When Kamil’s father passed away, he left a huge responsibility on his young son’s shoulders which is to take care of his mother and sister in all aspects of life, specially financially. After his sister got married, Kamil became the sole provider in the house. In order to make a living he started working as a sales person for a food company in addition to many side hustles to be able to pay the rent, electricity and their everyday needs. In fact, the hard circumstances created by war, forced Kamil and his mother to constantly move from one rented house to another, looking for more affordable options.

Now Kamil has the chance to achieve his long-pursued dream, By having his own a pick-up truck. It is very big step for this self-made salesman, whom for a long time has been distributing his products by foot. Having his own vehicle increases Kamil’s productivity and enhances his services which will definitely prosper his business and reflect on his income. 

Kamil is enthusiastic about his future, he has a plan to start his own family and make a successful career to support the family and become an independent individual.

George who is originally from Aleppo, has been living in Al-Raqqa for years. When the war started and the city became under the armed groups control, George lost everything; his car mechanics’ workshop, house and car were all gone with a blink of an eye. George was trapped in AL-Raqqa for a while, and it was an unforgettable experience, fortunately he was eventually able to flee and come back to his home town Aleppo where his family live.

When George arrived to Aleppo, he had nothing to start with, the war prevented him from exploring his options. When he was offered a guarding job at Franciscan Fathers' convent, he was more than happy to take it. His expertise in the mechanics made him very helpful around the convent, fixing the generator and doing maintenance works here and there. The only downside is that the income is not enough for George and his family specially with the increasing economic difficulties. 

George found the taxi to be the solution for his case, he can manage his guarding duties at night and work on his taxi all day long, specially that the driving career is something that George had once practiced many years ago (2005-2013). 

The harsh circumstances which Mirna was exposed to during the prolonged war, made her search for a way to contribute to the family’s income along with her siblings since she and her son live in her parents' house. The family's house was damaged severely and they all feel lucky enough they weren't physically hurt from the many tragic explosions and bombings that occurred in their neighborhood.

Today Mirna utilized her talents in making handmade souvenirs, and turned it into a business. With the funds she got from the Micro Project program, she purchased all the primary materials needed to create her beautiful art, which she will display in her sister’s store in addition to the exhibitions held in the holiday season that she will contribute in and display her beautiful crafts and skill.

Elia Wanessian is a 41-years-old man, who takes care of his mother, aunt and wife. Elia Chose to be a blacksmith from an early age, pursuing a better career options, in 1990 Elia went to Lebanon and stayed there until 2017.

When he returned to Syria, everything was changed, he first settled in Al-Salamieh, a small town near Homs. However, a rift between him and his business partner, costed him the loss of all his machinery which he worked hard his whole life till he was able to get them, it was a heartbreaking thing for him and the family lost their only source of income.

Without any equipment, Elia came to Aleppo and had to start from scratch. He rented a workshop and slowly started purchasing the machines he needs. The problem was that with his limited finances he couldn’t buy the heavy machines that are essential for the work, that’s why the funds were crucial to him. With the money he was able to complete equipping his workshop, which reflects directly on his production and on the profits. 

After Hanna lost his house and his pick-up truck in Al-sheikh Maksoud, life became much harder for him and for his family. Since 2012 they have been living in a rented apartments, due to the constantly rising prices of rents, every now and then they are forced to look for a new more affordable place to live in. Hanna’s current salary as a driver for a telecom company, in addition to his wife’s income are both barely enough to put bread on the table. Hanna’s previous work as a driver gave him an insight about choosing this profession as a career. 

This new chance as a taxi driver will give Hanna a more stable income, and a more flexible schedule to be around his family to take a good care of them and of their needs. this support is a kind of compensation of all the things they’ve lost because of the war.

When Gabriel’s family lost their business, car, and their house was hit by shells twice in Midan area, they were very devastated. They fled to Damascus and later returned to Aleppo, and because they were still homeless, they had to stay in the church for a while (until they managed to repair their house to a habitable status). When all of that was happening Gabriel and his family were losing all the hope they had. Gabriel, being a hardworking and ambitious man no matter what circumstances he was in, he was always improving himself. He learnt from a friend of his the skill of electronics maintenance, he worked in surveillance systems and mobile phone maintenance and gained a lot of experience in the domain.

