There was great excitement when the bus from the Negev stopped at our gates. It is not every day that 50 women arrive, especially ones who have come to Kafr Kanna all the way from Laqiya and the unrecognized Bedouin villages around it. The women, who made it through long months of fear and anxiety that reached their peak over the last two weeks, felt that they have finally reached a place of peace. Nur al-Sana’a, the field project coordinator for the Sidreh Cooperative Association, told us with a big smile that she could have easily filled four buses if it was possible to bring all the women who wanted to join.
Sidreh is a cooperative that supports Bedouin women in the Negev through skill development and education, with the aim of promoting their social and economic empowerment. The invitation to visit Sindyanna followed a trip we made to the Negev in April, during which we visited the Sidreh Center in the village of Laqiya and Khan al-Sara in the unrecognized village of the Al-Amor family.
The Sidreh women, who filled our Visitors Center with positive energy, met our management and staff who explained our history and goals, and heard about the various projects we are promoting for the empowerment of women and the establishment of an equal society. Hanan Zoabi, a member of our board of directors, emphasized the importance of Arab-Jewish cooperation during this period. Nadia Giol, who manages our Visitors Center, spoke about the enormous challenges we faced during the war and how it affected our existence as an organization.
The women asked many questions about our economic plan and the ways in which it promotes organic agriculture and fair trade. They were interested in the connections between our activities, the climate crisis and global trends in environmental quality. We were happy to hear that Sidreh is developing a project for hydroponic farming, and building greenhouses for growing za’atar in the unrecognized villages of the Negev.
Nur a-Sana’a said that they doubled Sidreh’s activity during the war due to very high demand for basic needs. They provided psychological assistance to women and children who were seriously affected by the constant anxiety. In addition, they established 11 crisis rooms that operated 24/7 in remote communities and were managed by the women of the cooperative.
We ended the visit with a professional olive oil tasting workshop, while instructor Mayser Khamaisi showed them how to make baskets from palm fronds. The lunch that was served at the end was prepared by the Sindyanna team led by our in-house chef, Nahida Zreiki.
The meeting between the women from the Negev and the women of the Galilee was exciting and educational for both sides, and the women went home feeling that it was a good visit, both for themselves and for their cooperative.
Excellent ideas emerged for continued cooperation in the field of professional training, enrichment and economic empowerment. We are happy that our extensive experience building a social business and cooperating with women’s organizations in Israel and around the world can help the women of Sidreh become a stable and economically sustainable cooperative.
In a letter that Nur al-Sana’a sent us after the visit, she wrote:
“Thank you, appreciation and great love to Sindyanna 💚 What an exciting day we had together!
The women enjoyed a varied and enjoyable visit, especially at Sindyanna’s Visitor Center in Kafr Kanna. We got to learn about your wonderful products up close – za’atar, olive oil, carob syrup and many other surprises.
We heard about your amazing and intriguing projects such as “Cooking Without Borders”, palm frond weaving and hydroponic farming. We also learned how to properly preserve the quality of olive oil for a long period of time.
And of course – we can’t forget the lunch which was simply a pure delight! Delicious, well-organized, and most importantly – cooked with great love. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the person who made it.
We return to our homes full of inspiration, with a big smile that comes from the heart. We can’t wait for our next meeting!
Sindyanna – a model of partnership, action and women who change reality.”