Micro-Projects is a livelihood-support program which helps family providers who had either lost their livelihood during the war, or aspire to be a productive and financially independent part of the community by starting their own income generating business. By financing their micro-projects, Christian Hope Center is helping Christian families to have a sustainable source of income, through the provision of equipment, machinery and tools. This will eventually mitigate the economic harm caused by increasing poverty and insecurity, preserve their dignity, and alleviate the calamities of war and the economic crisis, which will ultimately preserve the existence of an active Christian community in Syria. In addition to the Micro-Projects supported in Cities of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, the program also supports families who rely on agriculture as their principal source of income in rural Homs.


650

Aleppo

605

Homs

230

Damascus

Graphic Clothes Printing


Abdullah Hatem, a hardworking 31-year-old with an entrepreneurial mindset, started his journey from a young age. He worked alongside his father, who owned a car mechanic workshop, but Abdullah did not envision himself working in the same field. Instead, he developed a keen interest in the art of garment printing. In 2012, he embarked on his journey and worked towards starting his own project and owning a workshop.

Abdullah's determination and hard work allowed him to save every penny he earned,...


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Car Maintenance


Kevork is a 53-year-old skilled mechanic with over 30 years of experience in car maintenance and mechanics. He used to work in his workshop, which he owned since 2005. However, when the war started, his house in Aleppo was damaged by the ongoing shelling. As a result, he was forced to make the difficult decision of selling the equipment he had acquired through years of hard work and moving to Lebanon with his family.

From 2015 onwards, he resided in Lebanon...


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Taxi


Bassil Mssedy, a dedicated father in his 50s, worked as a blacksmith for 15 years in the industrial city of Aleppo. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the war made him jobless. The industrial area, once thriving, now lay in ruins.

Bassil and his wife used to reside in a rented house in Al Midan, an area that was heavily bombarded during the war. Tragedy struck one fateful day when a missile destroyed their home. Miraculously, they had left the house just an...


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CNC Carving Machine


George Tabbakh is a skilled CNC machinist with 15 years of experience. He began his career in 1997 until 2002 when he decided to start his own business and invest in a metal lathing machine. George has always had a passion for personal development and enjoys immersing himself in new learning experiences. Aware of the potential of 3D printing and mechanical drawing, he attended numerous workshops and courses to enhance his skills with software like SolidWorks.

In 2008, George purchased his...


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Car Mechanics Workshop


Vahe Tashjian is a 56-year-old mechanic with 23 years of experience. In his younger years, he worked in Kuwait, but he later moved to Aleppo, where he found employment in various companies. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, the companies closed down, leaving him jobless. 

Vahe has always dreamt of owning his own workshop, but his previous attempts were unsuccessful due to the need for financial resources, in 2022, he briefly went to Dubai but got very ill. In less...


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Taxi


Aziz is a determined young man, recently married to Rasha and waiting for their first born child.

He worked as a driver since 2009 and continued working in this job during his ten-years military service in Damascus, Rasha works as a nurse in a hospital and they live in a modest rented house. 

During his service aziz was injured in the leg then he was discharged and he started looking for a job to secure his life and future. His parents decided...


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Taxi


Antoine had a good life before the war working as a hairdresser with great skill and many customers, in 2013 he was called for military service and had to serve for nine long years in Aleppo's suburbs which affected his health greatly as he was subject to many injuries from explosions.

Antoine suffered from a neurological condition that caused trembling in his hands and he no longer was able to continue in his original career of hairstyling, even grabbing the scissors...


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Tailoring Workshop


Haytham's journey in the world of tailoring began in 1988, Aleppo, During the war Haytham faced a great loss when his workshop in Shekh Maksoud was completely destroyed and all of his sewing machines and tools were stolen. He used to work alongside his brother for a short period of time, but circumstances led them to separate and focus on their individual projects. Haytham received his share of the profits, which he had planned for his own project, but instead,...


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Taxi


Antoine is 28 years old, married and a father of a 1 year old lovely boy, he has served in the military for almost the last ten years of his life which has robbed him of any opportunity to pursue a career and build a future for his family.

with no experience and a very harsh economic situation of the country, Antoine put a lot of thinking of his next step in life, he looked for any job that would help...


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Sewing Machines


Salem Kadah, a 40-year-old tailor, chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become a tailor himself. Before the war, he worked alongside his father. However, after his father passed away in 2003, Salem forged his own path and began working in jeans production, distributing products to high-end brands. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, his business was disrupted, which forced him to look for alternative sources of income.

In 2016-2017, Salem attempted to revive jeans production but faced significant...


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Barbershop


Mardiros a young barber with seven years of experience, he lives with his mother and bears the sole responsibility of being the family's breadwinner. As a talent in his craft, Mardiros was longing for the security and independence that came with owning his own barbershop. However, the lack of supportive environment and economic challenges of the country left him hesitant to take the leap. He meticulously calculated every aspect, and despite numerous attempts, he remained doubtful as it posed a...


