فِي الْجِيزَةِ، فِي مِصْرَ، مَشْرُوعٌ اسْمُهُ «بَدَّارَةُ»، بَدَأَتْهُ عَبِيرُ جِدَّاوِي. تَعْمَلُ فِيهِ نِسَاءٌ شَابَّاتٌ وَمَاهِرَاتٌ مِنَ الرِّيفِ، مِنْ قَرْيَةِ دَهْشُورَ وَمِنَ الْوَادِي الْجَدِيدِ. وَهُنَّ يَصْنَعْنَ أَشْيَاءَ جَمِيلَةً مِنْ بَقَايَا النَّبَاتَاتِ. يَبْدَأُ عَمَلُهُنَّ فِي الْحُقُولِ. هُنَاكَ تَجْمَعُ النِّسَاءُ بَقَايَا الزِّرَاعَةِ لِصِنَاعَةِ السِّلَالِ وَالْحَقَائِبِ. وَمِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَقَايَا الْخُوصُ، وَسَعَفُ النَّخِيلِ، وَنَبَاتُ الْحَلْفَاءِ، وَبَقَايَا أَوْرَاقِ الْمَوْزِ. سَعَفُ النَّخِيلِ طَوِيلٌ وَقَوِيٌّ، وَأَوْرَاقُ الْمَوْزِ كَبِيرَةٌ وَعَرِيضَةٌ. وَهَذِهِ مَوَادُّ يَرْمِيهَا الْمُزَارِعُونَ عَادَةً. بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تَنْسُجُ النِّسَاءُ هَذِهِ الْمَوَادَّ. فَتَصِيرُ بَقَايَا الْحُقُولِ سِلَالًا، وَحَقَائِبَ، وَسَجَّادًا. وَهُنَّ يَضَعْنَ فِي عَمَلِهِنَّ رُسُومًا مِنَ الطَّبِيعَةِ. وَكُلُّ قِطْعَةٍ مَصْنُوعَةٌ بِالْيَدِ. وَفِي قَرْيَةِ دَهْشُورَ، تَتَعَلَّمُ النِّسَاءُ أَيْضًا التَّطْرِيزَ الرِّيفِيَّ. وَالتَّطْرِيزُ رُسُومٌ بِالْخَيْطِ وَالْإِبْرَةِ عَلَى الْقُمَاشِ. وَهُوَ فَنٌّ قَدِيمٌ فِي قُرَى مِصْرَ، وَالْمَشْرُوعُ يُدَرِّبُ النِّسَاءَ لِإِحْيَائِهِ. وَتَأْتِي إِلَى التَّدْرِيبِ نِسَاءٌ جَدِيدَاتٌ مِنْ وَقْتٍ إِلَى آخَرَ. وَالْمَشْرُوعُ يُسَاعِدُ النِّسَاءَ عَلَى بَيْعِ عَمَلِهِنَّ. وَالسِّلَالُ وَالْحَقَائِبُ وَالسَّجَّادُ تَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِلْبَيْعِ. وَمِنْ هَذَا الْعَمَلِ تَكْسِبُ النِّسَاءُ مَالًا لِعَائِلَاتِهِنَّ. وَهَكَذَا تَبْدَأُ السَّلَّةُ فِي الْحَقْلِ، وَتَنْتَهِي فِي السُّوقِ.
In Giza, in Egypt, there is a project called “Baddara”, which Abeer Geddawy started. Young, skilled women from the countryside work in it, from the village of Dahshour and from the New Valley. And they make beautiful things from plant leftovers. Their work starts in the fields. There the women collect farm leftovers for making baskets and bags. Among these leftovers are palm-leaf strips, palm fronds, halfa grass and leftover banana leaves. Palm fronds are long and strong, and banana leaves are big and wide. And these are materials that farmers usually throw away. After that, the women weave these materials. So the leftovers from the fields become baskets, bags and rugs. And they put designs from nature into their work. And every piece is made by hand. And in the village of Dahshour, the women also learn country embroidery. And embroidery is drawing with thread and a needle on cloth. It is an old art in the villages of Egypt, and the project trains the women to bring it back to life.