It's time to look back and share with you what 2021 has been like for Sunbula and our artisans.  It was another challenging year under the pandemic, but we are grateful for these milestones to celebrate!
 

1. We provided more emergency aid to our artisan partners The year began with a two-month lockdown, and while the restrictions gradually eased with the vaccination we continue to struggle with much slower business compared to the pre-pandemic times.  The cash flow problem at our artisan groups, now stretching over two years, made it very difficult for them to pay wages or buy craft materials.  We continued our emergency fundraising that started in 2020, and raised $14,000 this year from small grants and individual donations to provide direct aid to seven of the most vulnerable groups to help sustain their operation.

2.  We launched our new brand and website

We introduced our new brand and fully redesigned website in August, and updated our look to reflect our evolution over the last few decades.  Our new logo is a modern take on the “sunbula (spike of wheat in Arabic)” embroidery motif, which symbolizes renewal and connection.  It represents our refocusing on traditional crafts and dedication towards innovative economic empowerment for Palestinians.  Enjoy reading about our history, how we work, our artisans and the traditional crafts on our website, and check out our expanded online shop!
 

3. We became part of GlobalGiving In September, Sunbula became an official member of GlobalGiving, a platform that connects nonprofits with donors and companies around the world, after successfully graduating from their Accelerator program.  Digital donation platforms are not easily available for local nonprofits in Palestine, so this is an amazing opportunity for us to reach out to more supporters from around the world.  Take a look at our fundraising page from here and make a donation if you can!

 

 

 

4.  We restarted our training program for artisans 

In August, we restarted the sewing training for the women at Abu Nuwar Bedouin Charitable Society after more than a year of delay caused by the pandemic. The women currently produce t-shirts with silk-screened designs at the workshop that Sunbula helped establish in 2018.  This time, we dispatched an instructor to teach them basic skills in sewing, so that they can start making bags and kitchen linens to print designs on.  Look out for their new collection in the spring of 2022!
 

5. We lauched a new product line Product development is one the main areas of our work, where we help artisans to upgrade their products by providing resources that they don’t have themselves.  The highlight this year was the launching of the 'Baladi Beita’ collection in July for Beita Women Development Society, which supports women farmers in the northern West Bank.  We helped rebrand their food products and olive oil soaps by working with the graphic designer Rand Dabbour and supplying packaging equipment and materials.  The products became popular sellers at our fair trade shop in Jerusalem, and are coming to our online shop in the early 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. We hosted our first design student internship In our first, Sunbula hosted an internship for fashion design students from Birzeit University in August and September.  Under our supervision, the students designed craft items for the Women’s Program Center in Amari refugee camp and learned firsthand the production process from the women artisans.  The students also learned the basic embroidery skills in the training sessions we organized.  The experience was an exciting fusion of fresh ideas of the young generation and traditional art of the experienced embroiderers.  Look out for the end results at our shops in 2022!

7.  Our Annual Holiday Bazaar was back! 

In November, we organized the Annual Holiday Bazaar in Jerusalem at the beautiful garden of the French Institute.  It was a joyous gathering of our artisans from the West Bank and Gaza Strip after skipping a year from the pandemic, and the atmosphere was festive with friends, families, and people from the community.  Thank you, the French Institute team and our many volunteers, for a successful day!

2022 here we come!

Sunbula has been exploring ways to become a more viable social business, and worked to put together this year an extensive business plan with Momentum Labs, a team of young Palestinian experts on social impact, business, and technology.  In 2022, we are planning to take its first steps with an aspiration to sustain and grow.  Stay tuned by signing up to our newsletter from here!


Our big heartfelt 2021 gratitude goes to --

Our donors:
The British Shalom-Salaam Trust (UK), First Presbyterian Church, Houston (US), Funderbirds (UK), Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development (US), McMillan - Stewart Foundation (US), Network for Social Change (UK), Raymond Davis Foundation (US), Sigrid Rausing Trust (UK), and Social Capital Foundation (the Netherlands)

Our retail partners:
Hilweh Market (Jaffa), Middle East Children’s Alliance (US), Olive Branch Fair Trade (US), and Palestinart (Switzerland)

Our fiscal sponsors:
ArteEast (US) and Palcrafts UK

and everyone who supported us this year by donating, buying, and volunteering!

Wishing you a happy, healthy holiday season and a wonderful year in 2022!