Now Gabriel took advantage of his many acquaintances in this field of work, he rented a space in one of the popular areas and with the tools he purchased from the Micro Project support, he will offer maintenance services to customers making his way in this profitable business with steady steps and this way the family will secure a good income. 

Annie’s family suffered a lot during the war, first their farmland in northeast of Syria got confiscated, which was devastating for the family, specially for Annie’s husband Antoine who had a heart attack due to the overwhelming news of losing his lands and crops. Then one of the many shells that were falling on Aleppo city hit Annie’s building, the incident resulted in the injury of a family friend who was rushed into the ER to get the needed stitches. All those bad circumstances forced Annie’s family to leave their damaged house and move to a rented place.

When she was still a young girl, Annie learned how to sew, which she found as a good chance to use this skill when the situation was worse and  she opened a small workshop, but the business took a huge hit due to the economic crisis. Annie couldn’t handle the burden of rising the rent and the employees' salaries so she had to close.

Today Annie is not giving up at all, instead she is opening a workshop inside her house, this way she can ensure a maximum profit and flexible work environment where she can keep taking care of her husband and be with her children. 

Theodora lives with her mother and takes good care of her. Being single and the only working member in the family, the burdens of financially supporting the livelihood fall completely on Theodora’s shoulders. 

The war years was hard for the two ladies, their house and the sewing workshop that she used to work in, were both in Al-Midan, which is a considerably dangerous area in Aleppo. But Theodora and her mother managed to survive safely throughout those dark days. 

In fact, Teodora has always been thinking about improving her income, thus she has attended a tailoring course a while ago, in order to be more independent by opening her own small workshop. Although, her plans have slightly changed (as she now will work from home) but her determination to succeed is still the same if not stronger than ever.

In the field of manufacturing agricultural trucks parts, Ameen Maghamez faces many hardships such as the rapid change in the market’s needs, the difference which occurred in the material used and wanted by customers, all of this reflected on Ameen’s business because his existing molds became useless. The problem is that without these molds, Ameen can’t produce the parts to complete his work in order to sell them to customers when the season approaches.

The molds are the main factor in this work, nowadays they cost a lot and because of the harsh livelihood conditions Ameen is unable to replace them and update his equipment to make a progress and achieve high quality production although this field of work is very profitable.

With the funding Ameen will get the molds he needs to re-enter the market strongly and confidently to turn the business wheel again.   

Krikor left school in an early age and started learning the family business in his father’s workshop for tires’ installation and maintenance. It was there where he learnt and gained experience for many years until a tragic accident hit his father in 2010 and soon after that passed away due to the side effects. When the father died, Krikor became financially responsible of his mother Mary, sister Talar and his little brother Kevork, but he became without a workshop since his father’s business was shared with other partners. At that point war has started and Krikor’s best option was to go to Lebanon seeking safety and a job opportunity. In 2018, Krikor returned back to Aleppo and now is an employee in a battery selling shop, a job that neither pays him enough nor gives him hope of progress. But Krikor had a hope of his own when he applied for his project as an attempt to go back to his father’s profession and establish his own business for a better future.   

Bassam lived with his wife Naeema and son Abdel Massih in Bustan Al-Basha area, but with the start of war they were forced like all civilians in their neighborhood to evacuate their house leaving everything behind and move to a rented house in a safer region. Bassam’s business in Electrical Maintenance faced a set of challenges too, the lack of electricity and the war impacts led him to lose his job in 2012. He ended up working in a restaurant as a maintenance guy. Unfortunately, his job there ended with a tragic work injury, after he fell from the roof while on duty. Doctors are assuring him that soon he will be able to go back to normal, but by then he will need a job to be able to support his family. reopening a shop for maintenance services will be very beneficial for him to have a good life and study income. 

Fania's life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Bassam, fell ill, leaving him unable to provide for their family. With a studying son to support, her mother-in-law, and her husband's health deteriorating, Fania knew she had to act fast. 

