Hilana’s story started after she stayed at home to take care of her kids. Watching her daughter play with imported toys and dolls, Hilana, a very passionate mother and woman, decided to establish a toy factory “Duma” in Tulkarem to produce Palestinian toys that can compete with the imported well-known brands. 

With the support of her family and her husband’s experience, Hilana established her toy factory in 2011, producing 3 lines: Yasser and Zeina – Palestinian doll toys, soft toys and teddy bears made of soft cotton material, and room accessories.

Hilana’s dream is for Yasser and Zeina to become national doll icons in Palestine and gain international exposure. Through joining different projects of the Business Women Forum (BWF), Hilana received a grant to purchase the required equipment for production, worked with international designers to develop the two national dolls Yasser and Zeina, received advice from international consultants hired by BWF in order to export her products, as well as launched a campaign on Facebook to promote her products. 

Hilana’s entrepreneurial path was not easy, she encountered many challenges. The hardest was when the Israeli soldiers attacked her factory and confiscated hundreds of meters of fabrics as well as hundreds of dolls, which left her with a great financial loss. This accident didn’t stop her, instead it increased her willingness to succeed.  

Read more about Hilana’s story here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/9/15/the-dolls-that-defend-palestinian-culture