A day in the life of an artisan during Ramadan in Syria
Ramadan is the fasting month for Muslims, where muslims refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. This Ramadan, we spent the day with Abdullah our textile weaver from Hama, a devoted husband and father of three beautiful girls, whom he calls his “angels.”
Abdullah's day starts early in the morning before the COVID 19-induced quarantine hours are enforced by the government. He first heads to the farmers market to bring fresh food for his family, so his wife can prepare the delicious dishes for Iftar (the meal at sunset with which a fasting person breaks his fast). Then he heads to his weaving workshop, that has been in hi family for three generations, and starts working on his new order from Mint + Laurel.
He starts by making the cotton threads one by one so he can use them on the traditional wooden loom. By noon, the loom is ready and he starts making his beautiful textiles, blankets and towels. He works for about six continuous hours.
Farmer’s Market in Syria
Around 6 pm, he hurries back home before the mandatory quarantine starts at 7:30 pm that lasts till the next morning. By then Abdullah is tired and dehydrated. It is Ramadan, and he has already spent the whole day without food or water. God is mercy. Ramadan this year is in May, a mild and temperate spring month in Syria. He spends the remaining time until Iftar playing with his three daughters, reciting from the Quran, and learning about what is important in his religion; to be a good person. His wife is busy preparing dinner. Finally it is almost time to eat and the three girls help the mother set up the table. After the breaking of their fast, the family spends the rest of the evening together, chatting, watching TV and having fun.
Abdullah sent us messages and pictures of his beautiful daughters via WhatsApp. He is a proud father.
Abdullah refers to his three daughters as his angels
He described his daughters as three angels. He says; "My daughters are wonderful, they are very good in school,” the oldest is 12 years old. Two of his daughters love to paint and one loves to write stories. Like any father, his main concern is ensuring that his daughters have what they need and a secure future. He says he is happiest when the team at Mint + Laurel place an order because this guarantees that he can provide food on the table for his family.
Abdullah also employees four widows that help him do the trim of each towel. Since the war started in 2011, sales of textile and handwoven cotton towels have been very low, the markets in Syria were severely impacted and exports were brought to a complete standstill by the US sanctions on Syria. Now with COVID-19, things are even worse. This deep sense of insecurity leaves Abdullah, and many other artisans in constant state of uncertainty. As a social enterprise we are proud to partner with Abdullah and his import his cotton textiles to the US. Abdullah’s textiles are now available in homes across the US. See examples of some of his beautiful work below. SHOP ABDULLAH’S TEXTILE COLLECTION
Cotton Blanket by Abdullah, imported from Syria
Cotton Blanket by Abdullah, imported from Syria