Determined to secure a future for her family, she seized the opportunity presented by their small shop. With hope, She applied for assistance from the Micro Projects Program, seeking support to stock shelves, buy a refrigerator, and purchase goods to transform the shop into a mini-market and dairy shop, envisioning a lifeline for her family.

Her shop flourished and Bassam will find solace in being able to contribute as much as possible. 

Through her microproject and the support of the program, Fania not only sustained her family's livelihood, but also inspired others with her resilience in the face of hardships.

Elias Al-Ghabra is one of the minorities who are still interested in preserving the family profession as he began working in the field of manufacturing convection ovens with his father at a young age in a rental workshop in Jaramana and continued in the filed alongside his study.

The main field of work is manufacturing thermal ovens based on gas after the electric ovens stopped being demanded due to the terrible electricity situation in the country, their work increased and they also started to receive ovens maintenance orders. 

In 2010 Elias was called for military service and the war began shortly after he joined, so he was transferred to serve in Al-Hasakah Governorate until 2019, during which he went through difficult circumstances and faced many dangers. However, on his vacations, he used to return home and help his father in the workshop.

However, as a result of the significant increase in prices in addition to his mother’s battle with cancer and her treatment in Al-Biruni Hospital, their business deteriorated and the expenses became higher than the income forcing them to sell some of the equipment to cover the mother’s treatment expenses.

After Elias was discharged from service in 2019, he returned to work with his father, but the remaining equipment and materials were not enough to strengthen the work and have a proper income to cover the living expenses.

With the help of Hope Center, Elias was supported to purchase new machines to enable this intrepid young man to expand his work which will positively impact his living circumstances and help preserve the family's profession.

Alaa is a talented young man in his twenties, he lives with his parents and sister in Jaramana after being displaced from their home in Harasta due to the armed conflict in the area at the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

Alaa was always passionate about photography so he trained at a young age at a Clacket studio to learn more about this career, then he got employed at the communication department at SSSD as a photographer until 2018 trying to find better income to match the increasing costs of living.

Soon after, he started working at an event planning office as a photographer and videographer, but at the same time he was dreaming of having his own equipment that would enable him to establish private work and develop his career.

With the help of Hope Center, Alaa was supported to purchase a camera which was a dream coming true for him as he is able now to have his own photography session, and at the same time add his own signature which will empower his name in the field and open the chance of developing his work and improving his living conditions.

In the heart of a bustling area nestled a home where dreams brewed and aspirations soared. Dhyaa Al-Btros, his wife, and his family members lived within its walls, each floor holds a part of his close-knit family.

Since 2004, he delved into the field of confectionery, honing his skills by working at various pastry shops. In 2008 he was called for military service until 2010. Upon discharge, he returned to his roots in Khabab, opening a pastry shop until 2014 when adversity struck, so he relocated his shop to the Al-Dukhanieh area in Damascus, but the situation wasn't any better there as violent incidents and armed conflict took place in the area which resulted in the loss of his shop.

Undeterred, he adopted a novel approach, distributing goods via electric bicycles until 2019 when he was called again for the reserve service for three years before resuming the distribution of goods and biscuits, using his brother's electric bicycle.

Presently, Dhyaa toils in the morning as a warehouse worker, and by dusk, continues his work on a bicycle, aspiring to have a pick-up truck for efficient distribution, which would improve his income and release him from the hard morning work. 

considering this tapestry of trials and challenges, Dhyaa was supported by the Micro project program to purchase his own pick-up truck hoping to empower his unwavering spirit in the face of adversity, improve his living conditions, and preserve his dignity.

Meneam Salloum's life was marked by hardships but with his strong determination he was able to rise above all the challenges he faced.

he is living in Al-Abbasein with his retired father and two brothers, and together they faced numerous setbacks from losing his mother to grappling with unstable security conditions during the crisis, but he never let circumstances define him. 

