Dutch adventure seeker and designer Sandra Jelly left her home country years ago in soul-searching journey to Jordan. And not just a city in Jordan, but rather, a valley known for its bedouin communities and quiet, traditional lifestyle a few hours outside Amman. In her time living among the local bedouin communities, Sandra learned that the women spend a lot of their time making tents, carpets, bags, horse decorations and other useful items that might survive their tough lifestyle. Getting to know these people allowed Sandra to understand their needs, which led to the development of a business idea that might benefit them. Many of these families typically depend on one source of income, being the father/husband, who either owns herds of livestock or works in tourism at nearby Petra. Sandra knew these women’s unique skills should be used for the benefit of their society and could be turned into profitable crafts.
BedouBag now consists of 6 women from the Huadat tribe, including Um Hussein, Um Jamal, Um Feisel, Um Hassan, Um Abdulrahman and Um Mohammed. The video above shows the way the women weave, and the handcrafted one-of-a-kind quality of each item. By purchasing a BedouBag, you support these women who are seeking to provide for their families and share their unique craft.
For more information: @BedouinDream on Twitter, BedouBag