It’s been almost 7 months since Russia invaded part of the Ukrainian territory and a terrible war is taking place at the gates of Europe. It will soon be 7 months that thousands of families have been separated and that women and children have come to seek refuge in several European countries, including France.
Last spring, some of them, accompanied by their children, arrived in Arles. Hosted graciously in the homes of local residents, they were able to send their children to school and make a new start, safe from the bombs. However, the language barrier was a definite obstacle to their integration, especially concerning their access to employment.
It is quite naturally that the idea of training them in lavender weaving came up. As this craft technique does not require a command of the language, it seemed to us to be an appropriate proposal, although seasonal, to their immediate need to earn money.
Their enthusiasm was moving and on June 20th I trained them to weave lavender wands, immersed in the blue of my lavender field, in the heart of the Alpilles.
Since the end of June, Olga, Tatiana, Olena, Yulya, Yana, Natalia and Romana have joined our team of weavers in the workshop and are making your lavender wands with exceptional dexterity. The opportunity to exchange, to transmit, to console also…
Building links through the transmission of ancestral know-how is the DNA of our entrepreneurial adventure.
Elsa
