Krikor left school in an early age and started learning the family business in his father’s workshop for tires’ installation and maintenance. It was there where he learnt and gained experience for many years until a tragic accident hit his father in 2010 and soon after that passed away due to the side effects. When the father died, Krikor became financially responsible of his mother Mary, sister Talar and his little brother Kevork, but he became without a workshop since his father’s business was shared with other partners. At that point war has started and Krikor’s best option was to go to Lebanon seeking safety and a job opportunity. In 2018, Krikor returned back to Aleppo and now is an employee in a battery selling shop, a job that neither pays him enough nor gives him hope of progress. But Krikor had a hope of his own when he applied for his project as an attempt to go back to his father’s profession and establish his own business for a better future.   

Bassam lived with his wife Naeema and son Abdel Massih in Bustan Al-Basha area, but with the start of war they were forced like all civilians in their neighborhood to evacuate their house leaving everything behind and move to a rented house in a safer region. Bassam’s business in Electrical Maintenance faced a set of challenges too, the lack of electricity and the war impacts led him to lose his job in 2012. He ended up working in a restaurant as a maintenance guy. Unfortunately, his job there ended with a tragic work injury, after he fell from the roof while on duty. Doctors are assuring him that soon he will be able to go back to normal, but by then he will need a job to be able to support his family. reopening a shop for maintenance services will be very beneficial for him to have a good life and study income. 

Since he was 13 years old, Fadi Kremesh chose his profession for life, when he dropped off school and started working in a barber’s shop to master this skill. When you enter the industry in an early age like Fadi did, you start small and gradually learn the tricks until you can be independent and establish a salon of your own.   

Before the war everything was going just as planned, Fadi was saving money to open his own salon and meanwhile he was living with his parents and his siblings Micheline and Michael in the family residence in Telephone Hawaae. The start of the war in Syria and other personal circumstances forced Fadi to stir-up the peaceful and promising life and go to Lebanon on a hurry. However, when he sold his tools and equipment before traveling, he did not lose his passion for his original job, but he took that with him wherever he went. In Lebanon, he managed to find a salon to work in and when he felt stable enough, he sent for his family to join him because their safety was jeopardized under the random shells and missiles falling all over Aleppo city at the time.

With Lebanon’s crisis reappeared last year, Fadi and his family came back to their hometown fully acknowledging the challenges lying ahead of them and at the top is finding a job…

This is when Fadi heard of the Micro Projects Program, he felt that he would be a perfect candidate to apply for this kind of support, specially that he had the experience and the skills, he even has many acquaintances and customers if he opens his salon. The only thing standing between him and his dream is the lack of resources needed to purchase the tools and equipment for his future salon. Helping Fadi will be life-changing for the young barber and an opportunity for a new beginning.   

Rezk Rezk is from a village near Idleb called Al-Jdaideh. It was his hometown and the place where he spent his life in until in 2012, he was forced to flee the town under threats from the armed groups who took control of the village with the start of the war.

The 41 years old Rezk took his wife Julia and children Simon (14 years old), Emily (12 years old) and Michael (11 years old) and went to Latakia after losing their house, farming land and his supermarket. Rezk didn’t leave alone, his parents and in-laws also became displaced due to war. The three families headed to latakia and at the beginning he stayed with his parent in a rented apartment to decrease the costs for a while before renting his own house. The five years were extremely hard on Rezk. He worked in a supermarket, in retail shops and as a driver.

When in 2018, one of Rezk’s cousins decided to open a clothing workshop in Aleppo city, he offered Rezk a driver job in that workshop knowing that he was in need, he took his family and settled back in Aleppo in a rented apartment in Al-Midan neighborhood. Since then, Rezk has been battling the hardships of life alone, since he is the sole provider for his family of five and his modest salary is not enough anymore considering the economic crisis and its implications on everyday life. 

And since driving has been one of the things Rezk worked in before, he applied for the Micro Project Program hoping that he will be able to purchase a taxi car provide a better income for his family. 

