Women’s Empowerment Through Craft
A Lebanese non-profit association fostering productivity, mental well-being and sustainable income opportunities for women.
Sinnara is a Lebanese non-profit association incorporated in 2025, dedicated to empowering women in vulnerable situations by teaching sustainable artisanal skills. Through the production of handmade clothing and accessories (crochet and knitting), the association operates a social enterprise model combining social impact with income-generating activity. Women receive training and materials and continue producing in supervised workshops, as well as from home. Sinnara ensures fair remuneration for their work, while product sales help sustain the association’s operations.
“Sinnara” in Arabic means both wool needle and fishing hook. The philosophy is simple: not to give the fish for a day, but the hook for fishing – teaching a lifelong skill that fosters dignity, mental well-being, and financial self-reliance.
Background
The initiative was born spontaneously during the Lebanon war of 2024 as a response to the suffering witnessed in shelters housing displaced women from the South of Lebanon. In public schools transformed into temporary shelters, women were experiencing despair, isolation, and psychological distress. The goal was to go beyond providing basic necessities like food and mattresses and rather address emotional and mental well-being by restoring a sense of purpose and productivity.
Teaching crochet and knitting offered a practical and therapeutic solution. Women in shelters could create warm clothing for themselves and their families during winter while developing skills that could later generate income.
The initiative was first branded “Kanz-é”, meaning in Arabic both “my knitwear” and “my treasure.”
Even in a short time frame, the project demonstrated that skill-building restored focus, confidence, and self-worth. Women produced baby clothing and winter items that were successfully sold, and income was returned directly to them.
After the war, the initiative was expanded into other marginalized communities in East Beirut in collaboration with local partners. In partnership with Société Saint Vincent de Paul in Beirut, a structured 2-month pilot program was conducted in April/May 2025 with 14 women from disadvantaged areas. Participants attended three-hour workshops twice weekly under professional mentorship. These sessions created safe spaces, strengthened social cohesion, and established a new identity for each woman as a capable artisan.
Following this pilot phase, Kanz-é was rebranded and formally incorporated as Sinnara. Today, most of the original participants continue producing in supervised workshops and from home. In parallel, women from the South and other regions remain engaged remotely: Sinnara provides designs and commissions completed pieces, allowing them to generate income independently.
The Problem
Lebanon’s compounded crises – economic collapse, inflation, devastating war, the Beirut port explosion, and the complete absence of state support – have drastically reduced employment opportunities and exacerbated poverty. Financial insecurity, displacement, trauma, and social isolation disproportionately impact women in vulnerable communities.
Traditional aid provides survival, but not skills, dignity, or long-term empowerment. There are few pathways for women, especially those without formal education, to access meaningful and profitable work. Sinnara addresses this gap helping them transition from financial insecurity to livelihood stability, emotionally, socially, and economically.
Our Mission
Sinnara’s mission is to empower vulnerable and unemployed women across Lebanon by teaching sustainable artisanal skills such as crochet, knitting, and other related crafts, providing materials, structured training, ongoing workshops, and continuous income opportunities, while promoting:
- Social cohesion
- Self-confidence and a sense of purpose
- Mental well-being through creativity and concentration
- Progressive economic independence.
Sinnara ensures the commercialization of finished products, allowing women to earn a regular income and the sustainability of the association. Our goal is to reach as many women as possible. Once a group completes a 3-month training cycle, participants continue production in twice-a-week workshops and at home, while new groups are launched. Sinnara is implementing a Training of Trainers (TOT) model, where experienced participants become mentors for new groups, creating a scalable ecosystem of empowerment across communities. The model is designed to accommodate women with household responsibilities, enabling flexible work from home.