À propos 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.
L’atelier forme et emploie des femmes, dont beaucoup sont réfugiées ou issues des communautés d’accueil, pour produire des sacs, des coussins, des vêtements et des accessoires brodés qui marient points traditionnels et design contemporain. Les ventes de ces produits artisanaux procurent aux artisanes un revenu et un sentiment d’utilité, transformant une initiative humanitaire en une marque d’entreprise sociale reconnue.
Pourquoi Basmeh & Zeitooneh compte
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.