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


650

Aleppo

605

Homs

230

Damascus

Taxi


In a city afflicted with war it is a miracle to survive without any injuries, specially if you live in Al-Midan neighborhood which was a target for the missiles and mortar shells for many years.

Eiad Razzouk is a 48-years-old former chef in some of Aleppo’s most famous restaurants, specialized in Western cuisine. With his wife Nisreen, the couple have 3 Children; Jessica (19 years old), Elias (14 years old) and Pierre (10 years old).

When Pierre was still a toddler, the...


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Carpentry Workshop


I am Nichola Wahbe, a 46 years old man, married to Rima Fattouh. We have one daughter; Jessy, she is 19 years old and one son, Bashir; he is 17 years old, in addition to my mother Bahija who lives with us. I worked in a carpentry shop from 2005-2012 that’s where I learned the craft from the owner of the workshop when the crisis started the owner travelled, after that I worked as an electrician from 2015-2016 on demand, I...


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Taxi


Zouhair Ahmar is a self-made, hardworking father of two Antoine (21 years-old) and Naya (14 years-old). Along with his wife Caroline, they took care of their kids and put together a beautiful home over the years, He used to work as a driver in a well-known cab service company called “Taxi Baghdad”, this job provided a decent living for the family of four. But with the beginning of war, the company closed and he was suddenly jobless. in those hard...


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Mini Pick-up Truck


One of the most affected regions in Aleppo is “Sheikh Maksoud”, the majority of its residents have been displaced, one of them is Fadi Msadi. Fadi is 50 years old, married to Rita Sabee and the father of a 2-year-old daughter Anna Maria. Fadi used to work as a driver from 2000 to 2012, until he found a job as a guard for a family that have a villa in Al-Hamdaniah area. The little family struggled from the early beginnings...


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Electrical Spare Parts


Abd Al-Ahad family are enthusiastically expecting a new member, the most excited is the 3 years old Matia, the daughter of Rami (39 years-old) and Myriam (27 years-old). Every morning since 1998, Rami opens his shop in Al-Moushie neighborhood where he works in ‘fixing and selling electrical tools and equipment’, the business used to be better, but during the war, it became an extremely dangerous zone, the number of customers decreased significantly. For four years it was a daily struggle for...


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Pharmacy


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

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


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Olive Land


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

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


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Organic Fertilizer Production


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

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


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Sewing Machines


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

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


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Nail Care Kit


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

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


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Photography


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

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


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Crafts and Souvenir Shop


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

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


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Sewing Machines


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

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


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Mini-Market


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

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


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Crafts and Souvenir Shop


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

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

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


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Car Repairing Workshop


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

Despite his wealth of expertise, Bahjat...


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Electronic Devices Maintenance


Akram, a retired teacher, found new purpose in his Electronic Devices Maintenance workshop, sustaining his family since 1987.

With a wife and two daughters, his delicate work required uninterrupted power. The Micro Projects program became his beacon of hope. A solar power system revived his workshop during blackouts, providing the precise lighting he needed. 

This transformed his craft, ensuring accuracy and reliability. Akram's dedication to his family's well-being and his pursuit of excellence now shines brighter.

Sewing Workshop


Christine Fanouneh is 39 years old, she lives with her mother and brother in Jaramana, Damascus suburbs.

During her childhood, Christine lived in a very harmful environment as her father used to abuse her mother on daily basis in front of her and her sister, her brother was born with Down’s syndrome in addition to many health problems which made him in a continuous of medication and lots of love, care, and attention that the family was missing.

When Christine and her...


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Taxi


Elie Istanboly, 30 years old, is like many young men of his age who had to spend years of the war facing dangers and horrors during their military service, and in Elie's case, it took nine difficult years of his youth.

Before the war began, Elie worked as a taxi driver and after he was discharged in 2019, he wanted to learn a profession so he could have a career for the future and make up for the previous years.

Elie started...


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Taxi


Hassan Jolan, 33, didn’t have the chance to work or learn any profession after turning into his twenties because he was called for military service. He thought it would be a short period and pass in peace, but he did not know that a fierce war would strike his country to steal nine years from his life in which he had to be far from his family and friends under very difficult circumstances until his discharge in 2019.

He went home...


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Mobile Maintenance


At the age of five, the life of Adeeb Haddad completely changed from a young child living in a safe environment with his parents to a homeless orphan moving from house to house.

His father's death in 2001 put his mother in a state of grieving and shock and also affected Adeeb who lost security and stability. Their financial conditions were very bad as his mother wasn’t working, so they moved to live with their relatives until his mother decided to...


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Plumbing Workshop


Often, we are born to encounter many life obstacles, but the defining point is either giving up or challenging and accepting these obstacles and continuing our lives while we are full of hope and optimism, which was the choice of thirty-two-year-old Johnny Mardini.

Johnny was born into a humble family consisting of a hardworking father who worked day and night for the sake of his family and a loving mother who did everything she could to give love and care, especially...


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Nuts Shop


losing her husband at the age of 26, and being responsible for a newborn baby at the same time is tough for any woman to handle, but Nancy Alshoufi decided to direct her love and care to her baby who will grow up without his father's support.

Her in-laws were also in great shock as they lost their son at a very young age, Nancy decided to keep living with them trying her best to look after them after their huge...


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Taxi


Behind the great amount of sadness and calamities that Fahed has been through in his life, there is a loving, confident heart and a solid will to improve himself and save his family from their tragic situation.

Fahed Farah, 34, is a caring husband and father of two sons; Farah, born in 2017, and Charbel born in 2019. He lives along with his family in a dilapidated flat in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood.

At the beginning of his twenties, Fahed was called to the...


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Detergents and Plastics Store


Wadie Abou Assaleh, a 60-year-old man, is married to Claire and they have two sons George who since his born in 1994 suffers from a mental disability, and Elias born in 1991. 

From 1985 to 2011 Wadie worked as a goldsmith along with his brother at their workshop but after the outbreak of the war, their profession was affected badly. Hence, his brother traveled abroad and Wadie was forced to close the workshop and work as a private driver for an...


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Mini-Market


As long as you keep smiling in the face of your difficulties, life will reward your great hope. 

Simon Tannous is 44 years old, he is married and has two adorable girls, Hala born in 2008, and Lana born in 2013.

Simon and his family live in a small rented flat in Kashkoul and he also works in his mini-market in the same area.

He was an employee as a driver at the construction administration in Damascus since 1996, but his low income...


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Carpentry Workshop


Sometimes the only thing that can keep you fighting, is believing that one day everything is going to be better.

Najeh Ajaiby, 52, has never stopped believing that good things are coming on his way.

he is originally from Egypt and came to Syria in 1997 looking for better work opportunities, so he started to work in his profession as a carpenter in different workshops. Soon after he got married to Samar AL-Abdoun and had three children Ruba, Fadi, and Mina.

Najeh worked...


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Mini-Market


Salwan Alnasr is 43 years old, married to Rita with a 13-year-old son called Jack.

Salwan and his family live in a modest rented flat in Al-Dwalaa, He used to work as a tile setter for more than 13 years. Despite the fact that his work was very hard and affected his health on the long term, he kept working to afford the best life for his family because during the crisis years, no matter how hard he worked, his income...


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Hairdressing Salon


In 2010, Tony left his village and headed to the city of Damascus with hope and determination to make a change in the life of his family. He settled in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood and started to work in any available job and send most of his wages to his mother and brother who suffers from sight disability. 

Unfortunately in the first years of the war the security situation in Damascus deteriorated badly, and soon after, he was asked to serve in Hama.

Tony...


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