SEP THE BRAND
SEP stands for Social Enterprise Project. They are a luxury fashion & lifestyle business with a social impact focus. SEP was the first Jordanian private company to set up in the Jerash Refugee Camp in Jordan in 2013. They work with over 600 embroidery Artists, who happen to be refugees. What makes them different is that they work with the camp residents as Artists and colleagues, rather than recipients of aid.
PURPOSE
SEP was founded as a pioneering, sustainable lifestyle accessories brand, built to bring thousands of refugees above the poverty line through training and employment. With SEP, luxury becomes a meaningful statement.
SEP works with Palestinian and Syrian refugees, as well as Jordanian embroidery Artists. The Artists live and work in and around the Jerash Camp area, located in the north of Jordan.
The SEP Artists, who embroider each SEP product by hand, are masters of cross-stitching. Since SEP's creation in 2014, the brand has trained over 900 artists and is now working with over 500 female Artists, age 18 to 56. Through employment, SEP champions a Social Enterprise business model based on the idea of every team member being essential to the success of the story, working to bring back dignity to a forgotten community.
The traditional humanitarian aid “donor versus recipient” relationship is not part of the model.
SOCIAL IMPACT
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Due to the isolation of refugee camps, many refugees are unable to find employment. When they do find work, they rarely earn more than minimum wage. By 2023, SEP Jordan provided gainful work opportunities to more than 500 Artists who happen to be refugees, mainly in Jerash Camp in Jordan. Many of the Artists have been working with SEP since it was first created in 2013.
As a result of their dedication, leadership, and skill level, long-term employees can earn a multiple of minimum wage.
The affirmation and confidence the Artists feel shows itself every day when they proudly share their embroidery skills with other colleagues. The feeling of camaraderie in the workshop is palpable; all of the Artists work together, teaching and inspiring one another. They are able to bring this sense of community and pride home with them, widening the impact of the empowerment each artist feels. SEP has created an oasis of economic empowerment by allowing employees to generate income based on their own merit, and strives to extend that oasis to the broader Jerash Camp community.
SEP IMPACTFUL EMPLOYMENT
SEP understands the need for more than just economic stability for the team. Safety is also a priority, requiring that each Artist work a maximum of four hours per day to preserve the health of their eyes and hands. Work-life balance is encouraged through employees choosing their own schedule and workload. Artist payments are now executed via mobile wallet, so no cash is handled on the premises.
The Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF) demonstrated through its survey of 50 SEP Jordan Artists that “financial gain” was the “most encouraging factor for participants” to begin working for the brand (Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund, 2018). Employees can earn between $10 to $300 in one month, depending on the number and complexity of pieces completed.
The SEP freelance Artists are paid a premium of at least 50%+ to market rates. Payments are carried out on a weekly basis, which provides flexibility in spending their income to meet other obligations. The Artist is paid as soon as her creation passes quality control, regardless of “if” and “when” the item is sold.
Full-time and part-time employees are registered with Social Security, a rarity for Jerash camp residents. Gaining legal status removes the stigma of statelessness, creates a feeling of belonging and reinforces the sense of community. Besides the economic impact, SEP is committed to creating a safe, productive, and fulfilling work environment through employment opportunities as well as social impact activities.
AWEF concluded through their qualitative baseline research and findings that the positivity of the SEP brand motivated the refugees that work with the brand. Similarly, SEP Artists felt that the brand offered a comfortable, supportive, family-like atmosphere that further elevated the advancement of
Jerash Camp (Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund, 2018).