How Darzah Inspires Community Empowerment by Embracing Tradition in Palestine
At the heart of community empowerment are the very traditions, storied customs and heritage that becomes living culture passed down through generations. Tatreez embroidery, a traditional Palestinian art form, is one such community tradition passed down through centuries of Palestinian women. On World Refugee Day, we would be remiss not to recognize the value of community empowerment and preserving cultural heritage as goals toward empowering refugees, forced to leave their homelands.
The act of “empowerment” goes a lot further than economic benefit for a refugee. By maintaining their culture and staying in community, longing for home becomes more bearable. Our artisans, the heart and soul of Darzah are resilient, having historically endured gender inequality, low income and the lack of economic opportunity. These negative cycles are broken by laying focus on community empowerment through the wider lens of preserving cultural heritage.
These principles have always been cornerstones of Darzah’s mission. Preserving cultural heritage by bringing Tatreez apparel and decor to the world while ensuring community empowerment through providing employment and a platform for numerous women. The process that takes place becomes much more than a transaction. Darzah, along with our artisans take a stronger, more confident step toward greater opportunities, self-reliance and economic empowerment. It encourages the ancient practice of Tatreez among women who have inherited this tradition from their grandmothers in cultural continuity.
Darzah takes every road that leads to community empowerment
Gentle hands that bring to life the traditions of yore, Darzah goes beyond economic empowerment. We provide training, opportunities for skill development and programs to enhance our artisans’ abilities, enabling them to grow personally and professionally. Our products, being 100% handmade and sourced in Palestine, see community empowerment truly defining what we do.
Fairtrade certified, we are committed to fair wages for our artisans in an effort to support marginalized communities. Through fair wages and a comfortable working environment colored by community, we create economic opportunity for women in the West Bank to provide for themselves and their families.
The traditional art of Tatreez is more than just beautiful or decorative. It tells us a story about Palestinian history, its endurance and its longevity coming from the past to the very present. Through the story of needle and thread, Darzah has always placed emphasis on community empowerment and preserving cultural heritage of Palestine.
This World Refugee Day, the work done by Darzah and other non-profits need to be brought into the limelight. Aside from being ethical and authentic to the core, we look at creating lasting communities of women who do truly meaningful work. By bringing traditional Palestinian Tatreez apparel and decor to the world, we are preserving cultural heritage while encouraging community empowerment among women who keep this ancient art form close to their hearts.
