ZEYNEB XİLÊF

Deir ez-Zor- The tradition of making brooms from brushwood has been a practice for women since ancient times. Although brooms made of plastic materials have become more popular, the women of Deir ez-Zor, NE Syria, still make brooms from brushwood. The people in the region prefer brushwood brooms then the brooms made of plastic.

She makes four brooms a day

19-year-old Huda El-Eswed is one of these women. Living in the El-Meqsem neighborhood of the city, Huda El-Eswed said, “We collect the small branches of crops and hold them in water for four days. You don’t need any special materials to make brooms. I make four brooms a day.”

They preserve a tradition

Stating that they faced financial problems after being forcibly displaced from their hometown, Huda El-Eswed said, “So I decided to make brooms to support my family. We don’t also earn money but also preserve the tradition of making brooms in their city. I want to teach young women how they can make brooms in order to preserve this tradition.”