Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Janette Habashi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Janette, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Child’s Cup Full (CCF) got started in 2008 when Dr. Janette Habashi, a Palestinian native and professor at the University of Oklahoma, traveled with her students to the West Bank on a small fundraising mission to support grassroots education programs for refugee children. During this visit, local Palestinian mothers expressed their desire for a sustainable, long-term economic solution to their financial difficulties, as the local economy offered very limited job opportunities for women. Over time, Habashi realized that focusing on empowering refugee women, especially mothers, through training and employment would have the greater impact and recognizing the challenge, Dr. Habashi decided to create jobs for these women, which led to the founding of Child’s Cup Full.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Child’s Cup Full (CCF) got started in 2008 when Dr. Janette Habashi, a Palestinian native and professor at the University of Oklahoma, traveled with her students to the West Bank on a small fundraising mission to support grassroots education programs for refugee children. During this visit, local Palestinian mothers expressed their desire for a sustainable, long-term economic solution to their financial difficulties, as the local economy offered very limited job opportunities for women. Over time, Habashi realized that focusing on empowering refugee women, especially mothers, through training and employment would have the greater impact and recognizing the challenge, Dr. Habashi decided to create jobs for these women, which led to the founding of Child’s Cup Full.

Despite having no prior business background, Dr. Habashi’s academic background in educational psychology and the skills of the women inspired her to start a social enterprise that would create jobs producing educational children’s toys (later known as Zeki Learning) and traditional Tatreez embroidery products (Darzah). Despite initial reluctance and no prior business experience, she took business classes with support from her university to develop a viable model. Her motivation was not only to provide income but also to empower women, preserve cultural heritage, and bring value to the women’s contributions in their communities through creating sustainable economic opportunities.

The organization then transitioned from solely raising funds for after-school programs to creating economic opportunities by training and employing women artisans to make handcrafted children’s toys, clothing, and jewelry for the global market. This approach was rooted in the belief that empowering women creates a ripple effect benefiting entire families and communities. Child’s Cup Full has since grown into a nonprofit social enterprise supporting refugee and low-income women in the West Bank, with an emphasis on sustainable employment and economic empowerment through fair trade products.

The organization has grown as more women approached for work, expanding its impact and creating economic empowerment for Palestinian women in a context of limited opportunity and political challenges. The model is based on social entrepreneurship, focusing not solely on profit but on socioeconomic impact, reinvesting earnings to benefit the community, women, and children connected to the initiative.

Dr. Janette Habashi was inspired to start Child’s Cup Full because she wanted to support the Palestinian community, especially the mothers living in the West Bank refugee camps, in a sustainable and meaningful way. Knowing the economy in the West Bank offered very few job options for women, Dr. Habashi realized that creating jobs for these women was the best way to make a lasting impact.

Today, Child’s Cup Full remains as a non-profit social enterprise aimed at creating sustainable economic opportunities for low-income women artisans in the West Bank, blending empowerment with preservation of cultural heritage.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of our most effective strategies for growing our clientele has been sharing the story behind our products just as intentionally as we design them. Because our work is rooted in women’s economic empowerment and preserving Palestinian craft traditions, we’ve found that when customers understand the human impact behind each piece, they naturally feel more connected to our mission.

We’ve also focused heavily on building genuine, long-term relationships-with our wholesale partners, educators, and individual customers-rather than simply trying to scale quickly.

Ultimately, authenticity has been our strongest driver. When people see that every product directly supports skilled refugee and low-income women artisans, they don’t just become customers-they become supporters and storytellers who help share our mission.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We keep in touch with our clients by prioritizing personal connection at every touchpoint. Whether it’s through personalized emails, updates on new collections, or behind-the-scenes stories about the artisans and the craft, we make sure our clients feel part of our journey, not just purchasers.

We also foster brand loyalty by creating meaningful experiences around our products. This includes sharing the impact of their purchase on women artisans, providing excellent, thoughtful customer service. By showing that we care about both our customers and the communities we work with, clients develop a deeper emotional connection with the brand, which naturally builds loyalty over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: childscupfull.org – darzah.org – zekilearning.org
• Instagram: @darzahdesigns
• Facebook: Darzah
• Linkedin: Darzah
• Youtube: @darzah3858