Translated from Al-Hayat Newspaper
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Page 11
Jenin. Wafa. Yesterday CARE International concluded an exhibition in Jenin, “the Produce of my Land,” to market rural agricultural products. The exhibition lasted five days. 17 women groups exhibited rural products. There were many visitors to the exhibition, including two international groups from the United States and Italy.
The exhibition helped 300 women by giving them access to markets, building relations with the private sector, and increasing their skills in marketing. The exhibited items included dairy products, pickles, jams, pastry, embroidery, and dried food items.
Othman Abbas, exhibition coordinator from CARE, said the exhibition wants to raise the capacity of 17 women groups to access markets, and to change the consumers’ culture that prefers foreign items. He said the exhibited items are just as good as foreign products.
Abbas added that purchasing from the exhibition means we are helping many families that lost their income, and creating job opportunities for the unemployed.
Bahiyyeh Khouzaymiyeh, one of the participating women, said the exhibition is an important turning point to many women groups because it increases their ability to reach markets, and it opens marketing channels with the private sector, due to the high quality of the exhibited items.
Khouzaymiyeh called on the local and international civil society organizations, and the concerned agencies in the Palestinian Authority, to support women groups and help them provide income, which will improve their status in society.
Khouzaymiyeh called on the local community to change the consumer culture and to start purchasing local products because it is healthier and of high quality.
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