In the West Bank, limited access to the global marketplace prevents talented Palestinian women from building careers with their craft and design skills. Dr. Janette Habashi, originally from Jerusalem and now Associate Professor in educational psychology at the University of Oklahoma, is determined to change that. She started Child’s Cup Full with a mission to create lasting economic opportunity for the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank: refugee and impoverished women. The non-profit organization’s strategy is to train and employ women to make high quality, handmade children’s toys and accessories, and to generate business opportunity by opening doors to the global market.

Child’s Cup Full has a small artisan center in Zababdeh, employing Muslim and Christian women artisans from the Jenin region. Our goal is to build a consortium of artisan collectives across the West Bank, employing refugee and low-income women in the Jenin region, Hebron, Beit Jala and Ramallah.

Abeer, Rahaf, Janette, Khariye, Rasha, and Shireen making children’s toys at the artisan center in Zababdeh, West Bank

As a non-profit social enterprise, we want to build a self-sustaining business to create more training and employment programs in hard-to-reach communities in the West Bank. Child’s Cup Full runs its own artisan training facility in Zababdeh, a small village located in the northern part of the West Bank, just 10km from Jenin. The artisan center in Zababdeh is a beautiful space full of creativity, dedication and laughter.

Shireen and Rahaf making puzzle balls at the artisan center in Zababdeh, West Bank

“Women need to work; not stay home… They need to go out and obtain their own salary and help their families. We now have so many expenses to educate our children, pay for rent, transportation, and food… I came to Child’s Cup Full almost two years ago not knowing how to do anything tatreez (embroidery) and now I am able to make toys for kids.” - Abeer, Child’s Cup Full artisan in Zababdeh

Right now, we are raising funds to grow our artisan center in Zababdeh , and to train and employ women in artisan collectives across the region to manufacture products for the Child's Cup Full brand. Individuals who donate to the campaign will receive a handmade gift from our artisan center. We strive to provide lasting economic opportunities for Palestinian refugee communities in the West Bank. Learn more about our work on our Indiegogo campaign and on our website, ChildsCupFull.org

Rasha sewing a children’s toy at the artisan center in Zababdeh, West Bank

Cayley Pater is the Assistant Director Child’s Cup Full. She recently returned to the US after working with the CCF artisans on new products for the CCF toy brand. Alongside Dr. Habashi, Cayley is inspired to grow the Child’s Cup Full toy brand in the US and internationally this year. Cayley manages the marketing and partnership development efforts for Child’s Cup Full from Durham, North Carolina.

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