Who we are

Our story

Our founders have spent the last decade working with Syrian and Palestinian refugee women, including running humanitarian, theatre and arts therapy projects and organisations, making BAFTA-winning documentaries about the refugee exodus to Europe, and building up a business empowering women through selling their artisanal fashion and homeware. Two of them are themselves women who have lived through the loss of their homeland.

We have brought all of this experience together to form Makani, expanding from working solely in the Middle East, to also working with refugee women in the UK.

Whether in London or Lebanon, thousands of refugee and asylum-seeking women today are grappling with trauma, living in poverty and isolation, and facing discrimination on all sides, including from within their own communities.

Our vision is a world of freedom, dignity and equality for all refugee women. Until women enjoy those basic rights everywhere, we will ensure that within Makani we are creating a space that any refugee woman can call ‘my place’.

Our values:

Feminism

Courage

Compassion

Dignity

We believe in:

Refugee women’s inherent strength. 

The power of supportive female communities. When women support each other, anything is possible.

Dignity not dependence. We don’t give hand-outs, we provide opportunities.

Art’s ability to heal, empower and transform lives. 

Artistic excellence. We create a platform for displaced women to show the world what they are capable of.

Our team

  • Itab Azzam

    Co-founder and Executive Director

    Itab is a BAFTA-winning film and theatre producer, NGO programme manager, and co-author of celebrated cookbook Syria: Recipes from Home.

  • Tabitha Ross

    Co-founder and Director of Operations

    Tabitha has spent 20 years working in programmes and communications for NGOs, focusing particularly on the Middle East.

  • Mona Fattali

    Co-founder and Director Emeritus

    Mona was originally a participant in our theatre therapy project Antigone of Syria:

    “After we made Antigone, a strange and powerful self-confidence filled my life. I started working for the first time. I started to make decisions at home. I found my makani and I am proud to be creating that space for others.”

  • Tayma Barakat

    Programmes Officer - Lebanon

    Tayma is a campaigner and social activist with first-hand experience of displacement, who coordinates our work in Lebanon.

  • Fairouz

    Oshana Embroidery Coordinator

    Fairouz is a master craftswoman, skilled in the art of ‘tatreez’ - Arabic embroidery. She keeps this heritage alive through teaching others and organising the embroidery artisans’ work.

  • Dalal

    Oshana Crochet Coordinator

    There isn’t a crochet stitch that Dalal doesn’t know or can’t teach. She supports the crochet artisans and organises their work.

  • Doha Faraj

    Lebanon Programme Manager

    Experienced humanitarian and development programme manager. Doha leads our work in Lebanon.

Our trustees

  • Chair of Trustees: Natasha Walter

    Natasha is the founder and former director of the charity Women for Refugee Women, and a writer. Her books include Living Dolls and Before the Light Fades. 

  • Board Treasurer: Paula Zasowska

    Paula is a finance professional with extensive experience in project management, financial analysis, and process improvement.

  • Yasmin Fedda

    Yasmin is an award winning filmmaker, curator and film educator.

  • Susannah Baker-Smith

    Susannah trained at the International Centre of Photography in New York, and has worked in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She is currently training as a psychotherapist.

  • Hannah Young

    With over 15 years’ experience in NGO fundraising spanning health, human rights and international development work, Hannah is currently Director of Fundraising and Communications at Sabre Education.

  • Dina Mousawi

    Dina is a theatre director and producer, and co-author of critically acclaimed cookbook Syria: Recipe from Home. She is currently Creative Producer at Good Chance.

  • Malika Brown

    Malika is a journalist and podcaster, and founder of Knitstanbul, supporting refugee women in Turkey through knitting.