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 war reached Aleppo city. Razzouk family used to live in their rented house in Al-Midan, it is actually where Eiad was injured with a shrapnel from a mortar shell attack. In 2014, the area was heavily targeted, leaving people seeking safety in the buildings’ shelters, for several days the situation was unbearable, eventually when things were seemingly calmer. Eiad got out and went to his house, it was then when suddenly an explosion occurred and his arm was injured. After that, the family moved between many places and finally into Eiad’s brother-in-law’s apartment.               

The majority of the restaurants Eiad used to work in have been closed, or those in the old city were even destroyed. Eiad managed to find an office job in the blood bank where his wife Nisreen works. However, their modest salaries are not enough for the family’s livelihood. Eiad then thought how good and stable the income from working on a taxi could provide, remembering his own experience when back in 2003 to 2007 he worked as a driver. 

That’s why he wants a taxi with the help of the micro projects, it will allow him to increase his income majorly and improve the family’s way of life. 

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 also worked in distributing water with GOPA and the Maronite church project from 2016-2017. My wife works as a nurse in a doctor clinic. This year the Salesian took my daughter for treatment in Moscow because when she was 5 years old an accident led to the damage of her retina and the nerves of her eye, and she has been suffering since then. our house was damaged throughout the war and “we build, and we continue” charity helped us to repair most damages, the church helps us with cash aid that we really need. One year ago, I rented a carpentry shop from my friend, that I am working in right now, but I need some new machines that will be much more helpful for my job because they will afford time and effort and my work will be more professional , in addition I will be able to receive more work, because with the machines I have now I can’t complete the whole work but I try to do them manual, I really need this project to have good income that will provide my family with the needs.

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 years of war, he didn’t give up, he worked for a while on a pickup truck specialized to deliver water to houses when the water supplies were cut off of Aleppo city. Then based on his expertise in cars and car mechanics, he worked in repairing generators’ electricity since they have the similar operating systems as car motors, for the last four years he has been working as a driver for the Maronite Archdiocese. Although they survived the war with minimal losses, but the fear and psychological suffering were no less painful, the family’s house is located in a dangerous zone of Telefon-Hawaee area, where bombs were falling all around them. Being unemployed for a long time, had a huge impact on the family both financially and psychologically, specially on Zuhair’s wife Caroline. Today he hopes to be able to practice his job as a taxi driver like the good old days, taking advantage of the many acquaintances he has, that would give him the capability to pay his bills and provide for his family’s every need.

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 of the conflict, after being displaced from their home in Sheikh Maksoud, they lost everything. After they were left homeless, the villa owner offered them to stay in a part of it while he and his family are out of the country. Despite that the guarding job gave them a place to stay, but Fadi’s salary was so modest that it wasn’t enough for the daily livelihood. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the location of the villa is still very dangerous, which makes it impossible for him to leave his wife and daughter there alone all day, in such unsafe circumstances. That’s why moving out of the villa has become inevitable. In 2017, Fadi escaped death by a miracle, a missile fell very near to him and he was so lucky that he survived with a severe leg injury; it was so bad that they barely were able to save it from being amputated. He desperately needs to move out from Al-Hamdania area after all the traumatic events he has been through, to a safer environment, but the rents are very high nowadays. Having a decent income is a necessity for the family to move forward, that’s why having a mini-pickup truck to work on to rent a home and save his family from constant danger.

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 Rami to open his shop in the dangerous conditions until in 2016 a missile hit his shop and it was severely damaged leaving rami unable to renovate because of the high costs, but despite of this hardship he continued working after basic repairments and few goods to work with. Myriam also contributes in the house income, as she teaches in Al-Amal school, but even together their income is not sufficient for the needs of their growing family during these hard-economic situations. With the arrival of the newborn baby, the family’s expenses will increase that’s why Rami need to find a solution to upgrade his income. Today he is thinking about Investing more in importing the electrical spare parts he used to sell for a living by bigger amounts, so he can get better deals from suppliers and compete in prices with the local market

Since he was young, Nader tried all the fields of construction work but the main profession that he loved and mastered was renovating old houses, in addition to his special skills in decorating and stone carving. 

