Hoping for the Blind - part 1

---

(Ruta writing...)
Ruta writing… Another organization in which our family is involved is Hope for the Blind & Handicapped Rehabilitating Association. I have been deeply impressed and amazed by the individuals in this organization. The association is over 30 years old, providing work for the blind and physically challenged, who make rugs, shopping bags, brushes, and brooms by hand. The management is blind and most of the workers are blind, with several seeing people supervising for quality and safety control. From the pictures you can see the people at work - to see them in action is fantastic.

The rugs are made completely from scratch, similar to the process that I described in my earlier Arat Kilo blog. The blind workers feel the wool for knots and twist the wool into yarn. They make rope which they hang on looms, and then they twist the yarn onto the looms. Once the looms are ready, the workers tie the thread individually onto the loom threads and cut each thread to make the plush of the rug. Other rugs are woven - they end up without a plush, but still very nice.

For the brooms, they feel around the wooden base of the brush or broom and then gather 5-10 bristles, thread them through holes in the base and continue until the whole brush is made. The brooms are made by twisting/braiding the long threads of the mop. These people sit on little stools all day long, from 8am -4:30pm, breaking for lunch. Some people have been doing their job for 20-30 years - wow!

The final products are high quality, well made rugs of various sizes, selling for $100-300 USD. If anybody is interested in purchasing them, let me know. I would estimate however that shipping costs will probably double the final cost.

---

Photos

HB Braiding Mops
These workers cover their faces when they work because the dust irritates their eyes and faces.