace the untold stories of these areas where philosophy, work ethics and art are intertwined. Hela is in contact with some of today’s talented musicians to meet. Other modern performances are held in various cultural centers across Cairo. The interaction between the performers and the audience provides an intimate setting to embrace the music of the moment. Entire instruments have been saved from extinction such as the Egyptian lute which only a handful of musicians can play today. Small concerts are hosted in cultural centers like Makan to save the transmission of Egyptian oral and lyrical genres dating from antiquity to modern traditional music, by recording and deciphering the archives. If you wish to escape the hustle and bustle in Cairo, head west again to Tunis village in Fayoum, which houses the most elaborate pottery in the country.Īrt is also found in melody, Hela’s passion extends to preserve and restore music through documentation, popular traditions and festivities. They bring to you hand-made tapestries using their imagination, innate autodidacts flaunting their skill. With Hela, you may visit a foundation around Saqqarah where women weave colorful scenes from the local villages using homegrown plant extracts. Light fixtures created by glassmakers share this space, as do contemporary artists. In Al-Fustat, a potters’ village was saved in the early 2000’s from urban development, a project that today houses jewelry and metal smiths designers workshops where we meet dynamic craftswomen. There are a variety of markets in this densely populated part of Cairo, punctuated by the cries of the milk man, a glimpse of another man balancing a long tray of bread on his head while swiftly riding his bicycle through the alleys and the muezzin’s soft voice in the background. On the way we will see the last traditional tarbouche (hat-maker). Not far from the constant clattering sounds is Khayamiya market where tents were made in the past to shelter travelers from the harsh sandstorms. Hela and her team will take you to silversmiths, brass makers, and their workshops in Old Cairo where you can see them chiseling calligraphy on decorative ornaments. That tiny shop on a side street in El Sagha, the jewelers quarter, is where her love for Cairo began. Through your generous gifts of support, we were able to hire Jalila as one of our Re:new Artisans that works with textiles and jewelry! Because of YOU, this single mom is THRIVING! Can you help the next Jalila that comes through our doors? Your support will go to fund Artisans just like Jalila.As a teen in Cairo, Hela would always mingle with artisans when visiting her favorite silver shop, enthralled as tribal bracelets gathered from across Egypt spilled out of canvas duffle bags. Here, at work, I am happy and feel like I will have a good life! My dream is to have a good life for me and my daughter. I have friends to talk to and I don’t feel alone. I like the time here and I feel good about myself. After 3.5 years, my back was in too much pain and my doctor said I can’t work anymore in that place. ![]() My other job was a lot of heavy work and I stopped working there. I like America but it is hard, it is hard to make money. ![]() I get to talk to them on the phone but it is expensive. This is the village now called Deir el-Medina, the home of the craftsmen who cut and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Also, when we moved my daughter was 15 years old, so it was hard for her to be in a new country. World Relief was helpful with paperwork and translating. I would ask myself “ what is this life?” because it was so hard. It was hard because she didn’t understand what people were saying. After waiting three years, I was granted refugee status and moved to Chicago in 2015. While in Egypt, I applied for refugee status in 2012 for me and her daughter. While in Egypt, I worked to clean houses. I took my daughter to Egypt to get away from violence. We were separated for a long time and he left her. My husband and daughter fled for safety to a city, I stayed to help her family in the village. I got married in the village and had a daughter. Soldiers would come to the village and there would be violence and fighting.We grew a lot of vegetables, but when there was fighting, people would light our crops on fire so we had no food to eat or sell. The fighting happened for a long time, for 12 years before I left. It was good until people started fighting. I was born in a farming village into a big family with 12 siblings. We sat down with Jalila so that she could share her story with you! She joined the Re:new team in December as an Artisan. We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest Artisan at Re:new, Jalila! Jalila came to Re:new as a sewing student and we quickly realized her talent.
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