In 2011, he had to leave his house in Homs due to the vicious war and moved to "Mashta Al Hilu" town where he continued working with other craftsmen despite all the difficulties, 2014 was the year when he managed to return home; unfortunately, his house was damaged and he didn’t find most of his equipment, which forced him to work for others. 

Nader lost his chance of working independently after losing his equipment and being the sole provider for his wife and their two lovely daughters, he was in real need to improve his work conditions and income, especially since he has all the required experience to achieve complicated work. 

With more than 20 years of hard work, Nader deserves all the support to go forward and develop his work.

When things got tougher, Mounzer, who is the only provider for his wife and their three children, had to find additional sources of income to guarantee that all of their needs would be met and that his kids would have a proper education.

The hardworking man works as a government employee besides working in the field of floor grinding and polishing, which has been his main occupation since 1991. 

Before the disastrous war began and had a negative impact on everything, Mounzer's work was thriving and everything was going well. He lost all of his equipment in 2013, and in order to support his family, he worked as a wall painter until he was able to save up enough money to purchase a new grinding and polishing machine, which allowed him to restart his business. 

Yet, the majority of the craftsmen who largely rely on the availability of electricity have found it to be a tremendous challenge. 

Equipping Mounzer with an electric generator will improve his income and alleviate the financial burdens of renting one, resulting in a better  livelihood conditions for him and his lovely family.

Sami has been working in the construction field for 25 years and this is his source to provide for his wife and their three children. His older son Jalal went for his mandatory military service, his daughter Jackie repairs dresses to cover her own expenses, while Elie, the youngest is a school student in the 7th grade.

During the chaotic situation of the war, Sami lost his equipment that was stolen twice and suffered a lot to compensate for a part of his loss. As the provider for a family of five, he thought of increasing his income, which became hardly enough for the essential needs and since his main work is building concrete blocks, he wanted to add the service of lifting blocks at the construction site, but securing the requirements for this process, especially the mini-winch was difficult due to the severe inflation, and in order to buy the equipment, Sami would have to borrow money and fall into debts.

The Micro Projects Program was his last hope to develop his work and ensure a decent living. Today, Sami's work opportunities will be doubled after having the needed equipment, and he will be able to guarantee a dignified life for his family. 

Kamel is the head of a big family of five that lives in Homs city, which includes his wife, two boys (Maher and George), and their daughter (Yara). 

He spent 23 years as an employee at Al-Forat Dam before retiring and returning to his family in Homs. Considering the economic crisis and the free time he had, Kamel made the decision to transform the hobby he has in the field of carpentry into a source of income. He began with basic tools at home, and with the help of his three children, he was able to open a modest workshop in 2018.

Maher, his eldest son, took on the role of marketing, while George and Yara joined their skills in painting with their father's artwork to produce beautiful handmade pieces. 

The acute lack of energy and the absence of key crucial machines that Kamel needs to ensure the quality of work were the main problems this hardworking family had to deal with. 

The viability of this workshop will be guaranteed through the efforts of the entire family, who are working hard every day to ensure a successful business.

Elias built a peaceful life in his small village Al-Dwair, without realizing that he would lose it all in a blink of an eye. 

The sole provider for his wife and their three children is a carpenter who opened his first workshop with his brother back in 1985. 

Elias's family lost everything they had and was displaced to the city of Homs, just like all the other families in this village who witnessed the horrors of the war, but, the skilled carpenter didn't let the difficulties get in the way of his work for the sake of the people he loves. 

Every now and then, Elias was able to buy a new machine; however, starting from scratch was not easy in a country that was just coming out of a war, and despite the fact that he worked nonstop, he was unable to afford the missing equipment, particularly the electric generator, that would have increased the productivity of his work.

Elias wants to develop his workshop and guarantee that it is equipped with everything needed to maintain his project successfully.

At the age of 16, Ayman decided to take responsibility and learn a profession; he worked for a hair salon in Al-Arman neighborhood where his family used to live before the war.

