to SidrehWelcome

and thanks for becoming a supporter! Because of dedicated donors like you, Bedouin

women in the Negev are better able to realize their rights, their education, economic

independence and empowerment.

With this Welcome Kit, we’d like to share with you our story at Sidreh, of the ways in which your donation is making a real difference and to introduce you to the incredible community

of which you are now part.

to SidrehWelcome

What we do!

?

Our mission is to support Arab-Bedouin women in the Negev in the pursuit of full self-realization and the realization of their rights as well as of those of their community and culture.

We believe that IF Bedouin women have access to knowledge (through education), resources (economic development), enjoy greater opportunities for gender equality and participation in decision-making in society (empowerment) THEN they will be able to fully realize their rights and those of their community.

How do we do this Education

We assist women and youth to acquire new educational skills in order to improve their lives and those of their community. • In our 18 years of pedagogical experience we’ve

developed a curriculum recognized by the Ministry of Education that enables women to receive a high school equivalency certificate

• 3,500 adult women have learned to read and write• More than 100 women completed their high school

education

Economic Development

We give Bedouin women the knowledge and skills to be successful entrepreneurs and breadwinners so that they can be economically independent and support themselves and their families• Employed over a hundred women through the

‘Lakiya Weaving Initiative’ to transform women’s traditional weaving skills into a successful indigenous craft enterprise

• 40 women boosted their economic resilience by acquiring the tools of optimizing their personal

spending, benefits and savings• 50 women developed their entrepreneurial skills to

either expand or establish a small business• Our ‘Desert Gardens’ Project’ has enabled 500

women, children and men to actively grow their own fruit and vegetables organically and sustainably, to feed themselves and their community, including as a small business enterprise.

Empowerment and Participation

We promote gender equality, strengthen the collective voice of Bedouin women, facilitate their meaningful participation in all spheres of life, and assist them in realizing their rights.• Engaged 2,000 Bedouin women in leadership and

rights awareness programs• Developed the first women’s newspaper in the

Negev, distributed to more than 50 villages and reaching a readership online and in print of 20,000 every month

• Represented Bedouin women in various platforms, including the Palestinian Women’s Network and UN CEDAW’s regional meetings

readershipof our women’s newspaper

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

The ‘Lakiya Negev Weaving Project’ is born

Sidreh is established as

a non-profit NGO

Khadra becomesCo-Director

We launch the ‘first and only independent feminist newspaper in the Negev’

Khadra receives ‘The World of Difference Award’ for empowering women

Sidreh moves to a new office and retail space

We begin our Small-

Business Training and

Development Project

The Financial Literacy project is launched

The Desert Gardens Project kicks-off

The Ministry of Education

approves literacy

programs in 4 additional

unrecognized villages

Khadra honored at International Women’s Day

event sponsored by the Palestinian

Authority

Milestones

to becompleted

Numbers

210,00050%

Arab Bedouincitizens in the Negev

live inunrecognizedvillages

UnrecognizedVillages

37

3,50020,000

18

women taught to read and write

years ofsupporting Arab-Bedouin

women in the pursuit of their full self-realization and the

realization of their rights

Abeneficiary speaksMariam Abu Bader

I always wanted to be a teacher. But in ninth grade, my parents pulled me out of school so I could help the family shepherd sheep.

I was devastated. How could I teach others if I wasn’t sufficiently taught myself?

My father, seeing my disappointment, thought it would make matters better by pulling my sister out of school as well. They say misery loves company, though now we were two sisters without prospects!

Some time later, life dealt me a second blow. I lost my mother and then soon after fell into a depression.

When my mother was still alive, she used to sew. A woman named Rose used to visit us. Rose was from a woman’s empowerment NGO, Sidreh, and she used to bring her threads to weave with my mother. Just by listening and watching the two of them, I learnt a few techniques. I never imagined myself sewing but with my mother’s death and our family’s financial difficulties, I needed to find work.

Weaving a carpet is no child’s play. You need to create a pattern, which requires a lot of complicated calculations and effort. I found out that I was able to replicate Rose’s technique without the need for formal instruction. When Rose found out, she was stunned. She was keen to have me join Sidreh’s efforts, “You need to help us!” Sidreh offered me an opportunity of a life-time - they offered me work as a weaver! My father wasn’t an easy man and so Rose calmed his fears by escorting me to and from work everyday. Soon, we were visiting a new village everyday and I was training the women. Not only was I earning money as a weaver, doing something I was very talented in, I also was teaching others how to weave. My lifelong dream of being a teacher was being realized. I was so happy!