Before the war started, he was working at his own shoe-making workshop in Jobar, but after few months of the war, the area was subjected to numerous incidents and his workshop was burgled making him lose everything he worked for in the previous years.

unfortunately, when Meneam decided to move his work to his living area in Al-Abbasein, he was sniped in the flank which put him in bed for several months until he recovered.

after that incident, Meneam decided to quit his profession and started working at cars office and then as a taxi driver, and later becoming a salesperson at shoes store, trying his best to afford the livelihood demands for his family and preserve their dignity.

Despite all financial strains that Meneam and his family faced, Yet he refused to succumb to despair, so he applied for the pick-up project at the Micro Project center.

Receiving funding for his project marked a new chapter—one filled with possibilities. It wasn't merely about starting a business; it symbolized resilience, hope, and the triumph of the human strong will over calamities.

Rafy Al-Sahwy, born in 1982 and residing in Al-Dwalaa, faced numerous challenges in life. With his parents deceased and siblings married, he lived with his brother, striving to make ends meet. His journey through different jobs—from being a taxi driver to a private chauffeur and later distributing charcoal by bicycle—reflects his resilience amidst hardships.

The war and his father's illness forced Rafy to abandon his farming work at the village and return to live with his family in Damascus. Despite various setbacks, he ventured into charcoal distribution, utilizing a meager capital. However, soaring prices abruptly halted his work, leaving him with loss.

For Rafy, the taxi project he applied for, symbolized hope and stability in turbulent times, and having support to purchase his own taxi potentially rescued him from the brink of financial ruin.

It wasn't merely about financial gains for him; it was about reclaiming control over his life and promising a brighter tomorrow.

Jean Baghdady, born in 1997, lives with his family in Jaramana. His father, Antoun, works diligently as a maintenance worker at Saint Paul Monastery trying to put food on the table at the end of the day.

Jean's journey through work has been diverse; from volunteering at the UN in 2017 to becoming a photographer's assistant from 2018 until the present day, he has explored various professional avenues. Additionally, he has been employed as a receptionist at Alberto Monastery since 2021. Despite his workload, Jean managed to pursue accounting and marketing courses in 2019.

He commenced his career as a photographer in 2019, honing his skills and preparing to be an independent photographer full of ambitions to start his business alongside collaborating with other professionals, trying to gain as much experience as possible.

While their household and furnishings are modest, Jean's family supports him as he navigates his career path. Receiving support from Hope Center, marks a turning point for Jean, offering him the opportunity to expand his own business, enhance his skills, and elevate his income.

For Jean, this support isn't just financial aid—it's his life dream, propelling him towards independence and self-improvement to secure a better future for himself and his family.

A talented and determined man is the least that can be said to describe Samwel Skeif. He is in his fifties yet, he still has the will and strength to keep learning and investing in himself. He started at a very young age to support his parents with living demands and so he worked as a tailor assistant, but he was clever and skilled enough to learn the profession and start his own sewing workshop which he ran for years until the conditions worsened; his job was affected badly forcing him to sell the machines in order to afford his family’s living expenses then he started to work in drawing and manufacturing sewing templates for different factories. 

Learning has always been a passion for Samwel, and even though he couldn’t finish his schooling education, he didn’t hesitate to enroll in several life skills courses such as fashion design training - TOT courses - speed reading courses - body language courses - and neuro programming.

Samwel got hired as a trainer at a development institution for design and sewing courses and he was so excited to transfer his knowledge and talents to others.

However, with the increasing costs of living, he wasn't able to provide his family with a decent living and he was thriving to have his own sewing workshop with the idea of turning part of it into a training center for sewing and designing courses.

Today, after being supported to start his own project, Samwel is so grateful to have this opportunity that will enable him to fulfill his passion for work and teaching and at the same time increase his income and improve his living conditions. 

At the age of fifteen, Eva Alshehadeh started to work at a hairdressing salon to support her family, since then, she started to learn everything related to this career including hairdressing, makeup, and nail care which gave her good experience in the field. Her father was deceased and she was the supporter of her mother and siblings so she was doing her best to afford the living demands, challenging all the difficulties of work and her health condition as she was suffering from sideropenia which caused her several symptoms and continuous feeling of tiredness.

