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.


716

Aleppo

717

Homs

333

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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Vegetables and Potato Land


Talaat, a hardworking farmer from Qattinah village, faced adversity when thieves stole his irrigation network. This setback left his water pond and well, equipped with a pump, useless, limiting him to planting only wheat on his land. As a husband and father of two university students, he felt the weight of providing for his family. With the stolen irrigation system, he struggled to cultivate a variety of crops to improve their livelihood.

However, with the support of a new irrigation network,...


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Potato and Vegetables Land


Ammar, a devoted husband and father of three from Qattinah village, balances his roles as both a farmer and a modestly paid employee. His land, rich with vegetables, potatoes, and olive trees, sustains his family's livelihood.

However, the costly task of plowing and spraying his fields burdened him. Renting a tractor drained his finances until a turning point arrived with the acquisition of a mini-cultivator. 

This simple tool improved his farming routine, saving him the high expenses. Now, Ammar tends to his farming tasks with ease, knowing he can plow his land whenever necessary without financial strain. 

Vegetables Land


In Qattinah village, With Talal's dual role as an employee and farmer, and Laila's dedication as a teacher, they raised their two children while also caring for Talal's elderly parents, all under one roof.

As Talal approached retirement, his farm became his lifeline. But when the ravages of war stole his spray irrigation system, his livelihood was in danger; with a water well and pump, and a pond, the land was ready, but the loss threatened their sustenance. Each day became a struggle as he resorted to watering his crops with a spade, a laborious task that couldn't match the efficiency of the lost system.

Yet, hope flickered when the Micro Projects Program supported him with the needed irrigation system, offering a stability to his family's life.  

Olive and Vegetables Land


Alaa, a devoted family man from the village of Qattinah, faced the trials of sustaining his family through farming and seasonal fishing. 

He works in his father-in-law's land, entrusted with its care while his father-in-law traveled abroad. In this land there was a partnership between his father-in-law and someone else and this partnership had once thrived, when they equipped the land with essential irrigation tools.

In 2022, Alaa's world shattered as his father-in-law's partner sold their shared assets, leaving him deprived of...


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Wrapping Materials


Hala faced unforeseen challenges when her husband's health forced him to quit his carpentry profession after the couple's life took a tragic turn in 2013 when the car leasing office, where he had invested, was eaten up by flames. The devastating loss led to a heart attack, rendering him incapable of work.

Undeterred, Hala transformed a room in their home into a Wrapping Materials Shop, determined to secure a stable income. As the sole provider and a modest pension on the horizon, Hala's shop ensures a dignified living and financial stability after being through many hardships. 

Wheat and Vegetables Land


In the village of Qattinah, Ghazwan and Sabah, hardworking parents of 2 sons, strive to provide for their family. With modest incomes, Ghazwan, hailing from a lineage of farmers, inherited his father's land. Yet, the lack of a water pump rendered the well useless, and the soaring costs of plowing drained their earnings.

But hope sprouted when assistance arrived. A newfound water pump revitalized their land, ensuring efficient irrigation. Additionally, the mini-cultivator promised enhanced productivity, paving the path for bountiful seasons ahead. With these tools in hand, he can nurture his land, securing a brighter future for his family.

Potatoes, Corn, & Wheat Land


Fadi is married with two children, he cherishes the simplicity of life alongside his aging parents. Enduring a two-year struggle with liver inflammation and diabetes, he found stability, embracing gratitude for his family and health.

Specialized in pastry making, a skill acquired in Lebanon, he operates a modest shop with his wife. He also works in farming with an arable land. He worked hard to enhance productivity year-round. However, lacking a water pump and motor hindered his ambition, limiting cultivation to...


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Olive and Almond Land


Sami, the head of a family of four in Qattinah village, struggled with the financial burden of farming. As both a dedicated employee and a farmer with olive and almond trees, he faced challenges plowing his land and providing essential treatments due to high equipment rental costs. Undeterred, he sought help from the Micro Projects Program.

He secured a mini-cultivator and a spraying pump. This invaluable support not only alleviated the strain of expensive tractor rentals but also empowered him to...


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Wheat and Vegetables Land


Majed, a hard-working farmer in Qattinah village, supports his wife and five children. His agricultural land, cultivated with wheat and vegetables, faced a crucial challenge; the worn-out irrigation system. With two water wells on his property equipped with the needed water pumps, insufficient irrigation network threatened his family's livelihood. 

He applied to the Micro Projects Program, as the sole breadwinner, his land is the family's lifeline. The program's assistance made a transformation in his land, renovating the irrigation system. His fields flourished, securing a bountiful harvest. Now, with improved conditions, Majed ensures a stable future for his family.

Mini-Market


Amany and Khalil, residents of Qattinah village, opened their mini-market back in 2005 in partnership with Khalil's brother, aiming to support their three daughters and son. 

In 2023, the couple had to take the full responsibility of the shop. Unfortunately, this weakened their capital, leading to a scarcity of goods and impacting their income. 

Desperate to save their livelihood, Amany turned to the Micro Projects Program and her application was approved, breathing new life into their mini-market. 

Now, restocked and thriving, the shop stands as their hope of securing a good life for their family. 

Olive, Almond, and Beans Land


In Qattinah village, Elias a farmer and family man, works tirelessly to provide for his wife and three children. 

Between the beans, olive, and almond trees in his precious land, he faced the challenge of soaring agricultural expenses, particularly the escalating costs of plowing that consumed his hard-earned profits. Being the sole provider, he juggled his time between farming and a mini-market job, just to ensure his family a dignified life.

The solution to this problem laid in having a mini-cultivator, an...


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Olive Land


Elias, a husband and father in the village of Qattinah, found himself facing financial strain as he and his wife, Nazha, worked tirelessly to provide for their family. With two sons living in Lebanon, he took on the responsibility of caring for their olive land. The cost of plowing weighed heavily on his shoulders, threatening their main source of livelihood.

Determined to overcome this challenge, Elias turned to the Micro Projects Program for support. Applying for a mini-cultivator proved to be...


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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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