In pictures: The fabric of strong rural communities

Humans have been producing textiles through weaving for thousands of years. Yarns or threads are carefully interlaced to create both simple and intricate fabrics.

Many rural people rely on weaving for everyday items, like clothing and household wares. It is also an important source of income for many others.

Keep reading to discover the wonders of weaving from around the world.

Grass mats have held an important place in Vietnamese culture throughout history. These durable, sustainable items are used in numerous ways around the house, including as a surface to sleep on. Thanks to an IFAD-supported project, one women’s union in Tra Vinh province, in the south of the country, was able to access the finance it needed to produce them on a larger scale.

The grass used to weave mats is grown by local farmers, like Thanh Liem. He supplements his income from coconut farming by growing grass on a one-hectare field and selling it to the Duc My Women Union, where traditional weavers turn it into mats.

Thi Diem Trang is one such weaver. Along with other members of her union, she received technical support and a loan to buy new weaving machinery. She earns about VND 4 million (US$165) per month, which she uses to support her three children.

For the women of Mohinav Village in southwestern Tajikistan, weaving is a way of life. It is not just a means of creating rugs and crafts for their families, but a moment to gather and socialize. With IFAD’s support, they have started selling some of the rugs, turning this time-honoured tradition into a valuable source of income.

Like most of her peers, Iklima learned the art of weaving from her mother and grandmother. Now she’s passing on the tradition to her own daughters. It takes her about 15 days to make one large cotton rug, which can earn her about 300 somoni (US$30).

Nigora is a young woman with a disability who started a handicraft business with the support of her village organization. Today, she sells her crocheted items alongside Iklima and other women, earning an income of her own.

Fabric is important to rural Fijian communities, with diverse traditional mats linked to specific chiefdoms and islands. One of the most commonly used fabrics is obtained by stripping and sun-drying the leaves of the native voivoi plant. For many rural women here, planting, treating and weaving voivoi is a typical part of life.

Ema and Titilia are part of an IFAD-supported women’s collective in Lewa Village. Despite the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural people in Fiji, they bounced back thanks to IFAD’s support. Their mat features wool stitching and black interwoven voivoi.

But the women of the collective don’t just make mats. Mereoni made these fabric planters at an IFAD-supported workshop. Unlike plastic, fabric allows water to pass through seamlessly, keeping soil moist while protecting roots from rot – and it’s much better for the planet.

Weaving has been practiced in Guatemala for centuries, but the method remains much the same to this day. Rural people prepare fibres from cotton and other plants and weave them into colourful fabrics. Today, weaving is one of many activities, besides agriculture, that are helping to transform rural communities into thriving places to live and work.

For Juana, weaving became a lifeline after she lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. With IFAD’s support, she was able to purchase a loom and start a workshop at home. She has since bought two more looms and earns a living selling her fabrics online and wholesale in a nearby city. 

Juana’s husband and older son work alongside her. Thanks to a digitalization campaign promoted by IFAD, they are able to manage their finances remotely using a solar-powered tablet provided by the project.