Beneficiary: Zaki Frewa
Fund Date: 07/2021
Age: 36 years old
Family members: 3
Since he was young, Zaki loved working in the field of beauty and hairstyling and worked in many salons around Homs until he became skilled enough, he lives with his retired parents in a rented apartment in Al-Hamidia where he started his first steps in this career.
At the age of eighteen, he had a job opportunity in one of the famous salons in Lebanon, which was a very useful experience, and he learned a lot from it. In 2009, Zaki decided that it was time for him to start his own business, so he went back home and opened a salon in his neighborhood.
He managed to maintain a thriving business drawing on his wide experience and his good makeup skills which attracted more clients to the salon, the thing that made him a strong competitor to the other salons in the area. In 2011, the war started in Syria and destroyed many dreams! All of Zaki’s equipment was stolen, but his determination to continue working prevented him from giving up and he bought new equipment.
Later, Al-Hamidia became very dangerous and it was impossible for Zaki to reach the salon during that time, and unfortunately, he lost his equipment for the second time. His family were no longer able to stay in Homs; they fled to a near village and stayed in a rented apartment for five years while he bought some simple tools and started working between his clients' houses until the city of Homs became safe and the family was finally able to return in 2016.
Starting a new salon from scratch was very difficult in the post-war period, especially that Zaki lost a lot, but he never forgot that dream about opening a salon again, despite all the hardships he went through, he didn’t lose hope and kept chasing his dream till the end. After all these years, Zaki found the stability and independence he needs to focus on doing what he really loves.