My brother, who wasn’t supportive at all in the beginning, helped me buy my own car, and because I was afraid to drive, accompanied me every day for a whole month.

Sidreh recommended that I take on private work offers, and so I did. They even recommended me to new clients. I remember how I used to hesitate and stutter when negotiating prices at these meetings. At the time, Khadra (Sidreh’s General Manager) accompanied me. I still remember Khadra’s face during the negotiations and how she used to intervene when I had difficulty. Today, I go to these meetings alone and negotiate prices like a pro!

Sidreh treated me like a jewel, cut me and polished me. And so here I am today, a strong, precious, empowered woman, ready to dedicate my life to empowering other women

Sidreh believed in me. They taught me to take chances in life. They taught me that actions speak louder than words and so I constantly practice my skill in order to improve. Today I earn good money and support my family. I even built a house and furnished it. Sidreh pulled me up and today I see the world. I’ve left the world of sheep and now I'm meeting new people from different walks of life.

We asked Khadra about Mariam. And she had this to say, “When I first met her she was very shy. She had a hard life. Her mother passed away when she was young, she was pulled out of school and wasn’t allowed to work. But she’s a fighter and never gave up. She chose to live her life and say no to conservative traditions; she refused to take the back seat. That is Mariam!

Thewomenbehind Sidreh

I am the seventh of eleven siblings, but the first in my family to graduate from high school. Following work in childcare and studies in social work and NGO management, a group of us women got together to found Sidreh. I still remember the waves of firsts we brought to the NGO community in Lakiya when we opened - the first fax machine, the first website, the first female lawyer!

What’s so special about Sidreh? I would say its sensitivity to the Bedouin community; not surprising given that we are from the community. All the same, people here are very warm to strangers as well. If you come from outside, people want to give you everything.

In every culture in the world, there are things that we are creating. In every community, there is something special. We just need to recognize it.

Khadra Al-SanehFounder and General Directorof Sidreh

HaigerTour Guide, Manager of the Weaving Project

Women were once at the centre of the household, spinning and weaving to build the family’s home, dress and accessories. Women collected water, tended livestock and cooked, among a myriad of other tasks. However, the forced transition into urbanized life after the siyag (the period of military rule when Bedouin were denied freedom of movement) left women marginalized. Almost overnight, me and my female friends and family were confined to the home and no longer able to be the breadwinners we once were.

Things changed since I joined Sidreh’s Weaving Project in the 90s. The money I earned allowed me to put my four daughters through university, three of them work in accounting, law and nursing and are independent breadwinners!

Why does Sidreh matter so much to me? More than anything, Sidreh creates opportunities that help Bedouin women realize their true sense of worth and importance.

Our accounting system is in-house and is customized to Sidreh’s needs – for all its separate elements - online donations, sales of its embroidery products and as a non-profit development organization. All of your donations are restricted for the program that you designate and to Sidreh’s general fund for unrestricted donations. We abide by the highest standards of accounting by following the International Accounting Standards (IAS), as well as accounting regulations that apply locally. In order to further ensure financial accountability and transparency, our financial system relies on the Internal Control System, whereby no one person is in charge of any process in the financial system; rather, at least three persons are involved in basic financial transactions, including members of the Board of Directors.

• BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR to show committed support to Palestinian Bedouin women of the Negev

• BUY a uniquely woven piece of embroidery from our ‘Lakiya Weaving Initiative’ to support the economic independence of Negev Bedouin women

• FOLLOW us on facebook to keep up to date on our programmes, new initiatives, appeals and campaigns

• SHARE our facebook page and website with family, friends and loved ones and encourage them to subscribe

• BOOK A TOUR. We organize tours of the unrecognized villages so that you can learn first hand of how the community is engaging with and overcoming unique challenges

• VISIT US! We would love for you to visit our offices to meet the staff, learn more about our work and check out the unique designs in our embroidery shop

How we account for your donations? !Other

ways you can help

Stayin touchWe’d love to hear from you. Send us your questions and comments. Think we can do better? Write us your recommendations on how

we can improve as we always seek to do better.

Here’s how you can reach us:Our website: www.sidreh.org

FacebookWrite the head of our fundraising team,Heidi Paredes – heidip@sidreh.org