When Fahed Hendi (42-years-old) and Mishleen bought their house in Al-Midan they didn’t imagine that one day the neighborhood would be that dangerous, and that they would be in the range of sniper shots and fire lines, nor did they imagine that the vicious war would oblige them to be displaced from their home for long years.

Fahed who is a nurse in the ER section at Alkalima hospital, is a father of nine years-old Alexander.

From the beginning of the war, living in their neighborhood became life threatening and they had to flee, after a while they learnt from their neighbors that their house was hit by bombshells, Fahed tried to do some repairments and replaced the broken doors and windows, (Nabni Nastamer) helped with the expenses, but other similar damages unfortunately reoccurred after a while, the rehabilitation costs were over their budget specially that they still had to pay the bank payments for their house’s mortgage in addition to the high costs of living in general.

After the situation became even more dangerous, they feared for their lives and the family moved with Mishleen’s parents for almost five years.

To increase their income, Fahed used to take night shifts in the hospital to be able to work on the morning shift in a private clinic with his partner. To help him, his wife Mishleen started working as a receptionist in AL-Nashe-Aljadeed school (for a year now).

The clinic is located in Suleymanie area; it provides medical services like vaccine shots, IV injections and minor clinical procedures etc. They also do home visits. It’s been five years since he started working in this clinic, it became popular and Fahed built a good reputation and has many regular clients.

Unfortunately, his partner wants to end the partnership, but Fahed doesn’t want to give up the clinic.

The family moved back to their house in Al-Midan, and although it is a very small house that Alexander doesn’t have a room for himself, he sleeps on the couch but after few years he won’t fit.

He decided to take the risk and be on his own specially that his clients’ list is thriving after the five years of good hard work, he will need to renew some equipment and hire a female nurse, for the convenience regarding female clients, in addition to the rent of the clinic. Hopefully after the war and after going back to his home, things will be better for them on the long run.

Milad Khshefi and his mother suffered immensely from war ramifications. 

In 2012, the 38 years-old single man and his 71 years -old mother had to flee from their home in AL-Ghassanieh when armed groups entered the village, only with the clothes they had on, they couldn’t take anything with them, they didn’t have anywhere to go except Milad’s rented house in AL-Midan in Aleppo city, where he used to stay while working in the packaging workshop. They came to Aleppo, but one of his brothers refuged to Germany while the other stayed behind to protect their house in AL-Ghassanieh and prevent the armed groups from taking it, not knowing that it would be the last time they get to see each other.

Shortly after, in 2013 the tragedy hit, Milad’s Brother was kidnapped by the armed groups and a ransom was demanded in exchange of his life, the family did their best to gather the money but that exchange never happened, the kidnappers took the money without giving any proof that he is alive... years went by and till this day they don’t know what happened to him.

Here in Aleppo, Milad is taking care of his heartbroken mother, he is working with his relatives in a packaging workshop but his salary isn’t enough to cover their monthly rent, medicines for his mother, and their daily living. His mother’s retirement salary helps a little but it is very low.

It’s time for Milad to work independently and open his own packaging workshop and get the needed equipment, since he has the experience needed to do the handwork (he works in the same field since 2004), and the acquaintances to ensure reasonable workflow to start a stable and sustainable business.

For sixteen years, Vazken used to wake up every morning, get ready and start touring in the streets of Aleppo city picking up the students of “Guiligian” secondary school. 

This daily routine changed in 2016 when he reached the age of retirement, Vazken became unemployed, depending only on his pension salary and the aids that he gets from the church, as a source of income for his family; he lives with his wife Eva, and their daughter Tamar (27 years-old), while his other daughter is married and living in Armenia now. 

The war and the economic crisis have put lots of burdens on Vazken, since the daily living costs have become more and more expensive, and he is the only provider for his family which makes him also financially responsible of his 87 years old mother, who recently had some health complications making things even harder for him.

Vazken had his fair share of repairs to do, in order to recover from the damages caused by the falling missiles in the area of their building in Suleymanieh. He mentions how one day while he was returning home after work, he noticed a big fuss in the neighborhood; ambulances and police cars were on the street because a bomb shell had hit his building and he was terrified about the safety of his wife and granddaughter; who were at home by the time, thankfully they were physically uninjured and the damages were only materials.

