In our second impact report, we wanted to take a closer look at the outcomes of our impact-driven stakeholders, in alignment with our shared goals of:

1) employment generation and fair work opportunities, and;

2) gender equality. While there are many positive outcomes to celebrate and give us hope for the future, we know that we’re still a long way from where we want to be. 

There are over 108 million refugees worldwide. More than half of them flee to host countries too poor to support their basic needs, including employment. The majority will never go home or be resettled.*

Supporting employment generation and fair work opportunities are critical for refugee communities in their journey towards achieving self-reliance and alleviating pressure for host countries’ seeking improved economic growth.

According to the latest UN Women report, “the world is NOT on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.” Yet, women and girls play a critical role in leading global progress towards achieving all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.* 

As a company co-founded by all-women, we prioritize our continued engagement with CBO partners as active participants in their communities’ progress towards gender equality through income-generating opportunities that advance their skill sets and ability to earn fairly.

*”Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2022.” UN Women.

Jordan

Hands of Sitti (NGO affiliate: Hopes for Women in Education)

Jerash Camp Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre

Deerah

Khoyoot

Palestine 

Darzah

• Launched in 2021 and completed in 2022, the SITTI Subscription Box limited series brought together a community of conscious lifestyle brands across Canada, the U.S., Jordan and Palestine, with the goal of supporting refugee self-reliance through a quarterly subscription box for 1 year. The SITTI Box included: 12 refugee-focused brands, 16 women-led brands, and 18 BIPOC-led brands.

• In May 2021, we piloted the Women’s Mental Health and Wellness Initiative with its first program - a Women’s Wellness Retreat. 13 women team members participated in a two-day wellness retreat centered around integrative physical and psychosocial health. The retreat was organized by SITTI and sponsored by two strategic partners - Beirut and Beyond and Millie Inc.

• In 2021, we put into practice a new methodology for monitoring and evaluating the impact of new and recurring community-based organizational (CBO) partners. With a more comprehensive understanding of our partners’ work and impact at the community level, SITTI will be better equipped to ensure our partners’ success in accessing global markets and growing sustainably towards our shared impact goals.

• In 2022, SITTI was appointed a sitting member of the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative (RSRI) Steering Committee. Represented by co-founder Jacqueline Sofia, SITTI joins 13 representatives from NGOs, refugee-led organizations, multilateral institutions, think tanks, research organizations and the private sector. The Steering Committee provides oversight and guides the direction of the RSRI’s work. The Steering Committee builds accountability in setting and achieving strategic objectives and supports the RSRI to ensure viability. 

• In 2022, the SITTI x L’Occitane corporate brand partnership achieved a 97% increase in combined women artisans’ income, and 60% increase in all artisans’ combined income, compared to the previous period.* We saw a ripple effect across households: families paid down debt, purchased life-saving medications, made necessary improvements to housing, and purchased university materials.

• In 2022, we contributed $2,250 CAD to UNHCR to support life-saving programs for refugee communities around the world, including those in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Lebanon. 

*CBO partner production time for the L’Occitane deliverables totaled 3 months (Q4, 2022). Comparison was determined based on the 3-month period prior to production of the L’Occitane order (Q3, 2022).

We’re looking ahead to bridge the gap between refugee communities and a global market in high demand for social and environmental sustainability in the brands they consume everyday. In this next phase of growth, as we expand our partnerships and broaden our impact, SITTI is setting out to achieve the following: 

• Work with corporate brand partners in the SWANA region and North America to reach a wider audience of impact-motivated customers.

• Grow and scale our partnerships with refugee-focused and refugee-led CBOs and design collectives to create new products inspired by passed-down traditions and craftsmanship.

• Create and implement inclusive corporate policies around social and environmental sustainability to ensure greater alignment and transparency among our CBO and corporate brand partnerships.

Create and implement a framework for CBO partner professional growth and sustainability that goes beyond production and manufacturing at the community level.

This report would not be possible without the support of our Community Impact Team in Jerash, Jordan and the ongoing training provided through the Women’s Refugee Commission and the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative.

Their commitment to transparent and evidence-based impact evaluation has equipped SITTI to build a more informed, impact-driven brand.