Sunbula

Founded in 1988 during the First Intifada and based in Jerusalem, Sunbula is a nonprofit fair-trade organization that platforms and empowers marginalized communities across Palestine with the goal of preserving Palestinian traditions and boosting Palestinian economy.

Sunbula works directly with 25 different grassroot artisan groups across Palestine including the West Bank, Gaza, and Palestinian communities in ’48 Palestine. The artisan groups in occupied West Bank and Gaza operate under a military occupation that significantly restricts the movement of people and commerce, making it incredibly difficult for them to obtain necessary materials. As a fair-trade organization, Sunbula is able to utilize their resources to facilitate access to craft materials for these artisans. As many of these small grassroot groups work with a very limited budget, Sunbula works with them to fix and upgrade necessary equipment. Sunbula further works to build their capacity by hosting business management trainings on bookkeeping, return on investment (ROI), inventory management, and more.

The crafts you see on Shop Palestine are handmade by artisans from Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jenin, and beyond. By bringing Palestinian traditional crafts to a global audience, Sunbula is able to boost Palestinian economy, provide steady incomes for marginalized groups, especially women, in Palestine, and empower them to become financially independent.