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http://www.france24.com/en/20110726-women-bakers-prepare-free-libyas-first-ramadan - Via
Peace X Peace
LIBYA - ADMIDST CONFLICT, WOMEN
BAKERS ACTIVE FOR RAMADAN
26 July 2011
Pastry shaped in the word "
A Libyan woman baker prepares the dough for Ramadan
pastry and sweets at a bakery in the Libyan rebel stronghold city of
Libyan women bakers prepare pastry in the colours of the
former Libyan flag used by the rebels, at a bakery in the rebel stronghold city
of
A Libyan woman baker prepares pastry and sweets in
preparation for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In the Libyan rebel
stronghold city of
AFP - Civil war or not, every year the holy Muslim month of
Ramadan must be respected and in Libya's rebel stronghold of Benghazi women
bakers are working overtime to meet demand.
Dozens of women knead
dough into shape, making sweets and salty pies, at the iconic Al-Harabi bakery,
undaunted by the unrelenting war, sweltering temperatures, power-cuts and tight
budgets.
Ramadan, when devout
Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, began on August 1.
Throughout the month,
families are getting together to break the fast with lavish meals that must
include olive and cheese pies and special Ramadan sweets.
The revolution
launched in February to unseat Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi has turned life
in Libya upside down.
Men, the traditional
breadwinners, left for the front line or lost their jobs, universities and
schools closed, and businesses and homes were hit by daily power cuts.
As a result women have
left their homes to look for jobs, with many finding a job al Al-Harabi.
"We had no money
but I had free time so I started working here," said Iman al-Jihani, 22, a
medicine student who also volunteers two nights per week in the surgery
department of Benghazi's Al-Jalaa hospital.
At the bakery she
earns a monthly salary of 275 Libyan dinars (around 230 dollars) which is paid
on time -- unlike her policeman father whose salary is always late.
Jihani's salary helps
relieve the pressure of feeding five mouths at home.
For Ghada Ali, 20,
working at the bakery is a matter of survival.
Her father and two
brothers are off fighting in Brega and Misrata, two front lines west of
Benghazi, leaving Ali to care for her sick mother and three sisters.
"I am responsible
for everything now, even the rent of the house," she said, kneading
frantically and pausing only to wipe sweat and tears from her face. "I am
worried all the time. Every moment I think of them."
In peace time the
bakery was a runaway success. It opened its doors in 2006 with only four women
bakers. Now up to 70 female employees fill the three-storey factory.
"Sweets are the
speciality of women," said Selma Abdelsalam, 50, as she wrapped Tunisian
dates in dough.
The bakery boasts at
least 100 types of sweets that are sold in the liberated areas, as far east as
Tobruk near the border with Egypt, and Kufra in the south near the border with
Chad.
"Now we make
cookies with the colours of the revolution to celebrate Libya's freedom,"
said Wisha Ibrahim, who has worked at the bakery since it opened.
Sometimes the bakery
sends sweets to the front to give fighters a taste of home, she said.
With "Free
Libya's" first Ramadan, the women expect to see a real rise in demand for
sweet and salted baked goods as well as the special pastries for the Eid
al-Adha which marks the end of the fasting month.
But bakery owner
Mohammed al-Harabi fears that demand will be subdued this year because of a
lack of liquidity over the past few months.
"The problem is
money," said Harabi. "People have no salaries so there are delays in
payment."
Daily power cuts
ranging between four and six hours in the area are an additional challenge for
the business.
"The power
shortage affects our work as half of our instruments require electricity,"
said supervisor Najla Saad, 32.
Fortunately the
Italian oven runs on fuel oil, churning out a wide variety of baked delicacies
no matter what.