Having a taxi of his own will impact Rezk’s life immensely, it will be a glimpse of hope for the family that once lost everything.   

What started nearly six years ago as a passion for photography turned to be a career choice for Hagop, in the toughest years of war. Hagop the father of 11-years-old twins Ani and Lucy, had a hobby of taking photographs. As his love for it grew, he took a course to learn more techniques and improve his skills. Not knowing that shortly after that one of his friends who happened to be a photographer will offer Hagop to buy his studio equipment since he was leaving the country, it was only then when he considered taking this career path. 

His rented shop in AL-Serian street has the advantage of not having any photographers in the same area, but the problem was that Hagop’s cameras are old and outdated, also, they are more on the amateur side. To be able to rise his business quality and reach his utmost potentials, he needs to have a camera with a full-frame range that will allow him to work on many professional projects in the future.      

Nadia, Maria, and their mother Georgette are three strong women struggling together to survive in these difficult times that all Syrians are facing.

The 38-years-old Nadia has always depended on her skills in order to work and provide a living, ever since 1997, she utilized her talents in handwork in manufacturing wax molds for jewelry making, then she entered the beauty domain in 2002, a thing that she loved and had always been passionate about. At first, it started as a hobby for her, but after mastering and enjoying it more and more by time, it became her full-time job and an income source for the family, her sister Maria helped her in the same field.

Nadia never had her own salon, considering the hard-financial situation, she either went to her clients houses or she welcomed them in her own house. Although It was exhausting, but the sisters were managing to make it through day by day until the war happened…

In 2016, just days before the withdrawal of the armed groups from eastern Aleppo, a missile hit Nadia’s building, luckily the damages were minimal, but it was a horrible experience for Nadia and her 72-years-old mother who were in the house. Maria her sister still remembers when Nadia called her on that unfortunate day screaming for help.

The economic crisis during the war had its tall on the family. no matter how much effort they make, it is becoming exhausting to keep up with the increasing costs of the basic livelihood needs of everyday life. Maria took morning shifts in a tailoring workshop, they are both exhausted from the continuous moving between houses, and that is the main reason Nadia wants to open a beauty salon.

It is time for the hardworking sisters to finally settle down in their own place, and the stability that they will have in their salon will reflect on their life and increase the income so they can have a decent life with their mother.

A long time ago Mousa was a goldsmith, he worked abroad in the gulf for many years then he came Back to Syria to live a peaceful and content life with his family after all the hard work, and since he was originally from Al-Yakoubieh village, his income was primarily coming from the lands he has there and from its harvests. Life was going good before the Syrian war interrupted their peace of mind and safety…

Mousa and his wife Nelly with their two daughters; Elena (25 years old) and Carla (20 years old) live in AL-Suleymanieh area. When war started, it changed the life of many people including Mousa’s life. Soon Al-Yakoubieh became under the armed groups control, lands were confiscated, and anyone who thinks about going there or claiming their land was threatened to be killed. This was devastating for Mousa and his family, it was their hometown, their life and their main source of income.

After this incident, Mousa didn’t know anything about his properties there, and after a while he started looking for a job, but his age wouldn’t allow him to work in many fields that require physical effort.

When a friend of his, who owns a mini van offered Mousa to work on the mini van as a transportation vehicle, Mousa agreed. It was exactly what he needed to fill his day schedule and make an income, even if it was not that much. 

With the escalation of the economic crisis Mousa’s job became inefficient; the long hours of driving do not garner enough money to split between the car owner and Mousa, and he found himself in need of any help he can get in order to secure a decent life for his family. When he heard about the Micro Project Program, Mousa applied hoping of owning his own car which will make a huge difference in his life. It will give him the opportunity to work in the domain he has an experience in, and increase his income during this economic crisis that seems to be an ongoing situation for many years now.

Mousa has the faith that someday he will be able to see his home and land in the village that he loves, the hope that this taxi will give him to continue and push forward in his life.     