Unfortunately, their house was hit by a shell and it was severely damaged, which forced them to move and settle down in Fairouza village. Today, Ayman lives with his parents and only brother, and the two sons are providing for the family after their father had critical health condition that prevented him from working.

The young man worked in Lebanon for one year then when he returned, he continued working at home because he couldn’t afford to open his own salon.

Ayman applied to the Micro Projects Program aspiring to make his first step towards a better future, helping the enthusiastic hairstylist was the beginning of achieving his dream and he is ready to continue by himself depending on his talent and the skills he gained while working in several salons.

Milad's love for his family was his only source of inspiration when things got difficult.

He is a dentist from Homs, lives with his wife Julie, their two sons, Boulos and Nour, and their daughter, Angela, along with his elderly mother. He converted a room in his home into a dental clinic and began offering his services to the residents of the area.

His daughter Angela (24 years old) was born with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, which affected her mental abilities and she requires special care and when his life partner was tragically diagnosed with colon cancer, Milad had to work alone to support the family who relies on him.

The growing responsibilities stopped him from enhancing his work, and all of his income was hardly enough for basic needs and the monthly cost of his wife and daughter's treatment. 

Milad applied to the Micro Projects Program in the hopes that he would be able to renovate the old dental chair that he had been using since 2000. Now that his clinic is fully equipped, he has everything he needs to raise the quality of his work and increase his income. 

Haifaa is a young lady who moved to the city aiming to work and help her family during the hard circumstances. 

She left her parents' house in the village to a rented an apartment she shared with her cousins in Al-Hamidia neighborhood, where she worked in the field of marketing just to cover her own expenses as a beginning.

Haifaa didn't stop at this point; in 2020, she started as a trainee in a nail care center, besides attending a specialized course that enriched her skills and provided her with the necessary experience to work by herself at home using some simple tools she managed to buy. 

In June 2022, she visited us at the center with great enthusiasm and lots of creative ideas for her project and needed support to launch her nail care salon that will improve her profession and ensure a better income. 

Haifaa's ambition of working independently has come true thanks to the Micro Projects Program, and she is now ready to offer her clients the finest service, wishing to maintain a great business as an independent working woman. 

Being his parents' only child taught Rober to take responsibility from a very young age and to be a productive person. His father used to work in Lebanon and when Rober was 12 years old, he moved with his mother to live with him, where he started working at a hair salon and throughout the years, he worked for several salons until he obtained the required skills.

However, when things in Lebanon continued to deteriorate, Rober's family made the decision to leave the country in 2020 and to return back home; the son helped his father and the two of them bought a house in Fairouza village, while the father invested his savings in a micro-bus to provide for the family.

After working at a hair salon for a year and buying a few tools for himself, he started to work at home with the available possibilities. The talented hairstylist built great relationships with local clients around the village, but opening his own salon remained a dream due to the economic crisis in the country, which forced him to go for another line of work as a Latin dance trainer. 

Rober needed this support to make the first steps toward a successful career, especially since he has the experience to be a strong competitor.

Milad is a floor tiler from Homs city, he is the only provider for his wife and their two daughters. He has been in this business since 2002 and gained great experience over the years working between Syria and Lebanon.

Milad and his family used to live in his father's house in Al-Sabeel neighborhood, which they were forced to leave when the vicious war began; the family stayed in a rented apartment in Al-Arman neighborhood, while unfortunately, their old home was destroyed and Milad lost his equipment in a construction site in Al-Dwair village that witnessed the terrors of war.

"I'm borrowing my friends' equipment and sometimes, I have to skip many job offers because I don’t have the needed tools." Milad described his situation, which was a tough experience for the sole breadwinner who had to struggle in order to secure a decent living for his family. 

Now, Milad's life has changed as he can work independently after getting the new equipment and ensure a good income without needing anybody's help, and a new hope was lit in this family's path. 

Hisham works as a floor tiler and has great experience in dealing with thermal bricks with a good recommendation from the company he worked for back in 2001. He is a married man and a father of three, two daughters who are university students and a son who is still in middle school. 

