Basketry

Fayoum / Al-Alam, Behmo, Hawara, Ebhite, Fidmeen

"FAOD is an association that started its venue back then in 1986 in Fayoum, Egypt. They are specializing in palm-leaf basketry making. For years, the Fayoum Oasis village of Alaam has been the source of these palm-leaf baskets. Using large needles, the women of FAOD weave fronds, fanline palm tree leaves into each other after sewing bundles of rice straw in a continuous spiral. This craft dates back to the Pharaonic Era in Egypt, when baskets were utilized for a wide range of purposes, including food storage and cargo transportation. There is a group of about 50 women artisans who work in this craft. They do have a long history of being exploited by one or two vendors/ suppliers, so it was a priority for Fair Trade Egypt to find the suitable partners in order to ensure Fair Trade practices with the women artisans are adopted. Fair Trade Egypt and FAOD had started working together since 2010, and from that time on, success is flying over. We continually ensure that all kinds of support are provided for that women are working in a healthy environment to be able to do their magic producing high quality products that we need. In Fair Trade Egypt, our top aim is to make sure all our artisans are working safely, getting fair incomes in order to have a good living standard. "