Bid Launched to Save Fayoum's Wicker Handicraft from Extinction

Khoos (Wicker Crafts) is one of the most important traditional crafts in Fayoum Governorate. It is used in creating products such as bags, chairs, mats, trays, and various utensils.

However, studies have revealed that this craft is facing extinction due to several reasons, including shortage of labor, product failure, and the lack of design consistency.

Accordingly, Ibtikar Khana School took it upon itself to protect this heritage craft from extinction, through the "My Village, My Responsibility" project, which is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity in Fayoum Governorate.

The school conducted field research in the centers of the Decent Life Initiative at the Youssef Al-Siddiq Center, the Atsa Center, the Fayoum Center, and the Tamiyyah Center.

It conducted field research on more than 400 women and more than 300 young men and women in 25 regions and villages in Fayoum. The field study showed that Al-Alam village, considered the citadel of the wicker industry, is one of the most villages in dire need of a decent life.

Dr. Iman Bibars, founder and managing director of Ibtikar Khana School, noted that the study shows that most of the women of Al-Alam Village work in the craft, however, 90% of them did not receive specialized training in the wickerwork as they inherited the craft from their families, whether fathers or mothers.

She added that the study included studying the needs of these women, which included the need for training to improve and develop the quality of their products because they face a problem in marketing as the products they create can only be sold to families inside Fayoum and in a small number.

Bibars added it was decided to provide advanced technical training for women who have knowledge of the craft in its primitive form and have not received training.

She noted they will be trained in contemporary and modern designs that have a large market size. 

The trainees will also be taught how to transform the craft they master into a project by studying and understanding the markets, forming a work team, calculating expenses and revenues, using a digital wallet, and marketing the product inside and outside Fayoum, which will achieve sustainability for the project.