In 2019, with the help of the church, Eva underwent Glandectomy surgery and her health condition started to improve, unlike her financial condition as the salon she was working at was closed and she found herself jobless.

Eva didn’t accept being dependent on aids especially since she became the only supporter of her mother so she started to work at customers' houses, using her old inappropriate tools, and touring from one house to another to have an income and cover the basic living needs of her family.

After applying at the Micro project center, Eva feels delighted because she was supported to establish her own makeup and nailcare center which will be the means to have an independent source of living and improve her living conditions.

Although she is still 22, Valentina was overloaded with life calamities and had to hold the responsibility of her family and her younger sisters in addition to taking care of her sick and heartbroken mother.

Valentina was living in safety and security with her family while her mother and father were doing their best to provide the best living circumstances for their girls. 

In 2013, this reality changed into a nightmare as their father was a victim of snipping while he was driving his car to work and the criminals took his body and the car. His family didn’t just have to handle his death news but also they had to pay an amount of money to have his body and do a decent funeral for him.

After that incident, the mother’s health deteriorated so she quit her job to take care of her daughters while Valentina started to work during her study time to support her family.

She started doing makeup and nail care for her relatives and friends then in 2018 she enrolled in several courses to enhance her skills then she started to work in different beauty salons trying her best to afford the livelihood of her family.

With time passing, Valentina discovered that her work was so tiring, and with no proper income, she quit and started to work for a percentage of profits waiting for a chance to have her project.

With great faith, Valentina applied at the micro-project center for support and despite her young age, this strong-willed lady was supported with all the tools and materials necessary to start her project because after all those hard years she deserved to be independent and have a decent source of income to help her family.

With more than 40 years of experience, Riadh Al-zawahra, a loving husband and father of two daughters Nour and Niveen, was still working as a tailor at a sewing workshop in Jaramana.

He started to learn the career at the age of ten, the same age he started to work and support his family then when he became experienced enough, he implemented all the steps of sewing and many workshops dealt with him.

During his life, Riahd was able to establish a lovely family and support his daughters to finish their education and work but due to the difficult years of war and the deteriorating economic condition, he wasn’t able to establish his own workshop.

“ All i wish after those hard-working years is to settle down, be my own boss, and have the ability to increase my income”.

Riadh applied at the Micro projects center, and considering his long experience and need to improve his living conditions, his request was approved as he got the required support to establish his own sewing workshop with all hope that this project would be a turning point in his future life and will give him the independency he longed for.

Being a mother of three young kids never prevented Raheel from working and supporting her family to pass through the years of war, while still trying hard to support her husband during the deteriorating conditions.

Raheel is a determined lady who started working as a seamstress at a young age and even after she got married she kept working at her sewing workshop in Damascus, until 2014 when the security situation became critical so she moved with her family to live in Jaramana.

Despite all the dangers and the daily shelling over Jaramana, Raheel and her husband kept working together to secure the best living for their kids. Together, they started a small shop for sewing and renting dresses where she worked in designing and making the dresses and her husband supported her in dealing with customers and the finishing.

However, with time passing, the electricity condition worsened and the shop income was no longer enough to put food on the table, while her machines became too old to use for professional sewing. So her husband decided to work two jobs in order to meet the living demands but his salary was still not enough due to the high costs of living.

Now, after supporting Raheel with new sewing machines and an electricity resource, she restored the ability to increase her work and get a decent income good enough to secure her and her family with good living. 

From a very modest but close-knit family who works to live, Beshara Al-mhanna was raised to become a hardworking man who started working at a young age to support his family.

He used to work in delivering vegetables on the village-city road but during wartime, the road became insecure and he decided to move to Damascus to study and work there. Beshara was a big-sized young man and as a result, he was exempted from military service so he kept working as a driver on different vehicles delivering any order to afford his living and support his family in the village.

Beshara was good at what he did but the high car rent wasn't sufficient to cover the increasing costs of living so he applied to the Micro-project program for the pick-up truck project planning to use the truck to deliver furniture and goods.

Considering his health condition, and determination to work, Beshara was supported to have the project he sought and he is now working his best to have more orders so that he can improve his financial condition and secure his family with a decent living.