The Arab Blind Association

   The Arab Blind Association in Jerusalem is a non-profit organization that was established in 1932 during the British Mandate period. The aim of the Association is to create a network for blind people in Palestine and Jordan and to provide employment and income generating opportunities for the blind in Jerusalem. The Association established the first school for the blind in 1938, which was followed by the establishment of the first braille printing shop in the 1950s. Since the 1967 war, the Association has been focused on creating educational and employment opportunities for the blind in the West Bank and Gaza.

   The Association runs a workshop in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a beautiful, traditional space where they have been based for many years. It is housed in the waqf (plot of land donated for a charitable purpose) of the Al-Nashashibi family, which used to be a girls’ school. Today, the workshop is filled with handmade products by the beneficiaries of the Association who come from Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and beyond. Unfortunately, the number of producers is currently dwindling due to the occupation’s restrictions on movement and the extremely difficult process of applying for permits to enter Jerusalem.

   The producers come to work daily to make brooms and brushes of all kinds. Some of the products are made with 100% local materials such as straw, but many other brooms are made from imported materials, such as the yucca plant from Mexico. Even though some materials are imported, all of them are natural and contain no chemicals. The craft has been preserved since the inception of the Association and the craftspeople have developed unique skills in making these products. The simple but essential products they produce are of high quality for use in industrial facilities, homes, offices, and gardens. A conscious investment of time and money for your home or business can help give our blind community in Palestine an income and contribute towards their economic empowerment.

   The Association has a long history in Palestine and is worthy of all our efforts to support them to carry on their important work