About us
HOME » ABOUT US
Roouh in English means the soul
ABOUT US
We, ROOUH are committed to empower and create opportunities and access for the beautiful and artistic hand-made products of the stateless Palestinian refugee women artisans in the twelve camps of Lebanon to the UK and global market.
artisanal \-zə-nəl, -sə-, -ˈza-\ adjective: produced by artisans, either completed by hand, or with the help of hand tools or even mechanical means, as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product. The special nature of artisanal products derives from their distinctive features, which can be utilitarian, aesthetic, creative, culturally attached, decorative, functional, traditional, religiously and socially symbolic and significant. – UNESCO definition
Our stitched products and textiles speak of superb traditional skills and expertise. They weave together our artisans’ pride and commitment to their culture and heritage, and their thriving in their displaced camps.
Each of Roouh’s hand-made products is stitched by the unique and skilled Palestinian refugee women who are living in the twelve Palestinian camps across Lebanon.
These hand-made products tell you the story of the artisan’s journey in displacement and the reality of living in a camp for 76 years so far.
Roouh is an inter-generational journey of a rich cultural heritage that is preserved through the needles of these powerful generations of women artisans to produce intricate embroidered products. These products reflect a journey across centuries with unique and diverse motifs and patterns in a mixture of heritage and modernity.
``What makes my enterprise unique is the individual stories of the artists and artisans and the way we share them`` Basma- Founder of Roouh
- Providing income for the refugee women by using their embroidery skills that can be used for ensuring their basic needs and education for their children.
- Creating an international and global market to provide access to their traditional embroidery products amongst foreign buyers.
- Fostering empowerment, thriving, and a sense of belonging in their protracted displacement.
- Sharing women’s stories in a non-traditional way through art and embroidery.
The needlework and signature pieces are mentioned by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Maintaining the inter-generational journey of heritage to be popular, surviving and accessible Needlework, stitching and embroidery existed in the Arab World and Palestine for centuries and were inherited from one generation to other.
Embroidery in this case is the transferred living heritage of Palestine for many centuries. Roouh’s vision is to preserve the beauty of this heritage, promote it and make it accessible to people from other backgrounds. Roouh is aiming to serve as the bridge between displaced Palestinian refugee communities and women and the communities in the UK through the universal language of art, culture and embroidery.
OUR IMPACT
Since its creation, Roouh had the privilege to impact the lives of 25 refugee women, young and old, in four camps of Lebanon by providing access to their beautiful hand-made products to the UK market and to have income that support education for their daughters.
It is a journey across the generations to contribute for aspired social change in the lives of the refugees who are living in the camps and globally.
When you buy products and pieces of art of Roouh, you buy beautiful, unique and special hand-made products weaved through the needle that narrate journeys of generations and the women’s history and trajectories from the past to present and future.
Roouh aims to champion many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals throughout our work.
Your money matters as they support fostering the sense of belonging, thriving and hope for these refugee women artisans. You are sending a message of humanity and solidarity with these women, so they do not feel that they are left behind or forgotten.
Thank you for your solidarity.