Acerca de 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.
El taller forma y emplea a mujeres, muchas de ellas refugiadas y miembros de comunidades de acogida, para elaborar bolsos, cojines, prendas y accesorios bordados que combinan la costura tradicional con el diseño contemporáneo. Las ventas de estos productos artesanales proporcionan a las artesanas ingresos y un sentido de propósito, y convierten una iniciativa humanitaria en una marca reconocida de empresa social.
Por qué Basmeh & Zeitooneh es importante
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.