It did, in fact, begin with an idea
Well, an idea stemming from desperation. But still an idea nonetheless.
Hello, we are Olives & Melons, a group of global do-gooders trying to make things a little brighter in the lives of others. None of us knew each other before October, although it seems as though we have been working together for years. Our common love for others, particularly those our home countries have stomped on long enough, has created something beautiful.
We met working on an early GoFundMe campaign and just - clicked. As we rode the high of helping one family successfully evacuate after weeks and months of pushing the GFM campaign HARD, we knew we wanted to continue helping as many Palestinian families as we possibly could. We made connections with four beautiful souls - Ramzi, Karim, Hadeel, and Asaad. We, rather naively, believed we could help reach their campaign goals through the same methods we had employed during our first campaign: mass posting, commenting, and, in my case, harassing influencers in their lives. However, by this time more and more people were getting desperate and noticed how effective GFM was at raising the funds needed to escape.
As with any market, when there is too much of the same thing, there’s oversaturation. Days went by without any donations. Then weeks.
As the violence continued, the more desperate we all became. It was time to think outside the box.
In all honesty, I don't know who came up with the idea to sell shirts to benefit our Pals. There are a lot of shop-for-good organizations out there, and we wanted something different. We’re a creative, overachieving bunch, and the idea was floated that we create a unique design for each of our Pals.
Asaad was first - a camera for the photographer and an olive tree for his strength and wisdom.
Hadeel was next - Sukkar and his keffiyeh were an obvious choice.
We went through multiple versions of both Ramzi's and Karim’s designs. Ramzi’s initial concept was finished and ready to go when it finally dawned on us that it might not be appropriate to have a verse from the Quran printed on a shirt. In hindsight, we should have recognized that, but we corrected ourselves before anyone was the wiser. Besides, “survivor” is much more fitting for Ramzi’s story.
Karim was equally tricky. We knew it had to incorporate languages (he speaks FIVE of them), but we were struggling to figure out how to do so uniquely. A literal shower thought solved that puzzle.
From there, it was time to brand ourselves.
Countless social media groups have cropped up to help promote and funnel the overwhelming needs of the Palestinian people. Most of them are named for two symbols of the Palestinian cause: watermelons and olive branches. While we are no different, our meaning strives to be a little deeper.
“Olives” symbolize the enduring strength of the people we’ve encountered. The ancient olive groves of Palestine stand as a testament to this strength, having been there long before the creation of several countries. They can be chopped down, burned, or destroyed, but they will still be there long after you leave, a symbol of resilience and hope.
“Melons” symbolize innovation and the future. Social media, despite its challenges, has undeniably changed how we view the world. Despite censorship, we are still talking about Palestine. The world has found ways around such restrictions and refuses to be cowed into silence, a testament to the power of social media in shaping our future. In addition, the amount of innovation emerging from the destruction is inspiring. From the young boy who learned how to generate electricity to the man who made a desalination tank from the materials around him, countless stories of resilience and adaptability are emerging despite the ongoing genocide.
So, we became Olives & Melons - the old and the new. What we’ve learned from our Pals and what we hope to embody.
It's an added bonus that we happen to sound like a bougie boutique store catering to a specific socioeconomic class…
We are not designers by trade but we did put some thought into the branding. Our Pals are at the heart of everything we do and every brand element is a reflection of them, their families, their communities, and their people.
The logo is our OM initials with a little extra foliage borrowed from our olive branch illustrations.
Our colors are adaptations of the well-recognized symbols of hope and self-determination. We wanted to offer an alternative to the beautiful, bold colors we have all grown to love and support. Yes, partly to avoid suppression and censorship, but mostly to show the softer side we’ve been shown through the actions of the every day individual. Make no mistake: softness is not a sign of weakness. It takes a great deal of strength to hold on to your humanity and should be celebrated.
So there you have it, Olives & Melons, the online store with lofty dreams to help make the world a little brighter. We hope you enjoy our designs as much as we do, knowing the thought and care taken during the process.
We invite you to look around. Learn a little bit about each of our Pals. Make connections. Feel the feels. Buy something if it strikes your fancy. Donate directly to one of the Pals if we’re not your style. But no matter what, don’t stop talking about Falasteen.
