Founded in 1991, the Lakiya Negev Weaving Project was intended to empower Bedouin women in Israel's Negev region, both personally and economically, by applying their traditional weaving skills to the manufacture and sale of woven products.
Lakiya women use the traditional, home-made ground-looms of their Bedouin culture. They acquire the raw material – the pure wool of Awasi sheep – from local Bedouin shepherds and spin it into thread. Traditional colors such as red, black, olive green and bright blue are combined with traditional and contemporary patterns in the creation of unique carpets, pillowcases and handbags. These authentic, ethnic products are renowned both for their beauty and their durability.
The Lakiya Project is also scrupulous about avoiding any child labor.
Numerous visitors to Lakiya, in Israel's northern Negev region, are welcomed daily at the Project's large Bedouin tent, where they can view demonstrations of the various stages of the production of our products, sample the local delicacies, and of course – buy our products. During the first two decades of our existence, our production capacity and marketing organization were geared primarily to the local Israeli market.
Historically, Bedouin women wove tents, carpets, belts and various other items which were used in both public and private spaces. In most contemporary Bedouin homes in the south of Israel, one may find a western-style living room corner as well as a traditional area furnished and decorated with the finest woven products. Many of our customers are in fact buying presents to help outfit the homes of newly-married couples.
Bedouin women are not only the Lakiya Project's weavers, they are also its managers.
More recently, we have begun expanding both our production capacity and our marketing to accommodate our entry into the export market. It will enable customers to order on-line, and to personally customize their order with respect to size, patterns and color.
Participating in Lakiya has enhanced their self-esteem and confidence, and provided new models of achievement for women growing up in Bedouin society. By joining Bedouin men as income providers, they have gained in social status and in their ability to take meaningful roles in the modernization of Bedouin society. We at Lakiya are proud of our role in advancing this trend, and in exposing our products to wider and wider audiences.
Who we are
