Beyond Displacement: How Refugee Women Continue Building Livelihoods After Returning Home

Beyond Displacement: What Happens When Refugee Women Return Home?

As World Refugee Day approaches, I found myself revisiting a video that tells an important chapter of the bebemoss story.

For many years, bebemoss has worked with talented women artisans who create our handmade crochet toys. Among them are refugee mothers whose skills, determination, and resilience have inspired us every day.

In 2019, bebemoss became part of MADE51, UNHCR’s global initiative connecting refugee artisans to international markets. Since then, we have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary women who transformed their craft into a source of income, dignity, and hope for their families.

The video below was filmed one year ago and captures some of those stories.

Watching it today feels different.

Much has changed over the past year.

Several of the women featured in this film have now returned home to Syria.

For many people, a refugee story ends when someone crosses the border back home. In reality, that is often when the next chapter begins.

Returning home after years of displacement brings new challenges. Families must rebuild livelihoods. Women must find ways to generate income. Communities must recover from years of uncertainty and disruption.

This is why we believe that economic opportunity should not stop when displacement ends.

Today, we are proud to celebrate a new milestone.

We have just launched a 5,000-piece production order that will be fulfilled by women working across both sides of the border: refugee women who remain in Reyhanlı, Türkiye, and women who have returned to Damascus, Syria.

For us, this order represents much more than production.

It demonstrates that the skills developed during displacement can continue creating opportunities during return and recovery. It shows that market access can outlast humanitarian programs. Most importantly, it proves that talented women artisans can continue building sustainable livelihoods wherever life takes them.

At bebemoss, we have always believed that lasting impact comes from creating dignified work, not dependency.

Every handmade toy carries a story of craftsmanship, perseverance, and opportunity. Behind every stitch is a woman supporting her family through her own skills and determination.

We are incredibly proud to have been part of the MADE51 journey since 2019. Together, we have witnessed how access to global markets can help refugee women preserve traditional skills, generate income, and build brighter futures for themselves and their families.

As we approach World Refugee Day, we celebrate not only the resilience of refugee women but also the possibilities that emerge when opportunity, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship come together.

And today, we celebrate a new beginning.

The first 5,000 pieces are only the start. We hope many more orders will follow, creating sustainable livelihoods for women in both Türkiye and Syria for years to come.

Thank you to every artisan, customer, partner, and supporter who has been part of this journey.

Together, we are proving that the story does not end with displacement.

Sometimes, that is where the next chapter begins.