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Photography and design


Nancy Samaan, an ambitious young girl from Tartous, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and later relocated with her family to Aleppo. Nancy always had a clear vision of her passion for graphic design and poured her heart and soul into her work.

At a young age, in 2018, Nancy started her career as a graphic designer. However, she soon realized that her previous job didn't provide the opportunities she needed to improve her skills and profession. Determined to grow,...


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Pharmacy


Majd, a pharmacist, embarked on her journey in 2000 when she graduated from the faculty of pharmacy. She diligently completed her rural service in 2003 as per Syrian laws. Alongside her pharmacy, she ventured into medicine marketing in rural Homs until 2010. However, in 2011, the onset of war forced her to relocate her activities to the city of Homs.

Majd is married to Toni, a doctor, and they are parents to three children. Together, they strive to provide their family...


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Olive Land


Ghattas, a hardworking farmer from Qattinah village, faces the challenge of plowing costs for his olive land. With a loving family, including his wife Mariana and a baby girl Lamitta, they all reside with his parents and sisters. To provide extra support for his family, he works at a factory.

However, the financial burden of plowing expenses became overwhelming. Renting a tractor was increasingly costly, especially as the land required plowing four times a year, possibly more. Determined to overcome this...


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Organic Fertilizer Production


Ammar, from Qattinah village, is the sole provider for his wife and their five-year old son. Once a taxi driver, he embarked on a journey that led to the loss of everything he had worked for when his attempt to travel abroad turned out to be a fraudulent scheme. Determined to provide for his small family, Ammar and his wife embarked on a new venture.

A glimmer of hope emerged when his wife learned about the potential of producing organic compost....


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Sewing Machines


In 1997, Georgette honed her sewing skills at a reputable sewing workshop, but her dreams were temporarily put on hold when she married Hosn in 1999. Life took a challenging turn during the war, as her husband's work in stone cladding was negatively affected.

In 2013, they relocated to a village near Homs, hoping for better prospects. Georgette found work in a sewing workshop. When the workshop moved to Homs in 2014, they moved back and she became a supervisor, but...


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Nail Care Kit


Sara's life took a challenging turn when her father passed away, leaving her, her mother, and her two brothers to navigate life's hardships alone. With one brother serving in mandatory military service and the other seeking opportunities abroad, she felt a deep responsibility to contribute to her family's well-being.

Despite her determination, working at various stores didn't provide the income needed to support her loved ones. In 2022, Sara saw a ray of hope when she attended a specialized nail care...


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Photography


Samer, a third-year civil engineering student, is an inspiring young man with a remarkable journey. Three years ago, he embarked on a path as a photographer, starting with humble beginnings. His journey began at the iconic Um Al-Zennar church in Homs, where he worked as a journalist for the church's Facebook page, armed only with a mobile phone to capture the moments.

His dedication led him to a photography training course, refining his skills. He soon found himself working as an...


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Crafts and Souvenir Shop


Sanaa, a retired French language teacher, found herself facing the harsh realities of life after her husband's unfortunate passing due to the cruel war that had affected the country. Living with her son and two daughters, they endured the devastating loss of their car in 2012 and further destruction when their house was hit by another shell in 2017, severely impacting her cherished crafts and souvenir shop.

After her husband's tragic death in 2018, she courageously reopened her shop, eager to...


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Sewing Machines


Matile's life has been a journey of hard work and sacrifice. Divorced five years ago and tragically losing her older son in an accident, she found herself the sole provider for her elderly mother and her son George. 
With a background as a seamstress since 1989, she decided to take control of her destiny in 2022. Tired of low wages and exhausting work, she rented a small space and established her own workshop.

Her workshop, equipped with only one old sewing machine,...


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Mini-Market


Nekoula and Samar, the parents of twins, faced adversity when the war in Homs city left them with nothing. They made a fresh start in Fairouza village, where Nekoula, once a carpenter, had to change his profession due to a health condition in 2016. Together, they opened a mini-market to support their family.

Their mini-market, filled with various goods, faced a constant struggle due to unreliable electricity, forcing them to rely on costly generators to power their two refrigerators for dairy,...


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Crafts and Souvenir Shop


Ahlam, an employee at the University of Homs, and her retired architect husband faced financial challenges while raising their two children. 

Seven years ago, they took a leap of faith and established their own small shop, selling what is left from Ahlam's jewelry and delving into handicrafts. The neighborhood embraced their creativity, and their project thrived. Utilizing his architectural skills, her husband began crafting unique designs for their shop.

However, in recent years, rising prices threatened their shop, their lifeline. In their...


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Car Repairing Workshop


Bahjat, a skillful car repair mechanician with over 15 years of experience, honed his skills in the workshops of Homs and Lebanon. His journey began in Rableh village, where he first delved into the world of car repair. After four years in Lebanon, he returned to Rableh but later moved to Fairouza village in 2022. There, he rented a house, got engaged driven by his dreams of starting a family with the woman he loved.

Despite his wealth of expertise, Bahjat...