Hisham lost all his equipment during the devastating war as he was living in a dangerous area. However, in order to continue working and providing for his family, he started to borrow equipment from his friends, which was time-consuming. 

A friend told him about the Micro Projects Program; he immediately prepared the required documents and applied for the essential equipment and a generator, which is the most important part of his work. 

Now that Hisham has all he needs, he will not worry about finishing his work on time and he will guarantee a better income for his family. 

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 sister became adults, they stood in the face of their father defending their mother which angered him so he kicked them out of the house. Christine didn’t sit around feeling sorry for herself, on the contrary, she started working as a seamstress assistant and took care of the house expenses and her brother's medicine costs.

In 2009, Christine decided to start a job at a telecommunications company where she could meet people and have a social life until 2019 when she volunteered at the GOPA DERD organization.

During those years she kept working in sewing as a part-time job and managed to continue her education and graduate from the faculty of English literature.

Unfortunately, the health condition of her brother Elias was deteriorating and he needed intensive care that her mother couldn’t handle alone as she was not in a good mental situation and suffering from a lack of concentration due to the severe abuse that she was exposed to during her life with her husband, which forced Christine to miss many work days so she can be with her mom and brother.

Christine realized that she needs a job where she could manage her time and look after her family at the same time. She found her way to the micro-projects initiative and applied for a sewing machines, tools, and equipment that will enable her to have a new start in this field hoping that this opportunity will help her provide a proper income to look after her family.

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 working at a metal casting workshop and in the afternoon, he continued working as a taxi driver trying his best to pay all his expenses and provide the living demands for his family.

However, the metal casting profession affected his health as he was exposed to lung poisoning due to inhaling poisoned gases. After his treatment, his doctor recommended that he doesn't go back to the same job because his lungs were damaged, and continuing in the same work might lead to serious outcomes.

But working as a taxi driver wasn’t enough to meet the livelihood costs because he had to give half of his income to the taxi owner, which forced him to sacrifice his health and face the dangers of keep working in the metal workshop for the sake of his family.

Elie was seeking any chance to improve his situation so he applied for the Micro-projects program for a taxi hoping that his life would change for the better.

Today after being funded to buy a taxi, Elie is delighted to have a project of his own. At the same time, he can work harder and improve his living conditions to provide his family and kids with a decent life.

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 full of hope, got married to Suzan Altheib, and had adorable two kids who compensated him for the bitterness of wartime. During that period, he started to work as a taxi driver but he encountered critical conditions due to the corona virus and the restrictions that were followed by a huge increase in prices.

Unfortunately, no matter how long he worked, he kept suffering from the insufficient income and he became unable to handle the living expenses and his kids’ demands, especially since the taxi owner started to increase the rent which prevented him from having any additional savings.

However, even though all his relatives and friends were encouraging him to travel abroad, deep in his heart Hassan was praying to have a chance in his country, close to his parents and among his friends, and that’s what he got as he was funded with the taxi project that turned his life around as he has now a taxi of his own, and independence to have a better and sustainable income to improve his living conditions.

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 marry and move with her husband to Homs.

Unfortunately, his stepfather was very cruel to him, while his mother was too weak to protect him so Adeeb moved back to his relatives' house and never saw his mother for the next eight years. Adeeb has suffered a lot from deprivation as his relatives were also living in extreme poverty; he was forced to leave school in the sixth grade and worked in cleaning bathrooms and washing dishes, or any other job he could find.

In 2017, Adeeb worked with his friend in a mobile maintenance workshop, where he found his interest, as he liked the profession and learned it quickly until he became well-known in his neighborhood for being a skilled maintenance worker. However, his friend wanted to travel, so Adeeb decided to borrow some money and buy the equipment from him to continue in the workshop alone which gave him the opportunity he was looking for to be independent and start his own project.

Adeeb was working in his shop seeking to improve his living conditions to get married, but no matter how hard he worked, that little dream kept becoming farther because the living circumstances were very tough, and with his modest workshop and old tools, he was unable to save money or improve his conditions.

With the help of micro-projects, Adeeb was supported with new tools and proper amounts of goods to enhance his work and income, hoping that after all those tough days, life will smile on him and he will be able to improve his situation and establish his own family.

