SHAKEELA BEGUM
WEAVER
Shakeela Begum, 52, started learning the art of carpet weaving from the tender age of 6. Her father would hold her hand and walk her to the loom where she was taught the meticulous art of weaving hand-knotted carpets.
She has a small loom setup in her own house where she works everyday, listening to her favorite music on the radio and sipping on nun-chai. She feels her skill is a blessing from the divine as it provides her employment and doesn’t involve dependency on any modern machine or electricity. She has four daughters and a son, who are all educated and want to take her legacy forward.
“I have taught all my children the art of carpet weaving, like my father taught me. You can BE anywhere and still weave a carpet. The world started working from home last year, but I have been working from home from almost 35 years. It has empowered me and given me a sense of pride and contentment like nothing else in life. But most of all, carpet weaving has made me financially independent. I want to renovate my house and add a floor to it in the near future. I am also saving money for my only son and youngest daughter’s wedding.”