Dispatch from Gaza: Seamstresses in the tents

A collective of female tailors in Gaza are turning blankets into high quality practical clothes for the coming winter for displaced Palestinians living in tents in the south of the Strip. The Needle and Thread initiative was set up to allow Palestinian women who are the main breadwinners in their families to work and have a source of income. They started to turn donated blankets into clothes, at first sewing by hand, but, as demand grew, they were forced to acquire a sewing machine which they power using a static bicycle. Now the initiative offers a special service where families can bring their blankets to be turned into clothes. Boys, girls and grown-ups are measured up and the clothes are made to order. As the temperature starts to drop, families are making the decision to forego one of their main heating sources, blankets, in exchange for quality clothes.