To overcome these difficulties, Vazken wants to have his own taxi and go back to the job which he has the longest years of experience in, he is planning to deal with some clients on daily basis; like giving rides to students back and forth to their schools or employees to their work places, that way he can improve the family’s living and repair what has been damaged in the house by the vicious war.

After his graduation from electrical institute in 2002, Bashar Boulos who’s 31 years old today, started building his career on his own, until he could upgrade his business and rent a shop in 2010. Not much time passed before difficulties found their way to him, soon after the war started in 2013, the industrial factories shut down and since he was specialized in Industrial machinery, he had to switch his job to something more profitable. Thereafter, He worked on a taxi for 7 months, but the shortage of fuel and the high cost of this substance made the earnings barely enough to cover the costs, so he started searching for something else. 

This time he traveled to Lebanon, got a job as a Maintenance manager in a hotel, and worked there for the following two years. In 2015 tragedy struck again, Bashar heard the devastating news of the death of his father, his widowed 68-year-old mother was left alone and he had to come back to Aleppo to take care of her. New hopes are starting to blossom in Bashar’s life, he is engaged now and planning for his wedding in September, and not just only on a personal level but also because the closed factories are re-opening once again even if it is in a slow pace, and customers are coming back to him to repair their machinery parts. That helps a lot but it’s not enough to start a new family while taking care of his mother since his father’s retirement salary is her only modest income.

Bashar applied for an electrical maintenance equipment, which is his field of experience, so he wishes to get back to this job and that would give him the boost he needs to create a better living, and become financially more stable for the new chapter of his life.

The 31-year-old Elias Khawam had it all... with his wife Odet, and their seven-year-old son George, together they make a beautiful small family living relatively a comfortable life. Elias shares business with his father since 1998, in the domain of selling and fixing car parts. But in 2013 everything was about to change, the armed conflict got heavier and closer in Aleppo city, until one day the inhabitants of Sheikh Maksoud area were forcefully dislodged from their homes. Elias wasn’t an exception; he lost his house and two cars. The displaced family refuged to Elias’s Father house in Sulaymaniah, and stayed there for the next 5 years. 2018 brought positive changes, the situation got slightly better in the city, the access to Sheikh Maksoud became possible again. Elias went to see his house there; it was mostly destroyed and stolen. He had to spend approximately 5,500$ to make it habitable again. The high costs of renovation have put heavy financial burdens on Elias, to overcome these difficulties, he needs to invest in more goods, to thrive more and more in business so the family can compensate their losses and improve their future.

In his early thirties, Yacoub Baddosh shares his story with us and his future plans, this young man who lives with his parents had originally studied in the institute of tourism in Aleppo university, and worked in lots of hotels after finishing school. He was making his way in that domain steadily and everything was going smoothly for him until the war started. 

The impact of war in Syria reflected greatly on the tourism industry, the losses were massive, Yacoub found himself out of work and had to find a new job. After a while he started working for the ‘MJO’ in one of their warehouses for the morning shift and in the afternoon, he helped a friend in his espresso coffee shop.

Yacoub and his family are very thankful that throughout the war, they didn’t have any major losses. However, living in a neighborhood like Telefon-Hawaee, where they are an easy target for bomb attacks wasn’t easy at all, neither was the deteriorating economic circumstances; Yacoub’s father retirement salary plus his simple salary combined are barely enough to survive the daily needs. 

Today, Yacoub is planning to open a small shop of his own, in his busy neighborhood to sell espresso coffee and some cold beverages, since he has done this job for many years in his friend’s shop and gained some experience in managing such projects. The income will give him the first push towards improving his financial situation.

Michel Shahoud is married to Jannette Gharam, they have one daughter; Sara who is still studying at college. In 2010, his wife got sick with scleroderma and as a result, she frequently loses her balance and she can’t move on her own so she needs constant care from her husband, which makes it difficult for him to leave her alone and go to his work while his daughter is in college. During war, part of their house in Al-Jabryeh was damaged greatly by the shells that were falling near them. Michel worked as a Centralist in the Touristic Hotel from 2002-2011, and also as a receptionist from 2005-2011 in Al-Faisal hotel, but he had to leave both jobs as these hotels closed in the war, he now works with his friend in a real estate office, but this job is not stable at all and the salary is very low. He applied to get a Taxi so he can improve the income for his family and he can control his work hours in a way that he can help his wife in any time she needs him, in addition to the fact that he has a good experience in driving.

