Lu'aba Hileva ("Beautiful Doll")

Lu'aba Hilweh ("Beautiful Doll") is a joint venture of women and girls from Khan al-Ahmar together with women from the "Friends of the Jahalin" group. The venture was born in 2018, at a time when the village was on the verge of demolition by the government. Yael Moav and Anat Sharel, leading volunteers in "Friends of the Jahalin", formed a group of women and girls who initially met for leisure and fun activities, and later joined forces with designer Galia Hai with the desire to turn the meetings into a professional activity that would allow women an independent source of income. Thus was born "Lu'aba Hilweh".

Since then, the women's venture has grown stronger. Over the years, twenty-five women and girls from 15 different families have created hundreds of handmade embroidered Bedouin dolls. “Beautiful Doll”, a Bedouin doll from the Jahalin tribe, has become the ambassador of Khan al-Ahmar - she tells the story of the village, the tribe and its women.

The sale of the dolls provides income for women living in conditions of severe poverty, in a community where many of the men are unemployed. Alongside the economic aspect, a significant framework of support and resilience has been created. A climate of friendship, mutual aid and cooperation between the partners. The craft of embroidery, which has been part of the Bedouin tradition for centuries, has returned to be part of village life and promotes female empowerment. Women teach their daughters to embroider, passing on tradition, skill and pride from generation to generation. The project gives women a place for expression, creativity and self-esteem, and brings with it meaning and a sense of competence in a challenging reality.

For donations, to buy dolls and help distribute them (great as meaningful gifts)