“On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2026: Radia Idris — A Young Woman from Zalingei Creating Hope Through Handicrafts from Her Home
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2026, inspiring stories of women who have transformed challenges into opportunities come to the forefront. Among them is Sudanese youth Radia Idris, who chose to confront difficult living conditions through creativity and handicraft work from her home in Zalingei, Central Darfur.
Radia, 27, lives in the Al-Tadamon neighborhood in the Al-Humaidiya area, where she runs a small home-based project producing handmade items. She dedicates about three hours each day to this craft, which has become both a way to improve her living conditions and a means of developing her creative talents.
Radia began her journey with handicrafts on May 20, 2025, motivated by a desire to find an additional source of income as well as her passion for artistic work. In producing her items, she relies on materials such as engineer’s paint, sand, and a material locally known as “Qaneetar,” in addition to gold paint to design various pieces including tall decorative cups and ornamental displays.
She offers her products at prices affordable for the local community. A single decorative cup or display piece sells for 4,000 Sudanese pounds, while items such as Qanjili and Sheyalat are priced at around 8,000 Sudanese pounds per piece, with an additional 2,000 pounds sometimes added to cover the cost of raw materials.
In addition to this work, Radia has another talent: crafting “Suwani Al-Jirtik,” traditional trays used in Sudanese wedding ceremonies. She believes this craft could provide a promising opportunity to expand her project in the future if the necessary resources become available.
Despite her enthusiasm, Radia faces several challenges, most notably the lack of a dedicated workspace, which forces her to carry out all production from inside her home. She also sometimes struggles to obtain essential materials such as Qaneetar and gold paint, which are not easily available in Zalingei, occasionally causing temporary interruptions to her work.
Nevertheless, Radia continues to develop her products and search for new ideas that meet customers’ needs, even though the financial returns remain modest and do not yet cover all of her living expenses.
The story of Radia Idris reflects the resilience of Sudanese women who confront challenges with determination and creativity. It also highlights an important message: empowering women begins with creating opportunities and supporting small initiatives that can make a real difference in the lives of individuals and their communities.