Shatila Studio

Yasmin Kayali, winner of Voices of Courage Award 2020, is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder and CCO of Basmeh&Zeitooneh, a Lebanese nonprofit organization established in 2012. The organization at its peak served up to 1 million persons in Syria and the region. 

With an aim to build the capacities of the vulnerable and empower women and youth to become independent and lead a dignified life- Yasmin has made it her life mission to be a voice for those who are left unheard. She is driven by a strong sense of devotion to the nonprofit sector she developed since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, one of the worst humanitarian crises of contemporary history,  which as a Syrian woman and mother of two children, she couldn't stand still witnessing.

Previously, Yasmin had acquired a BA in Political Science & MBA in Marketing with 10 years of experience in Marketing.

Shatila Studio is a social enterprise supporting about 100 refugee women artisans living in Shatila Camp in Beirut. Refugees are not allowed to be employed in Lebanon, and to tackle this issue, we train the women on several types of embroidery, crochet and sewing to create and deliver uniquely crafted artisanal products, which we help them sell to provide them with monthly salaries to sustain themselves and their families. 

The studio is also managed by refugee women, who receive technical training in project management, accounting, and Photoshop. Empowering to become leaders. 

At this point in the global crisis and the Syrian one in particular, refugees and host communities are seeking dignity and opportunity. Shatila Studio delivers precisely that by allowing them to express their artistic tastes and capabilities in a safe space where they are treated with dignity and where they can make an income.

Tucked into southern Beirut is Shatila Refugee Camp. Initially built in 1948 to accommodate 3,000 Palestinian refugees, it now houses an estimated 40,000 people – mostly Syrians who fled civil war. Beyond being displaced, and living in one of the most densely populated places in the world (Shatila Camp is roughly 1km wide), those that call the camp home are restricted from working, and a lot of them have skills that they cannot use in Lebanon, due to restrictions on refugee employment. 

The value we bring to each employee, to Shatila Camp, to Lebanon, to the global artisan market, to displaced persons, and to customers will positively contribute to at least nine of the seventeen U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The global handicraft market was valued at $583.4 billion in 2018 and is projected to grow year-over- year an average of 11% through 2023. By the end of 2023, the global handicraft market is projected to reach nearly $1 trillion.

The refugee crisis is one of the most critical global challenges. The women refugees we work with reside in one of the most neglected areas in Lebanon. A densely populated space with no infrastructure, no privacy, and no opportunities to work or educate.  A host to more than 1.5 million refugees, the Lebanese government's policies forbids Syrians from working except for agriculture, cleaning, and construction. Men usually fill these limited jobs, leaving women with no options. 

Shatila studio creates job opportunities for almost 100 refugee women; it also provides a safe space for the women to meet and be productive. The Studio is the only getaway for these women from their daily routine of household and taking care of children.  The Studio enables these women artisans to provide for themselves to lead productive lives with dignity.  By marketing their artisanal products to reach global markets, our target is to help them sell more and thus produce more income to provide for themselves and their families.

We strive to break the traditional charity model and change the standard aid setup, by creating and promoting a platform for young women artists from a refugee camp. Shatila Studio employs tens of women from Shatila camp to make embroidered bags, scarves, pillows, and dolls. Originally inspired by the beautiful geometric patterns of Palestinian embroidery. 

Today the women produce products that use every kind of embroidery stitch allowing them to create an infinite amount of products and designs. Working in Shatila Studio, these women are provided a fair wage and a chance to provide an income for their families. 

Shatila Studio employs almost 100 women from from Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon to make embroidered bags, scarves, pillows, and dolls. We are creating a bridge between the community we serve and the world through artisanal embroidery products, using modern day e-commerce and digital marketing tools to highlight the stories of refugee beneficiaries, and showcase their bespoke hand-made products, all while procuring an income for them and providing them with psycho-social support.

When the Syrian crisis first started we were looking for a practical way to help the refugee community that was pouring into Lebanon, mostly made up of women and children. We wanted to give these women who had abruptly turned into heads of households a skill and a place of safety. We wanted to do something with them and for them to make sure that we don't turn them into idles sitting in camps waiting for handouts. During this time we had met a wonderful woman who lived in Shatila camp and she and her daughters were very talented embroiderers, and she had the ability to teach. This is how we came up with the idea of a workshop for women where they could learn to sew and embroider and make products while sitting with other women and having someone take care of their young children. The workshop is not only a place for work it is a safe haven where our beneficiaries who are now artisans have grown their resilience, their sense of self and have established a support network that carries them through the challenges of this difficult situation they are in.

As a Syrian mother, I always imagine myself in the position of these amazing, resilient women who lost everything. Luckily, I was blessed with education and work, and I felt that it was my duty to share my blessings and help other mothers overcome displacement. The products that these artisans produce are their voice to the world and the channel of their stories. Being able to empower these women, is another blessing in my life. 

The studio also supports the Lebanese host community, which is my other part as my children are Lebanese nationals. We purchase all the materials we use in our products from local suppliers. 