My name is George Shakar, my wife is Mishleen Haskour, we have 4 children; Larissa with 18 years old and Pamela with 15 years old, the third is a girl her name is Jennifer and she is 10 years old and a boy his name is Tony. I have worked in my father’s shop for children’s wear in Telal area in Aleppo since I was a child, but unfortunately in 2012, we were forced to close our shop because the situation there was very dangerous, our house also was damaged by an explosion and a missile in 2015. My passion in life is playing basketball, I coached for many clubs in Aleppo during my career for example (Yarmouk, Al-Jalaa...) I had the opportunity to be a coach for the Syrian National Team, but the real problem is that the salary of being a coach here in Syria is very low and not nearly enough for a family to live by. I love being a coach but it doesn’t provide a good income, and also I am getting older, so I decided to reopen my father shop and work in the same field (children’s wear) but I can’t afford to buy the goods because a new startup needs a lot of money especially that our city is going through an economic crisis. I applied for reopening the shop, and purchasing the clothes to fill it up and start working again. I will never quit from coaching, but I need to think about my 4 children and providing them with a good income.

My name is Skandar Homsi, I am married to Carolina Akawi and we have a 26 years old boy named Moheeb. I used to work in a car furnishing workshop since 1986 in Al Midan area in Aleppo city, which is known to be one of the most important areas for the industrial business. During the war the workshop was damaged heavily by a mortar bomb, and we had to close it for the rest of the war years. In that period, I was moving between jobs trying to find something suitable for me, none of them were in the field of my original work, my son works as an employee in a spare parts shop but the income is not nearly enough for the whole family. I applied at the Hope Center hoping to get back to my main business and reopen the workshop with the needed equipment, it is the job that I know best and the way to achieve stability in my life.

My name is Saeed, I am 26 years old and I live with my mother Antwanette, who is 56 years old. My mother is unemployed, and after the passing of my father 3 years ago, I became the sole provider. I work in design, first on the computer and later, printing these designs on clothes. I am working for someone in this business but my salary is low and that makes it hard for me to provide a good life. I have been working in this field for more than 10 years now, and I have very good experience in it, I also have my own customers who can give me a lot of work to do. I am a young man trying to build my future, what I need to establish a great business is the rent of the workshop, a computer to work on, and the printer that I use to print on clothes. This project will make me think about the idea of starting a family by being an independent man who can provide a decent life for my mother and my future family.

My name is Nour Nassour, I am a mother of 2 children; Laith and Julee. Laith is 11 and Julee is 10, both are school students. We live together in my parents’ house with my brother, sister, father and mother because I am divorced from their father. My mother Nelly doesn’t work, she is 54 years old. My father Antwan is 59 years old; he works in a small shop for sandwiches and I work with him and help as much as I can. My brother George is 38 years old; he works in tailoring. My sister Maria has a condition in her legs and a mental disability, which prevents her from moving by herself and she needs a constant care. my brother helps with the income of the house, but our income is mainly from the shop that I work in with my father, but he is too old now to manage everything on his own. We have been renting this shop for 3 years now in Sulaymaniah, but the owner of the shop always asks for extra payment on the rent cost which makes us unable to improve our situation, we barely manage to get an income that covers the basic needs of our daily life. The area of our shop is very populated, and we became well known, as we have been here for almost 3 years. A lot of customers ask for fried potatoes, but we are unable to buy one as it is expensive, and we barely afford the expenses of each month. Having a frying machine will get us more customers, and as a result our income will increase and hopefully be sufficient for our family and will give me the ability to provide my children with their needs and pay for the registration of their school so they can continue their studying.

My name is Tamer Stephan, I am 35 years old, married to Jemma Haboub. We have two beautiful children; Naya, she is 7 years old, and Edmon, he is 6 years old. I have worked as a barber in Sulaymanie area, in Aleppo since 2005. During my work between 2005 and 2017, I faced many difficulties because this work was not stable, and when the war started in 2012 the situation was so bad because the city was economically paralyzed and a lot of people left the city to save their life. after all I decided to quit this job and in 2017, I started working in Jesuits Refugee Service “kitchen project”, but unfortunately it did not last for long because the project ended just one year later. I’m currently working as a carpenter in Sulaymania as an employee in a workshop, to cover my family needs; carpentry is not my main job but I am working in it just to provide for my family after losing my last job. I applied for a taxi, I chose this because it will increase my income, and because I don’t have enough experience to continue in the carpentry field, my hope from this project is to secure a better life for my family.

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.