Since he finished high school, Antoine became responsible of providing for his family, which affected his ability to continue his university education in the faculty of economics. First, he worked in a cinema and with a second job as a tutor, then in 2017 he took an opportunity of working in an import and export company located in Tartous city, but being a tenant there increased his expenses and that didn’t work for him well. That’s why a year later Antoine decided to come back to Aleppo to cut those expenses. Today Antoine works part time with the JRS to provide for his parents since they don’t have any income (his father has poliomyelitis and his ability to work or move is decreasing more with age). 

Having to carry the burden of financially supporting his family from an early age did not discourage him at all, on the contrary it made him work harder and search for business ideas that are convenient for him, since he is a university student. For this particular reason Antoine liked the idea of ice making machines; it is seasonal for one thing, so he can freely work during his summer vacation, it is also profitable and can bring him a good income to live off the whole year. Due to his economic studies and the business course he took with the Blue Maristes, Antoine prepared a thorough feasibility study taking into consideration all the pros and cons of this project, all is left now is to launch his project as Summer has just arrived and the season started!

George Dayekh is a 51-years-old owner of a metal lathing workshop, since this father of two (Gabriel and Naya) was the sole provider for his family, he had a heavy burden to carry on his shoulders. The family lives in Al-Serian, a neighborhood that was considered dangerous in Aleppo city, exposed to all kinds of shell attacks. But George had other challenges besides the lack of safety. Soon after the war started, George discovered a lump in his back, he was worried, further diagnostics were even more worrying. When his back condition started affecting his job, George had no choice but to sell his workshop tools and equipment, and put his workplace in Al-Midan on rent so he can live-off the money and head to Damascus for the treatment process. 

George had to go through a risky tumor eradication procedure to remove the tumor located near the spinal cord. Although the surgery was successful, but it took George many years to regain his strength and health and be able to work again. The problem is that George has sold all his machines and equipment to pay for his surgery and medical costs.

Now in the midst of this economic crisis, he is not able to repurchase even a part of the machinery needed after their prices were tripled. It is why George is seeking help to re-open his workshop, his workshop is empty now, the only thing remaining is to find the financial support to purchase the machinery for the workshop and George can resume his long-postponed career.

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, Talaat's hopes blossomed anew. Now equipped with everything needed for a well-watered farm, he eagerly began planting potatoes and a variety of vegetables without worries. This stability not only transforms his farm but also holds the promise of changing his family's future, ensuring them a dignified life. 

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 the crucial equipment and water access. 

With no recourse, his farming activities were paused, casting shadows over his family's livelihood.

Yet, hope flickered in the form of the Micro Projects Program, where he sought aid to restore his dreams. He applied for a solar power and irrigation systems, envisioning a future where his land flourishes once more.

Amidst the olive trees and vegetable crops, Alaa's resilience bloomed. With the installation of solar panels and an efficient irrigation system, his land came to life. 

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 winter season.

Despite efforts to rent equipment, the high costs hindered the progress. His cultivation during the summer was limited to wheat, due to the water scarcity. 

Hope flickered when Fadi applied for the Micro Projects Program, through the program's intervention, he received vital irrigation equipment, transforming his agricultural prospects. Now, empowered by efficient water management, he became able to secure a dignified life for his loved ones. 

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 tend to his land effectively. 

Now, Sami cultivates his land with ease, saving costs and ensuring a bountiful harvest. The support has not only transformed his struggles into success but has also paved the way for a brighter future, promising his family a more prosperous and secure livelihood.

Khalaf Al-Bshara, 51, is married to Shireen Qabalan and lives in a humble house with his parents in Al-Tabbaleh neighborhood.

Despite being a skilled painter since 2003, life had not been kind to Khalaf.

At the beginning of the crisis, his painting work decreased so he started working on transferring vegetables and fruits between his village in Daraa and Damascus until the security conflicts reached the area and it was no longer safe, but he decided to challenge the situation and keep working until he was exposed to kidnapping by the armed groups, the three days he stayed in abduction shattered his stability so he relocated to Damascus to live with his family at his parents’ house.

