LOCAL HANDICRAFTS FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Saturday, June 20th is World Refugee Day! And HDIF in Armenia is engaging Syrian Armenians in Armenia with a background in displacement by highlighting their special skills!

First, we created Christmas ornaments using 100% Armenian wool and added a cultural heritage element of traditional Armenian Marash embroidery. We are negotiating with an international organization for big orders for these! Maral, Ayda and many more will be busy later this Summer!

Secondly, we created PPE face masks using that same cultural heritage element of Marash embroidery. 

We are proud to be working closely in Armenia with UNHCR and their Made51 project to help these strong, talented Syrian Armenia women show what a resource they are for Armenia!

Please help us to help the Syrian Armenians in Armenia to help themselves!

Thank you.

The COVID19 pandemic has locked down the world. The economic wheels of the world have ground almost to a halt.

But not HDIF in Armenia!

Having an inkling of what was coming and seeing the need to pivot quickly, we threw ourselves at producing PPE face masks. The World Fair Trade Organization in Asia and one of our German clients threw their support behind us, and we were off and flying - tested, approved, 100% cotton, washable face masks.

We have about 150 families that depend on us for a supplemental income, and this is a way to keep an income coming to them. Pivot from potholders, aprons and coin purses to masks. They are doing it full steam today! 

Between March 15th when we started the whole project and the beginning of June, we received orders for over 16.000 masks We are participating in tenders all over the world for supplying hundreds of thousands more masks to them. 

This is one amazing pivot!

Not satisfied yet, we thought of our crochet groups who were not able to pivot to mask making. We designed and developed a series of Pandemic Heroes.

The waiters and waitresses that put food on your cafe talbe and to do it to put food on their own table. This means wearing a mask all day, and exposing themselves to lots of customers customers who might or might not take the virus seriously. They're heroes, as are the doctors, nurses, delivery staff, waiters/waitresses, taxi drivers and police. 

All these figures and more are available as both miniatures and finger puppets, and keep dozens of women busy with their crochet hooks. They all are wearing masks!

Another amazing pivot!

We are amazed at the resilience and creativity of all of HDIF's producer partners, across Armenia.

Appreciate your support!

Links:

• Look what pops up when you search 'mask' on our page!