About 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.
The workshop trains and employs women, many of them refugees and members of host communities, to produce embroidered bags, cushions, garments and accessories that blend traditional stitching with contemporary design. Sales from these artisan goods provide the makers with income and a sense of purpose, turning a humanitarian initiative into a recognised social-enterprise brand.
Why Basmeh & Zeitooneh Matters
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.