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Aluminum Workshop


From his modest beginnings, Wissam's journey reflected resilience and determination. His path to mastering his profession began at an aluminum workshop in 2007. However, his dreams were interrupted by an 8-year-long mandatory military service. Despite the setbacks, he persevered, driven by his role as a husband and father of two young children.

In 2015, the life of this family took an unexpected turn when displacement forced them to leave their village, settling in a rented house in Homs city. Wissam's longed...


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Barbershop


When someone has been through terrible trauma and they’re starting a new life from scratch, it’s not easy for them to recover especially if they were living in a post-war period like the case of Yazan Sayegh.

He is 25 and lives with his parents and sister in Kashkoul. Yazan was 18 when the family received the news of his brother’s death during his military service in Aleppo. Such news was devastating for the whole family especially Yazan who had to...


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Perfume and Cosmetics Shop


Mariam always believed that there is no limit to what she could accomplish despite all the difficulties she had been through

She is 40 years old, divorced, and originally from Tartous but lives alone in a small room in Damascus. Mariam got married at a young age but after seven years she got divorced and returned with her kids to live at her parents' house in Tartous. She didn’t hesitate to continue her education and was enrolled at the trade and...


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Laser Machine


Maram Mahfoud 31, is an independent, hardworking woman, who was always strong enough to stand alone in the face of difficult circumstances.

She lives with her parents in an old room in Bab Sharqi. Her father used to work at a sanitary maintenance workshop but after getting old, his health didn’t allow him to keep working which affected their financial conditions. Despite her young age, Maram decided to start working and support her parents so she enrolled in a make-up course...


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Mini-Van


Johnny Fallouh is 33 years old, he is newly married and soon to be a father. In 2006, he started his career as a pastry chef and was passionate about this job but in 2011 he was called to join the military service and thought that it would be for two years and then he would go back to continue his normal life and the work he loves.

Unfortunately, his service coincided with the beginning of the war in Syria, it...


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Wood Cutting Factory


With a deep wound in his heart, Jan Samaan was struggling each day to continue his life journey and improve his condition.

Jan was worked as a carpenter since 1990 as he established a carpentry workshop in partnership with his friend specializing in the field of kitchens and bedrooms. Together they worked hard to improve their business.

However, during the war, the carpentry work decreased and their income became not enough for both of them so his friend decided to end the...


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Pick-up Truck


“All the incidents we went through during the years of war were no harder than holding my son bleeding and seeing him fighting death to survive”

This is how Samer explained his tragedies during the Syrian war.

Samer Deeb is 49 years old, married to Roula Memary, and has two sons Elias born in 2004 and Gabi born in 2006. He lives with his family and sick mother at a modest flat in Dwalaa area.

Before the crisis, Samer was working as a...


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Pick-up Truck


Firas had to face enormous difficulties in his life as he was responsible for his sick mother and disabled sister in addition to the household demands so he started working as a mini-bus driver at a young age seeking direct income to afford the living expenses.

He was working on Darayya-Damascus transportation line but after the start of the war, it became very dangerous to work there then the area was closed due to the armed conflict making Firas lose his...


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Electric Keyboard


As a talented musician, George's career started in 2006, he was playing his favorite instrument “the Electric Keyboard” in various locations performing beautiful musical sets.

George had a great passion for music and wanted to deliver his music love to everyone believing that this is an important message in his life, so he took classes at many schools and started teaching music to children until 2014 when the situation deteriorated badly and the teaching income was very low compared to the...


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Blacksmith Workshop


Samaan is 35, unmarried, and lives with his parents and his grandmother. He has three brothers; Alaa and Jalal are married and live separately while Bashar is in military service which made Samaan the breadwinner of the house and responsible for his parents and his sick granny.

Before the war, his family lived in the village of Al-Adeedah, his father was a blacksmith so after turning 15, he started to help him at the workshop and learned the profession, in 2008...


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Stationery Shop


As a determined man, age was never an obstacle in Youssef’s life.

He was a hard-working employee for more than 23 years at a governmental institution then he retired and started to do freelance work, seeking one target in his life which is providing his kids with a safe and comfortable environment.

During the crises, the situation started to decline and his income became unstable so he decided to collect his savings and start a small stationary shop in the neighborhood to...


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Shoe-making Workshop


Nabil Farhat, a shoemaker for more than 25 years, is originally from Lebanon, came to Syria in the late eighties, learned the profession of shoemaking, and decided to continue his life in this beloved country.

He got married and had three kids and was very known in his field as many factories were dealing with him due to his meticulous professional work and kind attitude with customers, he considered Syria as his homeland and was feeling grateful to this country who...


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Sewing Workshop


Rabee has always been an expert at sewing, he had even owned his own workshop since 2003 in a small village, where he lived with his wife and three kids.

However, trouble came knocking at his door when an armed group attacked the area. Rabee and his family had to flee for their lives, leaving behind their rented small house and all their belongings, including his beloved sewing workshop.

Rabee had to start from scratch and find a way to provide for...


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