A Life in Threads

Tucked away on a backstreet in Amman, Jordan, women piece together the fragments of their life.

story and photos linda cortright

The women at the Al Karma Center are delighted to pose for the camera.

In the months leading up to my visit to Jordan, I was keenly focused on the news – particularly reports from Al Jazeera. I was hoping that during my brief visit to the Middle East, I would be able to cross into Syria and interview a sheep farmer. My visit to Afghanistan a few years back had given me an extraordinary appreciation of conflict zones and the role natural fibers can play. A quick hop over the border from Jordan into Syria would no doubt expand that understanding, and so I kept on the lookout for “minor” insurgencies not necessarily covered in US headlines.

My plans ran amok before I even landed in Amman, Jordan. My American friend, who would connect me with the man who could take me to Syria, wrote and told me her mother was dying, and she was returning to the States. However, I could still use her driver, who spoke very good English, she reassured me.

I wasn’t convinced.

I thought long and hard about whether this was a sign that I should cancel the trip. I was already in India, checking on the progress of the Cashmere Center. Perhaps I shouldn’t press my luck and should just return home. By the next day, I had convinced myself that I hadn’t done anything stupid, yet … and at the very least, I should continue with my plans and write about Bani Hamida, a 30-year project run by Jordan River Trust to support Bedouin women through traditional rug weaving.

Pillows for sale at the JordanAn exquisite hand embroidered tapestry depicting the Tree of Life.

Pillows for sale at the Jordan River Trust showroom