With opportunities scarce, Khalaf found himself shuttling between different jobs: painting, construction, and even restaurant cleaning, he opted to do any available work to put food on the table but his situation was getting worse and the weight of responsibility pressed down harder in addition to having financial hardships, all of that led his marriage to collapse, as his wife took his daughter and moved to live at her parents’ house while he had to put his son at an orphanage.

Tears welled in Khalaf's eyes as he spoke of his kids, his dream of reuniting his fractured family stirred a deep resolve within him, making him apply for the pick-up car with one goal ahead, the reunion of his family.

The support that he gained from Hope Center isn't just about financial assistance; it symbolizes the promise of reunification, healing fractured bonds, and restoring Khalaf's family. 

Samaan Ashkar, a blacksmith whose life tells the tale of resilience against all odds.

From his humble beginnings in Kashkoul, Samaan started working as a blacksmith where he faced numerous challenges, including financial constraints and the loss of his beloved family members, but Samaan's spirit remained unbroken.

In 2003, he decided to relocate to Dubai and try his luck there, he worked in various capacities and experienced both triumphs and tribulations. However, with all the setbacks and financial strains that he went through in Dubai, Samaan managed to preserve, handle his livelihood, and save for his future, then after several years of working hard, Samaan decided eventually to return to Syria and start a new chapter of his life. 

Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he had to endure the loss of his mother, brother, and sister, which left him heartbroken and in poor financial condition as he bore the burden of their medical expenses and funeral costs from his previous work savings. 

With the limited tools and resources, he had, Samaan was not able to start his own business; he had to work at other blacksmithing workshops to get income and afford his living expenses.

Samaan longed to become independent and have his own blacksmithing workshop, which was achieved after getting support from Hope Center to buy electricity generators and necessary equipment and machines.

Today, Samaan is so grateful because having this project marked a pivotal moment in his journey, enabling him to overcome his adversities, and lightening his path toward self-sufficiency and decent living.

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.

Hanna Al-Ajoury 31, resides with his parents and brother Jack, their father, who was employed at the Gas station for 13 years but is currently without work. His brother works as an employee while their other brother, Marhaf, has relocated to Germany.

Before the war, he had worked at his cousin's beverage shop in Zabadani for two years until 2011 when he was called for military service for the next nine years. however, during his military service, he also worked alongside his father at the gas station, to secure his expenses and save some money for the future.

After his discharge from the service, Hanna embarked on a new journey in his life, as he started working as a taxi driver, with the money he saved from his previous work,  got engaged seeking to establish his own family but he was shocked by the huge burdens of living and his endeavors started to vanish.

Seeking assistance from Hope Center in Damascus, Hanna was granted support to purchase a taxi, which significantly improved his life. The newfound independence and stability brought by this taxi helped Hanna support his family and nurture his dreams.

Despite the challenges he faced, Hanna's story exemplifies the human spirit's ability to rise above adversity and create a better reality, one step at a time.

Anastasia Haddad born in 1998, was working diligently as a makeup artist and nail technician, living with her sister Taj in a rented flat in Jaramana after the divorce of her parents as they found solace in each other's company, forming a bond of strength amidst adversity.

Anastasia and Taj's childhood was marked by tumultuous family complications leaving scars that only time could heal. Yet, their determination to carve a brighter future fueled their aspirations and their talents blossomed despite all the challenges they faced.

Anastasia managed to overcome the obstacles by working long hours daily at a Salon in the neighborhood, but the income didn't cover the living expenses and she wanted to expand her work and customers which wasn’t possible with the tools she had, so she decided to apply at the Micro Project program to start her own project.

Supporting Anastasia with a make-up kit including all the necessary tools to start, was a turning point in her life because it enabled her to become independent and enhance her living condition.

George Eskeif, 33 is living alone in a sparsely furnished house in Jaramana while his heart remains tied to his family in Lebanon.

