Artisan Voices: Q&A with Saleha from Afghanistan
Posted by MADE51 Team on
Earth Heir is a social enterprise based in Malaysia, working with a group group of 47 Afghan, Palestinian, Pakistani, and Burmese refugees living in Kuala Lumpur. Earth Heir was founded to serve traditional artisans in underserved communities, and they are a guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organization.
We collaborated with Earth Heir on the Bold Ram holiday ornament, which is crafted by Afghan refugee artisans. This little ram is inspired by the Urial, a wild sheep that is native to the artisans' homeland. The ram is known to be a bold and resilient creature, ready to take on life's challenges.
Meet Saleha, an Afghan refugee artisan living in Malaysia and maker of the Bold Ram holiday ornament.
When did you come to Malaysia? I came with my husband and 3 children in 2019.
What is your craft and how did you learn it? Back in Afghanistan, we have a lot of free time, so women do embroidery and sewing to make clothes for our husbands and children - that’s tradition in our country. This experience helps me make the Bold Ram ornament more beautiful.
What does the Bold Ram ornament mean to you, and do you enjoy making it? We have many memories with this animal because we grew up around them back home. So I like making this ornament, everything about it. When I cut the pieces and when I make it into the horns, its mouth, its eyes. While I'm making this, I feel good.
What do you plan to do with your income from the Bold Ram? I’m trying to spend this income for my children, maybe for their school fees and buying some things for them. I hope this income will be helpful for them. The children were also asking if they can one day earn a living doing this work. I told them yes, you can earn an income from this if you like, in the future. The girls were more interested in it.
Is there a message you would like to send to the people who purchase the items you are making? I'm firstly thankful for this order and happy for them to have these ornaments. If possible, we hope for more orders as it will be helpful for our family.
How do you like to enjoy the holidays? During the holiday time I enjoy making traditional food, like desserts. While doing these things, I enjoy myself.
Shop the whole Holiday Collection here.
