Tahhadi (translating to “defiance”) is a women’s income-gen - eration project that produces needle-felted crafts from natu - ral sheep wool and is located in Al-Mehtwish, one of the five Bedouin communities in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar area in the Jeru - salem Bariyya (wilderness) between Jerusalem and Jericho. The project was established under the umbrella of the Bed - ouin Silver Tent Association with the support of the fair-trade organization Sunbula and the Raymond Davis Foundation in 2017.
Bedouin communities in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar area have been forced to abandon their traditional way of life in herding be - cause of the encroachment of Israeli settlements on their lands. In recent years, they have been increasingly threatened with the demolition of the entire community and its forced dis - placement. Due to the occupation’s policies, a majority of Bed - ouin men seek out employment in urban areas, while women have lost their economic status as the producers and sellers of dairy products.
Tahhadi was born out of the need for economic resilience for the families living in this coercive environment. The women received needle-felting training by the designer Shireen Sal - man and use locally available sheep wool and the simple pro - duction method suited for their settings where there is no reg - ular supply of water and electricity. Tahhadi’s products have adorable animal figures inspired by the Bedouin life and are marketed through organizations like Sunbula.
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Product selling points: Sunbula.