Rubble Recycling: Rebuilding Gaza Strip

Recycling has become one of the most important fields of business in the Gaza strip. The strip benefits from it economically because of the elevated and mounting unemployment in the area; and prominently because it requires a relatively small start up capital.

“Many people especially those who don’t have enough capital or cannot take loans tend to move towards the recycling industry since its material is available easily and can be resold,” Ali Abu Shahla, an economic analyst said.

A group of Gazan women are overcoming problems of soaring unemployment, while achieving self-empowerment and raising environmental awareness, all with rather unconventional resource garbage.

With funding from the non-government organisation ‘Supporters of Palestinian Environment’ a project has been launched that trains and assists 24 women in creating craft items for sale out of household garbage.

The 45-year-old project manager, Kamelia Hadad said: “We provide lessons with the necessary instructions and tools to equip young women, guiding them to use spare materials in their house to create any means of art that may be sold in order to make a living.”

Women in this group modify old macaroni and straws into wonderful pieces of art and sell it; they also use extra pieces of wood and paper to make remarkable picture frames. more

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