Meet Faten Al-Habil: Crochet to Provide
Faten, 44, taught herself crochet in Egypt. At Taabu she is learning to market her work to support her mother and her late sister’s two sons.
Pictured
Two women in headscarves crocheting side by side with pink yarn at Taabu in Cairo
FAJR’s leadership on Our TeamI’ve always loved learning and achieving something. I’m not someone who likes to sit still.
Faten Al-Habil, 44 | Palestinian Artisan & Former Healthcare Professional
I’m Faten Al-Habil, and I’m 44. Before coming to Egypt, I worked as a medical secretary at the Ministry of Health. I studied history education and medical secretarial work, and I earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration.
I came to Egypt under difficult circumstances. My sister was being treated for cancer, and I came with her and her two young sons, who were five and six years old. I also came on a medical referral for my own treatment. Since then, I have lost my sister. Today, I am in Egypt with my mother and my sister’s two boys.
Far from the life and community I knew, I found myself with long empty hours and very few people around me. But I have never liked sitting idle. I started teaching myself crochet on YouTube, and later I came to Taabu, where I found a community and kept developing my skills.
Listening to other women and hearing their stories also changed something in me. I began attending psychosocial support sessions, while my sister’s children found activities where they could play and make friends.
Now, I want to take my crochet further. I came to Taabu to learn how to market my products and turn this skill into an income. Supporting my family matters deeply to me, especially because my mother needs blood transfusions every 20 days, and they are very expensive.
I started crocheting to fill my time. Today, I want to turn what I’ve learned into a way to provide for my family and keep moving forward.
Taabu Club ran the Karama Project in Cairo with FAJR Global from April to September 2026, supporting displaced Palestinian women through handicrafts and emotional support.
