BA PRODUCTION
Nestled along the eastern Nilebank, not far from the Fayoum Oasis, Atfeeh is a rural village 120 km outside Cairo.
The area is not necessarily known for weaving kilims (such as Fuwwa 250 km north of Cairo). However, a local charity organisation tackles poverty by setting up initiatives in underdeveloped areas around Egypt. In this case, they have established a purpose-built workshop to train women and ultimately empower them with artisanal skills and jobs.
What drew Ba to this program is the fact that they provide women with a regular salary vs. a commission base, which is more common in this field. Most of these women have become sole breadwinners, although some newlyweds are forced to stop working by their husbands. “They often return,” we are told.
Amal & Fatma, rug artisans
There is a charm to the simplicity of the village, a feeling that you step back in time (bar the person on the donkey carrying a smart phone). Mini-open trucks transporting heaves of garlic, or lettuce, depending on the season.
There is some pharaonic relevance to the surroundings. Maidum pyramid can be seen en route to Atfeeh, historically named Aphroditopolis and Tep-ihou ('Best of the Cattle’) in Ancient Greek and Egyptian.
Ba designs - Eyes cotton rug
Ba designer with limited edition Eyes cotton rug
Ba designs - Blue dots rug
Ba designs - Eyes rug
Ba designs - Blue Dots cotton rug
Salma with the team in Atfeeh
The manager tells us they are often forced to reject people knocking on their doors asking for work, simply due to the limited number of looms. Learning a craft, the steady salary, and sound working conditions are slowly becoming more appealing in the area, yet it remains a dying craft.
Ba aims to continue working with them and search for other suppliers dotted around Egypt as there are many weaving specialities depending on the area.
Cotton yarns
Saber, storage manager
Preparing the fiber for Ba rug production, Atfeeh 2023
Rug artisans working on Ba’s designs
Ba designs - Blue Dots cotton rug
Ba designs - Eyes cotton rug