Life wasn’t kind to Krikor, this 26 young man, who suffered for about ten years facing the armed groups in different regions in Syria, which left scars on his body and soul. When a random shell crossed his back and caused him a harmful injury that still accompanies him to the moment.

Such as most guys his age, Krikor had to leave his career, his beloved family, and the girl he loves to serve in the military. And when he finished his service, he had to build his future all over from scratch.

Due to the challenging conditions and the high life pressures, Krikor started working two different jobs in the domain of carpentry which he mastered, especially after he got married and had his first kid “Sevag”.

Krikor specialized in carpentry since he was a teenager, he loved this career and got distinguished in it, but working all day long drained him of energy, with a very small income in return which is not even enough for the basics of livelihood.

Once he heard about the Hope Center, it didn’t take him a long time of thinking to come and apply for the necessary equipment he needs to start his own micro carpentry project. 

Now with this support, Krikor is able to spend more time with his family, in addition, increase his income with less physical exhaustion.

Music is a part of everyone's life.

“Growing up with a musical background, it was in my genes that I would be a musician. Playing music helped me become the person I am by being a release for my anger, and helped me make new friends.” This is how Riad described his relationship with music.

Riad’s family is filled with musicians and singers; he played while his brother sang with him before the war, making events together in addition to having their own band. When the war broke out, they fled their home but couldn't take the keyboard and other equipment, because they had left their house immediately and then returned after 6 years.

Due to the extremely high cost of the equipment that he needed, Riad couldn't afford to purchase them. He lost his job, and the events that he used to play in were all canceled which meant that Riad needed any work to face the difficult life circumstances.

With the help of the Micro Projects, Riad was able to purchase the keyboard and play again at events and will have more opportunities to work with his brother to increase their income.

Issues such as theft, crime, and immigration impact many people in their daily lives and push them to make life-changing decisions. When the armed groups kidnapped Jack's father, he paid the ransom and decided to flee to Latakia as it was safer at the time.

Jack followed in his father’s footsteps and worked in pastries and pies when they fled to latakia back in 2012, then after returning to Aleppo, they took his grandpa’s shop and worked together.

Due to the difficult economic conditions and the harsh war, Jack decided to have an independent place because the income was no longer enough for two families; especially after getting married and preparing to be a father after a few months.

By benefiting from his father’s experience and his work in Lattakia for 7 years, baking has always been Jack's passion, and now he wants to pursue his dream of being able to open his own bakery.

Since his project was accepted, Jack was able to open his own bakery place for pies and pastries and he became an independent business owner.

“After your bereavement leave is over, you still feel incapable to go back to work while you're still dealing with your father's death,” Gabi said.

The reason for his death was the impact of the carpentry career on his health, so Gabi decided to leave this profession.

Gabi,45 years old, is trying to find another job. He opened a sewing workshop and worked for more than twenty years. By that time, they had to sell the workshop after the death of his parents. Life was difficult for him, especially since he didn’t have a child, but he was thankful that throughout the war, they didn’t have any major losses.

In search of independence, especially after working in his brother's workshop, Gabi wasn’t satisfied with his work being an employee there. 

Gabi opened a mini supermarket in 2021 with his wife and it would be a good option to get a better income and sell some cold beverages. Having an espresso machine would increase his income and bring new customers to their shop.

Tony, a father of 3 children had to leave his house in Al-Sheik Maksoud when the fighting reached the area in 2013, leaving behind a life full of memories, settling down with his father and brother hoping to return home one day.

When he was young, Tony worked as a private driver between Syria and Lebanon for more than 15 years, in 2010 when he returned to Aleppo, he had to sell all the jewelry he had and he took a loan from the bank to buy a pickup truck to work in furniture moving with galleries.

When the war reached the city of Aleppo and it was completely besieged, there was no longer any source of fuel, so he had to sell the car and change his profession from driving a truck to recycling and selling glassware.

During the water shortage in Aleppo, he worked with the church in distributing water from a mobile water tank fixed on a pickup truck delivering the source of life to the elderly and the most in need for two years.

As a result of his tiring work for a long time, he suffered from severe aches in his back and neck, in addition to a lump in the stomach. He became unable to work in this tiring field again, "I know that working on the pickup truck is very profitable, but I can’t do it anymore because of my health condition, so I want to work in a taxi because it is suitable for me".

Today, after financing Tony with the taxi, he is very happy and ready to continue his journey to secure a better future for his lovely family.

It has been more than 9 years since Esper lost his private taxi. It was his main source of livelihood, and because the shells fell near his house, he had to sell it at a low price to live with the money due to the high cost of living and renting a new house after leaving his own due to the war.

The entire house was stolen, and he no longer owns anything but a mini pick-up truck, which has recently become his last source of livelihood.

Switching houses more than 7 times during the war was one of the hardest things he faced with his family and his sick brother-in-law.

Due to the many repairs that were made to the pickup truck it became worn out, Esper himself has been suffering from beaks for some time and this is affecting his health, he could no longer stay in this job, so he decided to sell it and apply to the Hope Center.

His experience is great in the field of driving, as he has been working with a taxi office for a long time and has old and new clients, and he will also teach driving cars as an additional income.

It is not about a car, but about a second chance in life for a family who has gone through so much suffering. He applied for this project so he could be able to improve his current situation.

Not having a mother while growing up can be a painful experience that Abdo faced when he was still too young.

“My mum left us when we were kids so my dad had to work and take care of us at the same time,” he said.