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 since Johnny's older brother George suffers from a mental disability since birth that stopped his growth.

However, Johnny never hesitated to be responsible for his brother or his parents; so he learned the plumbing profession from his father and began to work with him at the workshops and at the plumbing store, trying his best to help with the household expenses.

unfortunately, in 2011 a fierce war broke out and stole Johnny from his family, as he was taken for military service to serve in conflict areas, where he used to be absent for many months without being able to communicate with his family, the thing that made them live in great fear and affected their health. After ten bitter years of suffering and life threats, Johnny was finally released in the year 2021.

After he returned, Johnny did not hesitate to work as a plumber, in the evenings he stayed with his father in the store and tried to give his brother the care he missed in his absence.

Johnny was striving to secure the most basic needs of the house, not to mention the monthly medicine costs for his parents, and despite his tight conditions and poor financial situation, his warm smile did not leave his face, and he kept hoping that life would reward him for his endeavors one day.

Indeed, this self-made man deserved the support of the Micro-project Program in Damascus, where his plumbing store was funded with the necessary equipment and materials that will increase his income and improve his living situation, in the hope it will reflect positively on his life and future.

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 loss.

This young lady’s sacrifice had no limits as she took a full-time job to afford her son’s basic demands and at the same time help her in-laws with the house expenses. She also decided to finish her education at the faculty of translation as she is now in her third year continuing her journey in work and study with great passion.

In 2019, Nancy took a Micro project management course at GOPA and won funding for starting a small nuts shop in the neighborhood which will be additional income for her but unfortunately, the start of her project was in parallel with the Corona crisis in the country which led to a huge increase in the prices and the fund she got wasn’t enough for buying 20 percent of the shop’s goods and materials.

Yet, she kept trying with the help of her father to sustain the shop and manage its capital to buy new goods, but that became difficult as time passed because of the hard economic conditions of the last two years.

Although Nancy was struggling to make a balance between her living expenses and raising her son in good conditions, she didn’t lose faith in God who led her to apply at the micro-project office in Damascus and she was supported with the necessary goods and materials that will increase her income and ensure the stable and secured income.

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 military service for eight tough years of his life, he had to face the most difficult conditions until his discharge in 2018. He was then facing a harsher reality as his son was diagnosed with a brain tumor and needed to undergo a surgical operation which cost Fahed all his savings in addition to selling his wife’s gold jewelry.

Fahed was on the edge of a breakdown, but his will was stronger than his conditions, so he decided to defeat all the obstacles and start over. He returned to the physics college to continue his education in the morning, and in the afternoon, he started working as a taxi driver and a physics tutor at the same time, trying his best to secure the living demands and his son’s medications for misfunction in the Hypothyroidism which led to lack of growth.

Sorrowfully, such an effort didn’t improve his situation because half of his income was going straight to the taxi owner and he was looking for a miracle to save him from his hardship.

Now, after applying to the Hope center to have his own Taxi, Fahed is determined to improve his livelihood, finish his university study and provide his family with decent living circumstances.

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 archbishop on the Damascus-Beirut international road which provided him with a decent income during the years of war.

Wadie dedicated his life to the sake of his boys as he provided his son George with all the love and care he needs; he wanted to support his son and prove to him that disability is not an inability, so in 2012 he rented a mini-market near his house and filled it with goods so his son could do something valuable and be socially involved with the people every day.

His other son Elias traveled to Erbil but he couldn’t’ find a proper job and Wadie had to send him money every month to secure his living. Unfortunately, by the end of 2019, the corona epidemic affected the situation all over the world and the travel movement stopped between Syria and Lebanon which left Wadie jobless.

His son Elias was also in a bad financial situation in Erbil and wanted to return to Syria so Wadie had no choice but to sell his car to pay him the military service fees.

Although Wadie started the market to enhance his son's social abilities, now even with its poor amount of goods, it became the only source of income for the whole family. Giving him the chance to renew his goods will help him overcome all the tough days and allow him to improve his family’s situation.

