About Us

Women artisans of Lushnja are a group that preserve and further develop the cultural heritage of
artistic works in crochet, knitting and embroidery. Most of women live in rural areas, mainly in
the village of Hysgjokaj, known for its rich traditions of handmade artistic works. The artisan
women are mainly engaged in agriculture. Some of them have greenhouses for growing
vegetables and producing olive oil from their olive yards, others cultivate citrus fruits. They sell
their products at local markets and often, due to rains and bad weather, they do not receive
products from the greenhouses and their income are pretty limited.

In their free time, they make artistic works in crochet, knitting and embroidery. The ability to
make artistic works is considered one of the prides inherited from generation to generation of
this area, which must be preserved and passed on to the new generations of artisans. The group
of women artisans in Lushnja Municipality lacks organization in a center and this has resulted in
their lack of participation in local or national fairs, lack of sales and clientele.
To fill these gaps and further develop their creative potential to enter local and national markets,
make sales, increase their families' income and strengthen the economy of their communities the
Women’s Association "Refleksione" is implementing the project: "Empowerment of women
artisans – Boosting local communities’ economy " supported by the German Embassy, ​​Tirana.
The project aims to provide knowledge about national legislation related to handicrafts, preserve
the tradition of artistic works in crochet, knitting, embroidery and pass them on to new
generations. Another goal is their contribution to preserving the tradition and passing it on to
young girls who have the desire and inclination to deal with handicrafts. The project also
envisages providing digital knowledge to carry out online marketing and sales of their artisan
products, which is expected to be done by the new generation of artisans. At the same time, the
project promotes gender equality since the voice of women and girls artisans will be heard more
in their families and local communities when they will earn income from the sales of handicrafts.
The project will fulfill a long-standing request of theirs: a center for women artisans. This is
being realized in close cooperation with local authorities and the unwavering support of the
Mayor, in Lushnja Municipality, Mrs. Eriselda Sefa. The “Women Artisan Center” in Lushnja
will be located in the premises of the Cultural Center, “Vaҫe Zela” as a workspace for women
and girls artisans, a meeting point and synergy between the group of already consolidated
artisans and new arrivals from girls who want to take the tradition further with contemporary
works and models.