نبذة عن Basmeh & Zeitooneh
Basmeh & Zeitooneh, meaning “a smile and an olive,” is a Lebanese relief and development organisation founded in 2012 to support vulnerable and displaced communities. Alongside its humanitarian work, it runs a livelihoods program built around craftsmanship, best known through its embroidery workshop in the Shatila neighbourhood of Beirut, where women create handmade textiles and accessories.
يدرّب المشغل نساءً ويوظّفهن، كثيرات منهن لاجئات ومن أبناء المجتمعات المضيفة، لإنتاج حقائب ووسائد وملابس وإكسسوارات مطرّزة تمزج الغرزة التقليدية بالتصميم المعاصر. وتوفّر مبيعات هذه المنتجات الحِرفية للصانعات دخلًا وإحساسًا بالهدف، محوّلةً مبادرة إنسانية إلى علامة مؤسسة اجتماعية معروفة.
أهمية Basmeh & Zeitooneh
Basmeh & Zeitooneh transforms craft into empowerment. Its embroidery studio gives marginalised women a safe workplace, skills and independent income, while keeping traditional needlework alive. Each handmade piece carries a human story of survival and creativity, making the organisation a powerful model of how artisanship can drive social change in Lebanon.