- Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian women cook up a preservative-free recipe for success
- Date: 23rd February 2014
- Summary: TEL VILLAGE, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN WOMEN FROM 'REEF WOMEN'S ORGANISATION' PEELING AND SQUEEZING LEMONS CLOSE OF LEMON BEING SQUEEZED VARIOUS OF WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER LEMON JUICE BEING CLEARED THROUGH SIEVE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE REEF WOMEN'S ORGANISATION, WARDA ISHTAYA, SAYING: "We have just started and we have earned some money, we also pay salaries. Now we sell and buy things and we work. We just started the project two months ago. The project is good and successful and we make money from it." ORGANISATION MEMBERS ORGANISING INGREDIENTS, WITH ONE WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO A GRILL WOMAN MIXING INGREDIENTS YOUNG WOMAN PREPARING FOOD WOMAN PREPARING BREAD WOMAN PLACING BREAD IN GRILL CLOSE OF BREAD ON GRILL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE REEF WOMEN'S ORGANISATION, WARDA ISHTAYA, SAYING: "We make juices without preservatives. The women squeeze the lemons and they put sugar in it. It depends on how much lemon and mandarin there is for the sugar. Then they boil it and then they put it in glass bottles not in plastic ones, because it's dangerous to use plastic. Then we put the bottles in a cooker and we boil them to be sterilised." WOMAN POURING LEMON JUICE INTO BOTTLES CLOSE OF BOTTLE FILLED WITH LEMON JUICE BOTTLES IN BOILING WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF REEF, RASMIA ASIDA, SAYING: "Because I don't have a job, I came here to learn and have a career. And god willing we'll benefit from it." WOMEN WORKING IN A GROUP PREPARING FOOD VARIOUS OF WOMEN PREPARING STUFFED PASTRIES STUFFED PASTRY IN PAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF REEF, AMAL ISHTAYA, SAYING: "I graduated from university and I didn't find a job. So I found this job and decided to work here so I could help at home, people have commitments, so I chose to come here.'' PREPARED FOOD AND JUICE BOTTLES ON TABLE WAS WOMEN WORKERS IN THE KITCHEN MAKE NOTES ON ACCOUNT BOOKS CLOSE OF PAPER AS A PERSON BUYS FOOD FROM ORGANISATION REEF MEMBER WORKING IN THE KITCHEN PREPARING BREAD FOR CUSTOMER TABLE WITH PRODUCTS AND PAPERS REEF WORKER HANDING OVER CHANGE TO CUSTOMERS SIGN IN THE KITCHEN READING (Arabic): 'REEF WOMEN'S ORGANISATION' EXTERIOR OF STREET WHERE THE KITCHEN FOR THE ORGANISATION IS LOCATED IN TEL VILLAGE TRAFFIC ON STREET AS PEOPLE WALK ALONG VIEW OF TEL VILLAGE
- Embargoed: 10th March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA2XEJ6UF6T6KM9698MTCHYUE1A
- Story Text: Palestinian women in the West Bank village of Tel have set up a kitchen that makes traditional food that is preservative free.
The project run by 'Reef', a women's organisation in the West Bank, was established after Palestinian Telephone group-PALTEL trained 48 women, from various northern villages in the area, to establish small business.
Warda Ishtaya, head of this group, said the entire initiative was organised and run by women, from those preparing the meals to the sales manager liaising with customers.
The all-women kitchen in Tel village, which employes 15 people, hopes to provide nourishing food while offering local women employment.
"We have just started and we have earned some money, we also pay salaries. Now we sell and buy things and we work. We just started the project two months ago. The project is good and successful and we make money from it," said Ishtaya.
"We make juices without preservatives. The women squeeze the lemons and they put sugar in it. It depends on how much lemon and mandarin there is for the sugar. Then they boil it and then they put it in glass bottles not in plastic ones, because it's dangerous to use plastic. Then we put the bottles in a cooker and we boil them to be sterilised," added Ishtaya.
Members of Reef can be seen squeezing lemons and mandarins, adding sugar and sterilising the juice. They say their preservative free business idea has been the recipe to their success.
"Because I don't have a job, I came here to learn and have a career. And god willing we'll benefit from it," said Rasima Asida, as she prepared food in the kitchen.
For others being a part of the initiative helps them to lessen the financial burden in their own homes.
"I graduated from university and I didn't find a job. So I found this job and decided to work here so I could help at home, people have commitments, so I chose to come here,'' said Amal Ishtaya, a recent university graduate.
Members of Reef say it has the potential of engaging dozens more women to make preservative-free traditional home-made foods, such as pastries, stuffed vine leaves and various juices.
Customers visit the small kitchen to place their orders and make purchases.
With only two months under its belt, Reef represents a positive change for local businesses, in what is perceived to be a male-dominated society. The all-woman project is rare in a part of the world where, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, only 2.4 percent of registered Palestinian businesses are owned by women. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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