Shaimaa Jundyah is a young woman from the Aqaba governorate who is passionate about string art, or the so-called philography art, one of the arts that first appeared during the Ottoman rule. This art is made up of thread or string wound around hammered nails embedded in a velvet-covered wooden board creating various patterns or representations.

Shaimaa was successful with her application to be part of the 2021 grantees. She was able to implement her project with support from the American Center under USAID SCHEP. In alignment with the project’s vision, Shaimaa creates her branding to teach youth string art with the intention of preserving local art culture with the younger generation.

Twenty-three trained females have benefitted from this grant. The support helped Shaimaa in purchasing all needed materials to conduct training workshops on string art that targeting young participants and school students.

The American Center will continue to support these start-up initiatives in order to pave the way for youth to have independent income through creating innovative cultural activities thus preserving a traditional craft.

In the photos, you can find how the trainees used their imagination to create such unique products. Also, you can check Shaimaa’s social media platform to oversee further products and get a better understanding of string art: 

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