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The Palestinian villages in Masafer Yatta, south of the occupied West Bank, face continuous Israeli threats—whether through violent settler attacks on Palestinian residents or Israeli military-imposed restrictions that include settlement expansion, pursuit of residents, and deprivation of essential resources such as water and electricity. These efforts aim to force Palestinians out of their lands, making life increasingly difficult, particularly for women, who bear additional burdens. Despite these challenges, Palestinian women in these Bedouin communities have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation.

From a Milk Collection Initiative to a Dairy Factory

Palestinian women have long played a central role in supporting their communities. In this spirit, a group of women from the village of Twaneh and surrounding areas launched an initiative to strengthen the local economy. Initially, the initiative focused on milk collection and manual production of dairy products, such as yogurt, labneh, and cheese. Over time, the initiative evolved into a full-fledged dairy factory, significantly improving economic conditions for local families.

Turning a Collection Point into a Factory

Salwa Rabai, the head of Twaneh Dairy Factory, explained that the project initially generated modest profits, encouraging donors to support its expansion from a milk collection initiative to a small factory.

"This small project for dairy production has undergone a remarkable transformation. It is now a key driver of the local economy, improving the standard of living for rural families," Rabai said.

She added that the project, which started as a milk collection point for resale, evolved into a dairy production facility with processing lines for cheese, butter, and yogurt.

"The factory receives fresh milk daily from local farmers. Upon arrival, the milk is inspected, weighed, and recorded under the supplier's name. The milk is then pasteurized before being processed into various products, including fresh milk, yogurt, butter, and sometimes specialty cheeses," she explained.

According to Rabai, the initiative gained momentum thanks to the support of key stakeholders, including the head of the Twaneh Village Council, Norwegian government donors, CARE International, the ARIJ Institute, and the women of Twaneh Dairy Factory. Together, they transformed a small-scale milk collection effort into a full dairy production facility. Notably, the factory was officially launched on March 8, 2022—International Women’s Day—to highlight the struggles of women in Masafer Yatta due to Israeli policies.

Marketing and Distribution Growth

Rabai emphasized that shifting from basic milk collection to full-scale dairy production enabled the project to expand its reach and better integrate into Palestinian markets.

"The factory is leveraging modern communication tools to promote its products. We have launched a dedicated Facebook page to introduce our dairy products to consumers across Palestine. Additionally, we actively participate in local trade exhibitions to showcase our traditional, high-quality dairy products to Palestinian consumers," she said.

These exhibitions have drawn significant interest from consumers, reinforcing the factory’s role in boosting the local economy and easing the burden on women in nearby villages. Instead of making dairy products at home, women can now rely on the factory for efficient and high-quality production, allowing them to focus more on their families.

Women Benefiting from the Project

Fatima Al-Hirini, one of the participating farmers, delivers milk from her livestock to the factory daily.

"In the beginning, selling milk directly to local stores was difficult, but now, the factory handles the sales process directly with retailers and larger dairy producers," she explained.

Al-Hirini noted that the expansion of the factory has allowed farmers to produce and sell their own dairy products, creating additional income and contributing to the local economy.

"As the project has grown, our distribution network has expanded to include stores in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and beyond. Our goal is to distribute our products to even more Palestinian cities," she said.

Challenges Due to the Political Situation and War

Despite its success, the Twaneh Dairy Factory has faced setbacks due to the political situation. Rabai explained that ongoing conflict has negatively affected production.

"Before the war, we produced one to 1.5 tons of dairy products daily. Now, due to the conflict, production has dropped to just half a ton per day," she said.

Commitment to Success Despite Challenges

Despite these difficulties, the project remains committed to serving the local community by providing job opportunities for women and farmers, contributing to the economic sustainability of Palestine’s rural areas.

Rabai called on businesses and store owners to support the factory by purchasing its products, emphasizing that doing so not only helps Palestinian farmers and livestock herders but also ensures that consumers receive high-quality, locally produced dairy products.

This story was produced as part of the Qarib programme, implemented by the French Media Development Agency (CFI) in partnership with and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD).