Women artisans of Surif Women???s Cooperative use traditional embroidery and cross-stitch methods to produce textile crafts. The designs are adapted from traditional Palestinian dresses and reflect the heritage from different regions of Palestine. A five-member, elected board of directors runs the program and employs a manager. Israeli government restrictions create difficulties for Surif Women???s Cooperative in obtaining materials and accessing the local market. The cooperative???s artisans have limited opportunity to sell their beautifully embroidered textiles to foreigners. Ten Thousand Villages, the cooperative???s only export customer, works to market their handicrafts and supply a fair wage, providing important income opportunities for women with very few alternatives.

Surif Women???s Cooperative was established as the Palestinian Needlework Program in 1950, by a group of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) volunteers. The program was started to give Palestinian refugee women an opportunity to supplement family income at home and enhance their self-reliance through employment. Palestinian Needlework Program was one of the original artisan group partnerships of what is today Ten Thousand Villages. The women took over responsibility for the program in 1979 and Surif Women's Cooperative for Embroidery was registered in 1983. The group operated a small workshop in Jerusalem for tourist sales until February 2002, when the shop had to close due to nonexistent tourist sales. Today Surif Women???s Cooperative markets its products through Sunbula Craft Shop in Jerusalem and Sunbula???s online store, and exports through Ten Thousand Villages.

Ten Thousand Villages purchases wall hangings, shawls and clerical stoles from Surif Women's Cooperative. Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from Surif Women's Cooperative since 1952.