Salma Bouziyeh

   Salfit is a district in Palestine that is the largest olive oil producer of all the West Bank regions. The city of Salfit is ancient, founded during the Canaanite era (3150-1200 BCE). The word Salfit (pronounced “Sal-feet”) is composed of the two affixes “Sal” meaning box and “feet” meaning grapes. This is due to the fact that the city of Salfit was famous for grapes, which are still grown extensively today. There are 17 illegal Israeli settlements in Salfit district at the time of writing, including “Ariel”, the largest settlement in the West Bank. 

   Salma was one of the women who took it upon herself to revive and develop basket making in her villages and region. Salma remembers that as a child all the women of the village were making baskets regardless of your social status and financial capabilities. Making baskets, which are known as Qirtaleh, was a necessity and an art for every household that was especially used in the fields when harvesting grapes and figs. A concern amongst many community leaders like Salma is that such crafts are dying out as the older generation who used to make them are passing away as well as due to the new fast pace of life, whereby the younger generations are not keen on learning the craft, preferring to look elsewhere for income generation. However, Salma believes that proper investment of time, effort and skill could develop the craft of basket making and even raise its value. Since 2011, she has been working with women to develop their skills in basket making from straw, olive and mastic (Sarees) twigs. It goes without saying that the challenges faced by the agricultural sector directly impact crafts such as basket making. For example, when farmers stop growing local varieties of wheat and replace it with high value crops, it means less straw is available for baskets making. Moreover, the widespread attacks by wild pigs also cause destruction of crops and eventually leading those suffering from it to abandon farming altogether.

   Nonetheless, Salma believes basketry is a craft, which if allowed to develop and is supported officially by civil society and the government could be a reliable income generating activity for many women in the region. Salma also shares how throughout her work to preserve the handicraft of basketry, she has come across unique pieces that date hundreds of years, which also incorporate animal leather in the basket to add to its sturdiness and durability. Salma continues to run workshops on the art of basketry and hopes to continue providing a platform for marketing what she believes is a simple yet beautiful and creative piece of handicraft.

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Product Selling Points: On location.

Other Services: Hosting small groups for a tour of the workshop through prior booking.