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 wasn't matching his living expenses which made him decide to have additional income, he started his own mini-market shop in 2010 where he used to work in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, after about three years of the war’s outbreak, the violent acts spread all over and as a result, the armed groups robbed and vandalized his shop which cost him many losses.

Yet, Simon didn’t hesitate to borrow some money and buy new goods to keep the work going which annoyed the troublemakers in the area and they reported him to the police station for selling alcoholic drinks illegally. That cost Simon five years of his life in prison until the church intervened to prove his innocence and he was set free in 2019.

After his release, Simon’s health was affected badly as he was suffering from Back disc pains which made him quit his job at the administration and returned to work at his mini-market.

During the last years, Simon’s family survived with the support of the church’s relief aid and the help of their friends and relatives. Simon couldn’t provide his shop with new goods to improve the work and increase his income.

However, despite all the difficulties he has been through, Simon’s smile never disappeared and he kept praying for a better future. Indeed, his hope wasn't disappointed and with the help of the Micro-project program, he was supported with a proper amount of goods that will increase his income and improve his situation.

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 hard for many years in Al-Swaida until he became able to establish his own carpentry workshop in 2009 in the same area. His wife and kids were living in Damascus so Najeh was planning to move his workplace there to be close to them but in 2011, the war started in the country and the deteriorating security situation in the area prevented him from moving. For more than ten years, Najeh was forced to be far from his family working as hard as he could to secure all their living needs and provide his kids with proper education to secure their future.

Indeed, his daughter Ruba is studying now at the Engineering college, his son Mina is in the faculty of Medicine while the other son Fadi has won a scholarship to study flight engineering in Moscow.

Even though Najeh was delighted to see his kids succeed in their studies, he had to work harder to meet the increasing costs of living which were unbearable, especially within the electricity blackouts situation in the area which affected his work directly as his customers started to deal with other workshops which have electric generators and can do the work on time.

Now after being financed with the electric generator and the necessary equipment, this self-made man has the chance to improve his work which will change his situation for the better and secure decent living conditions.  

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 didn’t level up with the high costs of livelihood.

Unfortunately, in 2017, Salwan started to suffer from severe pain in his back and the doctor told him that he has to go through surgery that he couldn’t afford, but “the Good Shepherd Association” covered the surgery’s costs and after the operation, he had to stay for about 18 months in bed rest. During that period, Salwan had to spend all his savings to afford the basic living needs and after his recovery, his brother helped him to start a small shop close to his house where he could be able to support his family without much physical effort.

He worked in the shop with his brother until his traveling in 2020 when Salwan took the responsibility of running the shop by himself and he became very popular in the neighborhood as people got used to buying from him.

However, due to the Corona and the huge increase in prices, Salwan couldn’t support his shop with new goods, and day after day it became empty besides a few materials that were left on the shelves. Salwan was in a bad financial situation and he wasn’t able to make a balance between his income and his family’s living demands. 

“Don’t let life bring you down. Remember that God gives you struggles to test your faith.”

Salwan’s faith was stronger than his struggles, and now after being supported by the micro-project program he is able to support his shop with a good amount of goods and products to improve his income and restore his life balance.

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 accepted the bitter reality and for more than eight years he served in very dangerous zones, went through several hardships, and survived many calamities. Yet, he didn’t let his situation bring him down, on the contrary, he learned the hairstyling profession and while he was serving in Hama, he worked at Marmarita village then when he was transferred to serve in Damascus, he continued his work there and gained good experience by the leading of professional hairstylists in the area.

The day that Tony was looking forward to, had arrived and he was discharged from the military service. He didn’t hesitate and started to work many shifts during the day to improve his financial situation, he wanted to save money to have his own salon, but his family’s situation wasn’t stable and he was sending them money every month to secure their basic living demands.

Tony’s dream of being independent and having his private job was fading away with the increasing costs of living, but he kept on the hard work until he heard about the micro-project program so he came with all hope asking for support.

Now, after being financed with the necessary equipment and the electric generator, Tony has finally reached his goal; having his own salon, and being independent to mprove his living circumstances.