After the outbreak of the COVID- 19, we took the initiative to produce reusable masks to help overcome the shortage in the market. We began an effort to donate one mask within the camp for each one sold. This effort has added more value to our work, as these marginalized women are also becoming agents of change within their community, as they become part of the effort to distribute masks within the camps, helping other refugees in these hard times. I believe that if given the opportunity these women can do much more. 

Before the Syrian crisis, I used to be a marketer and a regional brand manager. I believe that the skill sets that I had acquired in my previous career, and my involvement in the co-founding and fundraising for an NGO like Basmeh & Zeitooneh, will allow me to drive this project to success. Marrying my business background with my philanthropy background, to deliver a successful social enterprise that genuinely empowers and supports women can move them out of the charity frame. Using my marketing skills and the team support and the network we have built as an NGO will give the project the exposure it deserves as it takes time to get projects like these to be independent and off the ground. I represent my organization in international and local events and conferences, which is a channel for me to highlight this livelihood project that has proven its impact in the community and over the years. The project also lends itself to expansion to many other cities as the world shifts more into handmade, environmental, and locally supported business with a cause. 

Our project itself and its existence is a prime example of adversity. Working in one of the most difficult political and demographic contexts and inside the most densely populated area in the world, resembling a slum, we were able to set up a non-profit organization despite all of the challenges in Lebanon, legal, banking, and funding to mention a few. Out of this initiative, which started with some volunteers distributing some emergency food and medical aid today, has flourished an organization that spans regionally. 

We decided to turn the women's workshop into a social enterprise for more than a year, without donor funding. We are fortunate to have the support of Al Fanar Venture Philanthropy, beyond that we have depended on our sales despite the global and local challenges. 

Leaving behind a career in marketing and committing myself to the founding and management of an organization to help my fellow citizens and their host communities ten years back was a decision that took a lot of courage. Today, that “initiative” is functional in four countries and registered in six, providing education to more than 2000 children of elementary age, enabling and empowering thousands of people through our protection and livelihood programs. 

Last week I was honored to be selected as a representative of Lebanese CSOs to speak at the Brussels conference; this proves that Basmeh & Zeitooneh now stands at the forefront of the scene of the humanitarian services in Lebanon. 

I am not only a co-founder of this great organization, but I sit on the international board of B&Z, I am on the leadership team leading all public relations, communication and fundraising efforts, and I am a trustee of The Smile and Olive Foundation in the UK. Leading the organization to where it is today in just one decade has been an immense journey of leadership, empathy, and learning. 

Shatila Studio was born as the women's workshop project in Basmeh & Zeitooneh, our first official project as an organization. Many donors supported us over the years. But in our belief that we needed to grow the project and grow the reach and capabilities of our beneficiaries, we decided that we need to turn it into an independent social enterprise to become self-sustaining. Today, The Studio is registered as an independent NGO in Switzerland, and our registration is pending in Lebanon. As we grow our strength, we continue to depend on B&Z for support with HR, Finance, and logistics. 

Currently we are working with about 95 refugee women

In one year, we will be working with 120 refugee women

In 5 years, we aim to work with 300 women in underprivileged communities

Shatila Studio has been hit hard by the multi-layered crises plaguing Lebanon. As the country went into lockdown, Shatila Studio lost access to markets in and outside Lebanon. The refugee artisans of the Shatila camp lost income at a time when their families needed it most. 

Over and above this we are working within the current banking and supply constraints in the market to complete our existing orders and try to make sure we receive more orders to sustain our capabilities and growth. Legally, in Lebanon there is no social enterprise law and so we are working within that challenge with lawyers to be able to set ourselves up correctly.

Shatila Studio is working to move beyond crisis and to grow demand for its products so that it can create paid, dignified work for women refugees.  It has plans to pursue B2B and e-commerce opportunities, to integrate technologies in design work, and to introduce new designs combining traditional embroidery with a modern twist.  From facemasks to handbags, each piece sold by the brave women of Shatila Studio carries a story of survival and resilience. We are launching our e-commerce website and trying to forge an agreement with shipping companies in order to secure the best prices for our customers abroad. 

Al fanar venture philanthropy- providing, financial, technical and moral support to the project.  

Giving women- we have been adopted by them as one of their projects and they are helping us to set our main policies and consulting with us on several business elements.

Northwestern University- Interns worked with us on preparing our deck for social impact investors.

The Elevate Prize can help our project on so many levels:

1- It can help us spread awareness about our work and the beautiful products that the women currently produce and the infinite possibilities of what they could produce. 

2- Providing financial support that we need very much as we work on building a successful model and generating enough sales ot sustain ourselves. 

3- Opening doors to possible collaborations with designers and other initiatives.

At the point where we are now and with the current support that we have we still have a gap when it comes to funding as Al Fanar only partially funds the project and we need more in order to grow it as we see it thriving moving forward. Also, we need a lot more marketing and media exposure to let people know about us and to seek us to be their source for bespoke and gift items. We would need an agency who can manage our branding and packaging and the kind of media coverage that would get people interested in the stories of the women and the treasures they are producing.