'Gaza’s Warmth' weaves support for people of Gaza with hand-knitted clothes, toys

AMMAN — As winter arrives in the besieged Gaza, worsening living conditions for the 1.8 millioninternally displaced people with no walls to protect them from the cold and rain, a group of mothers in Jordan have joined forces to knit and crochet warm clothes for children in Gaza.   

The initiative, called “Gaza’s Warmth”, was launched by the local non-profit association, Al Bosla for Art and Culture, in cooperation with the Jordan Handicrafts Producers Association. 

President of Al Bosla for Art and Culture, Lamees Barghouthi noted that the initiative comes as part of the “Our Craft in the Service of Our Cause” project. 

It springs from the desire of all members of the Jordanian community to do what they can to support people in Gaza, who are undergoing what amounts to“genocide” under Israeli bombardment, Barghouthi said. 

She explained that this initiative is a symbolic gesture; an expression of motherly love and warmth. 

“Each hand-knitted item is made with care to deliver a message to children in Gaza from their mothers in Jordan, saying: we love you and we are with you,” said Barghouthi. 

There are currently around 300 participants in this initiative working from various parts of the Kingdom, she added, noting that the association is also holding training workshops for those who wish to participate and don’t know how to knit or crochet. 

People can also support this initiative through providing participants, who lack financial means, with the needed tools and yarn or donating cash to the association, which buys these supplies at discounted prices from traders who wish to support the initiative, according to Barghouthi.

She said that all individuals and civil society organisations are invited to take part in this initiative; “working together allows us to achieve our goal in meeting the needs of our children in Gaza faster and more efficiently”. 

Mothers are also encouraged to attach a hand-written note directed to the child who will receive the item she knitted and, if possible, a toy, she added. 

All items delivered to the association will be wrapped and sent to Gaza through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), Barghouthi. 

She further noted that the “Our Craft in the Service of Our Cause” project also included conducting training workshops for the creation of porcelain artworks, portraying the “resistance” of Palestinian people. 

Participants included 105 people from all age groups and categories, including eight-year-old children and over 70-year-old grandmothers, noted Barghouthi. 

She said that the training was held at the Arabesque Ceramics and Mosaics workshop, whose owner, Raed Al Badri, provided the needed material and supervised the training along with his employees. 

The revenue from the sold porcelain items will also be donated to support the health sector in Gaza, Barghouthi added.