Abdo lives with his father and his younger sister, who is still studying. He learned a profession during his childhood rather than continuing his studies. He started it in 2014 after leaving his studies to support his father.

Starting a shoe-making business requires experience. To be successful, you need hard work, determination, and the desire to achieve greatness! Abdo decided to work and gained experience through his uncle's partner by practicing it in their shoe workshop in 2014.

After the shoe workshop closed in 2019, he began working as a seller in a shoe store. Nevertheless, selling was a good experience for interacting with people and meeting new customers in addition to gaining experience in selling too.

During the war, the family's house was damaged and needed repair, so they had to live in their grandmother's house.

Through the Hope Center. Abdo was able to buy the necessary machines and equipment in his rented workshop and this project will allow him to have his own shoe workshop and to be an independent person, as well as to have the ability to repair his beloved home.

Rimon is a 28 years old youth who wants to challenge the difficulties and prove himself in such a hard life, when he was just a kid, he used to go to his father’s shop who works in Conditioning Maintenance to help him, and year after year he loved this career.

He worked with his father for 6 years, in 2016 he decided to be independent and build his own reputation to continue the family occupation, he started to work in small maintenance tasks at the beginning and after a while, he became professional and made a good connection with many local organizations and NGOs, he made a long-term contract with Syrian Red Crescent to be the exclusive contractor in the conditioning maintenance benefiting from the experience of his father and his equipment.

During the war, their home was damaged due to a mortar shell explosion in the next building, and it was a turning point in his life because his father closed his shop and decided to travel to Latakia city to work there, therefore the father sold his shop leaving Rimon in a huge conflict between starting over in a new city or continue in Aleppo, especially he was engaged and about to get married.

But he didn’t surrender, he borrowed some essential equipment from his friends and worked with them.

"I started my career life as a self-made person, but unfortunately in these difficult circumstances, I need support in order to continue facing the difficult changes"

Today and thanks to the donor, Rimon was able to buy all the equipment he needs to continue in his career.

Losing your husband suddenly is shattering, life-altering, and indescribably painful.
After the sudden death of Rania's husband in 2013, her life changed, becoming the sole provider for her children.

Rania turned home sewing that she had learned in 1990 from her aunt into a profession in order to secure an income for her family, especially since her children were too young to work. Through her skill, she was able to prove herself and take responsibility with the help of her small sewing machine at home.

After that, Rania decided, in addition to the requests she receives from her clients, to join a sewing center and worked there for 3 years. She wasn’t limited to working at home but wanted to work in sewing workshops to gain more experience. She also wished to teach her daughter to sew, so she can join her to improve their returns.

Rania didn't expect one day that her talent for sewing would turn into a basic profession and the source of livelihood for her family. 

She wants to open her own workshop at home, her son works as a women's hairdresser, and through the Micro-project, she will be able to provide a good income for her beloved children.

Garo is 40 years old, father of one child, and expecting a second son, he used to work in his uncle's shop back in 1998 selling and repairing glasses, and he became an expert in the optics field.

During the war, the shop located in Al-Jabriyeh area was damaged a lot; in 2014 a shell exploded in front of the shop and hugely sabotaged the ceiling, smashed the windows, damaged the glasses, and destroyed the most important device for his work "the Focometer".

Garo decided to travel and leave the country, therefore he sold everything he had then and borrowed some money from his friends, and traveled to Armenia to settle there, unfortunately, he couldn’t adapt away from his country for more than one year especially since he had many new responsibilities.

He didn’t surrender, and he started immediately after he returned to rehabilitate his uncle's shop and reopened it. He repaired the shop and bought a used old manual Focometer to work again, after two years he was able to pay all his debts and start over.

Today, with the donor's help, Garo can improve his work through the new devices and his income will increase, in addition to strengthening his shop and saving time and money on maintenance.

“I've been dreaming of my own business for years, and in the past few years I've come up with an idea for a sewing project. I am finally ready to start renting a workshop and buying the necessary machinery and equipment” Fadi said.

Fadi's life was not stable at all. He was always looking for a suitable job for him; he moved around several regions, gaining experience in each place he worked in. 

Fadi is from Al-Hasakah, but because of the hard conditions there, he decided to live in Aleppo. His main occupation is sewing, and he had been working intermittently due to its poor returns. The best experience he gained was when he went to Lebanon and worked there for more than 15 years, in addition to his work in Al-Hasakah for 8 years, which helped him make a decision and open his own workshop.

The loss of his job during the war period prompted him to do anything to secure income for his family, and, therefore, he became an assistant driver for a bus. After his family left him, he decided to marry again, and now he has a one-year-old daughter.

Fadi wants a stable source of livelihood because he recently moved to Aleppo. this support will be an opportunity to achieve the dream that he has always looked forward to. 

“You never know until it happens to you”.

"Being a victim of theft is a tricky thing to handle. I have been a victim, and I feel empathetic for others who have fallen victim." This is how Ayman described his feelings, after all that happened to him.

Ayman’s workshop was fully equipped with all the necessary tools and, suddenly, he lost everything in addition to some money. He is the father of two young men. One of them is in the military. Starting this career in 1977, promoted him to gain lots of experience. 

He is well known for his career. He opened his own business in 2010 in his aluminum workshop. 
In search of safety, the family had to live in the workshop for one year because of the war and then rented a house for more than 5 years.

Ayman felt lost, and he had to figure out how he would get through, When he heard about the Hope center, he applied for it because it was his only hope after losing all his equipment, and obtaining a new one would save his career.

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.