By Soulaf Abdallah Kanaan, Manager of SPNL’s Souk Al Hima Project
The “Souk Al Hima” project aims to seamlessly integrate environmental awareness into daily culture in a meaningful way. This begins by working with women, encouraging them to preserve our heritage through handicrafts that reflect designs inspired by endangered birds and plants threatened by climate change, illegal hunting, urban sprawl, pollution, and other factors.
Our team includes Dr. Zeina Hitti, A Healer and Conservationist and Celine Feitrouni an amplifying voices through social media. We visit artisans, observe their craft, and help them establish a connection between their designs and our environmental concerns, ensuring the best possible outcome—beautiful yet practical designs.
We are particularly drawn to women who have overcome significant challenges, like L.H., who battled a serious illness but never gave up. She found strength in her craft, channeling her determination through her hands and creativity. She excelled, and we built a strong relationship, collaborating to design some of the most joyful and inspiring handicrafts.
Another remarkable discovery is N.H., a young woman who was born with cognitive challenges. Despite this, she creates beautiful crafts under her mother’s guidance, and the results are truly impressive. Working with her has been a source of admiration and joy for our team.
As we expand our project, we aim to collaborate with more individuals, including men and women skilled in traditional crafts at risk of disappearing, elderly individuals who seek purpose and connection, and people with special needs who can contribute meaningfully to both their families and the environment.
The urgent threats facing our environment are undeniable—our countryside, trees, birds, and people all need attention. Supporting women is essential, as they are the backbone of society, but true sustainability requires protecting all elements of our environment.
We need every helping hand to achieve our goals—for a better society, a healthier environment, and a more sustainable life.
This is not just a mission—it is our duty.
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