The Social Enterprise Project - Jordan

The Social Enterprise Project - SEP- was established in 2013 to bring back pride, employment and hope to a remote corner of Jordan, the Palestinian Refugee Camp of Jerash, locally known as ‘Gaza Camp’.

The Refugees in the Jerash Camp (who travelled from Gaza after the 1967 war and their descendants), unlike most other Palestinian Refugees, have no Jordanian National ID number. This status makes basic human rights like healthcare, education, employment, barely accessible to the Camp residents.

Average income for a family in the Camp is $217 US dollars a month, $7 a day. This number includes support and aid from various agencies. Yet, 64% of the refugees in the camp live on $2 a day and 14% of the camp population live on $1 a day. No official data has been published; the above are informal estimates by various non-governmental organizations active in the Camp.

Some of the main problems in the Gaza Camp are poverty, high unemployment, unsuitable infrastructure, poor education and overcrowding. One of the most common clinical conditions is depression.

The Camp was established to temporarily host about Ten Thousand Refugees. There are no official estimates, but most locals believe their number to have grown to somewhere in the region of Thirty Thousand to Forty Thousand, yet the Camp surface is unchanged. The most reliable data we could gather shows an unemployment rate of 43%.

SEP will directly address unemployment and will have an impact on education and infrastructure, as a by-product.

SEP will monitor and measure such impact and share the results with its donors and lenders.

Over time, SEP aims to work with other Camps and villages in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank.

The Goal

Some women in the camp managed to preserve a precious skill over the years: handicraft making, embroidery and sewing. SEP Jordan was created to leverage these skills, to promote social and economic development and reduce dependence on external aid.

Our aim is to show that high quality fashion can enhance and encourage a gentle and gracious development in challenged communities.

Lack of business and management skills are one of the hindrances for Palestinian handicraft producers in refugee camps - a core part of SEP Jordan business model is the on-going professional development of the producers.

The Social Enterprise Project will reinvest its profits in the camp, with priority given to Education programs.

Mission and Work ethic

SEP Jordan has a mission to positively impact marginalized communities by establishing, monitoring and maintaining a company that has responsibly priced products, whilst at the same time raising the profile of Palestinian craftsmanship. We are committed to establishing long-term relationships with our producers.

A significant amount of work carried out for SEP Jordan is undertaken within the premises of equipped workshops and some of our producers work within their own homes. In cases where working conditions are not ideal, we provide additional equipment that will contribute to the improvement of working conditions.

Children are not involved in the production of products for SEP Jordan.

Most production for SEP Jordan is undertaken by hand, using minimal machinery.

The price we pay producers is negotiated on the basis of effort in terms of time, quantity, and level of skill needed to make the product. The negotiated price is above average for similar work that may be undertaken by other producers and is in every respect a fair price. The above average price is an effective way of ensuring the high quality of craftsmanship and care taken to produce each of our products.

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