Women with cancer challenge disease through presenting their handicrafts

The Lighthouse of Hope Handicrafts Exhibition, held by Aleppo Governorate, opened on Saturday, in cooperation with the Syria Trust for Development, Aleppo Chamber of Commerce, and Bloom Team initiative.

The exhibition was held in the old lighthouse of Aleppo with the participation of 25 women who have been diagnosed with cancer, and included handmade products such as woolen handicrafts, embroideries, crochet, accessories, stone painting, healthy foods, and flower arrangement.

The coordinator of events and activities for the Syrian Secretariat for Development in the old Aleppo lighthouse, Shamram Maqdis, confirmed in a statement to SANA correspondent the Secretariat’s keenness to provide support for the event, due to its belief in the will of the women who defied cancer, and were determined to confront it to preserve traditional professions and crafts. She noted that the Syrian Secretariat for Development participated with crochet-made products and Persian drawing handicrafts, confirming that women were trained in Al-Manara’s vocational training centers.

Hanadi Sabsbi, one of the pioneers of Aleppo Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the Chamber’s support for the exhibition in which women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, have recovered, or are in recovery, participate. She pointed out that the Chamber continues to provide support for events, development workshops, and training courses that contribute to improving the skills of Syrian women.

Nadia Mamelli, head of the Bloom Team initiative, noted that the exhibition aimed to display various products for women who challenged their illness and decided not to give up to it, by presenting handicrafts of their own making, emphasizing the continuation of life and transforming pain into hope.

Participant Rafah Al-Farra pointed out that having breast cancer was not an obstacle to her ambition and hope in life, and the disease was only an incentive that encouraged her to participate in the exhibition and present various types of Sufi artifacts.

In turn, Amal Ahmed pointed out that she participated in the exhibition for the first time to encourage women not to give up to disease and participate in the development of society, by supporting women in general.

Inas Abdulkareem