Fellow Portrait

Rania Seddik

GebRaa for Egyptian Treasures

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GebRaa for Egyptian treasures markets fair-trade Egyptian handicrafts to link rural artisans with the global market.

08. Decent Work and Economic Growth

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

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Middle East & North Africa

EGYPT

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Fellow

2012

Rania Seddik, 30, is on a mission to salvage Egypt’s treasures; while that might conjure up images of tombs full of gold and preciously wrapped mummies, Rania has something quite different in mind. ‘I don’t want Egypt’s traditional crafts to only be found in museums! We need to protect and transmit our skills, before it’s too late.’ Rania’s fears are not entirely unfounded. The souks of Cairo and Luxor are overflowing with precious boxes, copper coffee pots and shawls, but beware: many may well be made in China!

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Increasing value

Rania’s past career in development with NGOs and international organisations has given her a clear vision of the best way to aid local populations: ‘you can’t ask people to send their children to school if they can’t afford their basic needs; jobs are what spurs development.’ Sad to see her country’s handmade crafts losing ground, she decided to set up GebRaa for Egyptian Treasures, a business that connects artisans to an appreciative global market, for she finds that many Egyptians often take their own crafts for granted or have trouble affording the highest quality goods.

Rania’s first task was to scout for the most talented craftspeople in the land. ‘I’ve criss-crossed the whole country, from the top of the Nile to the bottom of the Sinai, steeping myself in our country’s crafts and learning all the stories behind them.’ Once she sourced the most skilled samples of traditional Egyptian handicrafts, Rania curated a selection and took them to a trade fair in Los Angeles, where she and her husband lived for seven years. ‘I realised I’m not interested in wholesalers who want to buy the cheapest products! To reach conscious consumers who care about craftsmanship, it’s best to target online B-to-B sales and the major fair-trade crafts and gift websites.’

By showing that artisans can be appreciated and recompensed in the world, we can stimulate the transmission of their skills and the survival of our crafts.

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Exclusively Egyptian treasures

Rania has chosen to focus on crafts that are exclusive to Egypt, such mother-of-pearl inlaid boxes, made with materials used only in Egypt. One thing that has her seeing red is to find Egyptian crafts sold in the bazaars of other Middle Eastern countries with no ‘Made in Egypt’ label, as if they were locally made! ‘How can we expect to keep our culture alive if our handicrafts are “adopted” by others! We need to proclaim loud and clear that these beautiful items are made in Egypt. By showing that artisans can be appreciated and recompensed in the world, we can stimulate the transmission of their skills and the survival of our crafts.’ In this aim, GebRaa has developed links with the country’s newly founded Syndicate for Traditional Artisans, which creates links with skilled craftsmen, and with the Istebdaa Initiative, which provides artisans with technical and financial assistance.

Other prime articles include Egyptian patchwork, of the kind formerly seen on tents in the desert or as awnings over the bridal procession at weddings, plus fine embroidery, where each stitch is sewn two or three times: ‘working seven hours a day, one square metre of fabric takes three weeks to embroider. How could we let precious crafts like this die out?’ A stable income for artisans can also contribute to stemming the high migration towards Alexandria and Cairo, both beset by mass urbanisation. Rania’s future vision for her business includes organic foodstuffs and herbs; meanwhile, early seed funding is being invested into the website, a business-to-business model targeting clients with a minimum purchase of 20 items.

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Sustainable business ethics

Rania grew up in Gizah, Cairo, in the shadow of the pyramids. Did the incredible architecture from ancient times influence her passion for culture and heritage? ‘Undoubtedly, but my main influence for GebRaa was my father, who ran his own pharmacy and has strong business ethics. I grew up watching him support not just our family, but all the people working for him. It gave me my earliest sense of the importance of employment.’

Rania has travelled extensively and is tired of seeing standardised products all over the world: ‘whether it’s made in China or retailed by Sweden, it’s the same wherever you go. What happened to cultural diversity?’ With the overall fair-trade market increasing by double figures in much of Europe and the US – in spite of the economic crisis – and the growth of concepts such as sustainable neighbourhoods in western nations, Rania is confident that she will get Egypt’s message across.

PHOTO GALLERY

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