I am a Karen woman living in a refugee camp on the Thailand side of the Thai-Burma border. Like many of Weftshop’s weavers, I have weaved since I was a young girl. I am now a master weaver, teaching other refugee women in the camps. Weaving provides an income for my family. It means we can supplement our refugee camp rations, which are often not enough. Other opportunities to work here are very limited. If we work in the fields outside the camps we run the risk of being caught by the police.
In the future I would like to start a weaving school where I can teach groups of refugee women to weave. Weaving means we can work at home so there is less worry about our family and it helps create a sense of independence. If I can start a weaving school more refugee women could earn an income to support their family and community. It would also help support Karen culture. It can take 3-5 days to weave a scarf, depending on the size and intricacy of the pattern, and many of the complicated patterns are nearly forgotten. It is important that these skills are passed on.
Aunty KC and other weavers living in the refugee camps are supported by the Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO) income generation project through which Weftshop buys scarves and shawls.
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