Bazaar brings handmade products from Ghor Safi to Amman

AMMAN — Although Ghor Safi Women’s Association for Social Development has been operating for more than 14 years, a limited number of Jordanians and tourists know about it and its products.

A project that began in July 2013 to train the association’s members on handicraft products and marketing has been a tool for them to promote their products and seek more public exposure, according to the association’s director, Naifah Nawasrah.

As part of the UNESCO-managed project, which continues until next year, a three-day bazaar was held in downtown Amman over the weekend to provide these women, coming all the way from the Jordan Valley, with the opportunity to showcase their products to new customers in the capital.

“The most important thing about this event is to let Amman residents and visitors know about our products. The society has been operating for more than 14 years and in only four months many Jordanians learned about our products through the training we took part in and through this bazaar,” she told The Jordan Times at the event’s opening ceremony Thursday.

Dubbed “From the Heart of Jordan”, the exhibition was organised on the occasion of Christmas, featuring handmade products ranging from bags, accessories and Christmas decorations.

Women of Ghor Safi were in charge of the bazaar and invited other associations to take part, according to Valentina Gamba of UNESCO’s culture unit in Jordan.

“The bazaar is held as part of a project, funded by the Drosos Foundation, and such events enable us to receive feedback to develop the work in the future,” she said.

UNESCO Representative to Jordan Costanza Farina described women in Ghor Safi as “exceptional”.

“They have lots of talent and enthusiasm. The project is important because it gives them the instrument to overcome the obstacles they face and to be positive agents of change in their society, bring income to the families and bring improvements to the society itself,” Farina told The Jordan Times.

She noted that the exhibition puts the women at the heart of Jordan and gives the opportunity to other stakeholders and the public to appreciate how much Jordan can give and how much these women can give to Jordan.

The project aims at providing income-generating opportunities to the women, Gamba said.

She added that UNESCO has held training courses, including art design, which focused on improving the quality, design and finishing of the products and later to improve the marketing.

“A total of 15 women took part in the training and they all attended the opening ceremony,” Gamba added.

Fatimah Bazlamit, mother of five, said the project helped her make ends meet.

“We also learned how to promote our products because the most important thing we face is the lack of promotion in the area we live in. I hope that such events will help promote our area,” the 35-year-old said outside her stall.

Khawlah Mhairat, who works at an association in Amman’s Iraq Al Amir area, said the bazaar gave her the chance to exchange expertise with other women in the same business.

“Also, occasions like Christmas are important for us because our sales increase and we receive more clients,” she said.