His family's relocation from Idlib to Damascus due to his father's health issues marked a turning point in their lives. George, then a student, saw himself shouldering the responsibility of their household while his father pursued medical treatment in Lebanon.

After completing his military service in 2019, George found himself with no education or experience, so he started working as a taxi driver, hoping to secure a stable income for himself and support his family who was residing in Lebanon as his father was working at a small coffee kiosk, while his brother was working diligently at a snack restaurant. Yet, the harsh realities of life in Lebanon lingered, driving George to ensure his family's well-being by sending them vital medications each month.

full of faith, George applied for the pickup car project at Hope Center seeking financial stability and sustainable livelihood.

the support he got, didn't just offer George financial assistance; it restored his sense of purpose and dignity. It empowered him to support his family while carving his own path to self-reliance and success.

Murhaf Al-Maher 62, is married to Nada Sankari, and the father of two daughters and son. Despite his age and recent health issues, including lung inflammation, Murhaf remained determined to work. His dedication stemmed not just from financial necessity but from a sense of pride in providing for his family and with no hesitation he also supported his daughters; Souryana, while she was pursuing a medical degree, and Rima, who became a music teacher.

In recent years, with his wife's medical expenses and his daughter's university fees looming large, Murhaf had found himself dipping into his savings more frequently. Yet, he remained steadfast in his commitment to their well-being, he kept supporting them through thick and thin, especially during his son-in-law's military service, and had even exhausted his savings to ensure their living. 

Now retired, Murhaf sought to continue working, not just out of necessity and lack of income, but out of a desire to maintain his independence and dignity.

With limited options available due to his age and health, the support he received from the Hope Center to purchase his own taxi, was crucial in ensuring his family's financial stability and allowing them to live with dignity. Despite the challenges he faced, Murhaf remained resolute in his determination to provide for his loved ones, one ride at a time.

Despite life's challenges, Elein Zghaib 28, remained steadfast in her pursuit of a better future. She lives with her family in Jaramana, her father is employed at the Ministry of Education, her mother tends to the household, and her sister, born in 2002, is skilled in nail care and beauty care. Their familial bond was a source of strength as they faced life's adversities together.

Before the crisis, Elein and her family were living in their ancestral home in Dweileh, but circumstances forced them to sell it and relocate. During that period, she graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration then she started working at Syriatel from 2016 to 2020 in marketing and sales. However, the income she got was barely enough to meet her own expenses without being able to provide for the house. Elein sought new horizons in the field of hairdressing and beauty care then she decided to travel to Lebanon in early 2022 seeking better opportunities but low salary and harsh conditions prompted her return after eight months.

Upon her return, Elein continued working as a freelance at various salons, often alongside her sister. She honed her skills through self-teaching leading to undeniable expertise in hairstyling.

With a vision for the future, Elein dreamed of opening her own salon, a joint venture with her sister, and with the help she got from Hope Center, this dream turned into reality.

Today, both sisters are determined to shoulder responsibilities and contribute to their family's expenses, facing life's challenges with unwavering resolve and great hopes.

Mufeed Hejazy, 28, lives with his family in a rented house in Dwallaa. His household consisted of his parents, his elder brother, who works at a goldsmith workshop, and his unemployed sister. Mufeed himself had volunteered for a charitable project in 2020 then he worked at a cosmetic company for two years until it closed. 

Mufeed and his family faced numerous hardships during the crisis in Syria, including his father suffering with chronic bronchitis which was very costly so they sought help from a local charity for the life-saving oxygen machine. Additionally, during the conflict in Maaloula in 2013, his father was kidnapped along with their car, requiring a hefty ransom of money for the release.

Despite the challenges, Mufeed persevered, seeking employment after the closure of the cosmetic company. However, finding stable work was difficult, especially since he didn't have the chance to gain any experience or education degree during his 9 years of military service.

With support from Hope Center, Mufeed was able to purchase a taxi, which formed a fresh start for him, a pathway to financial independence, and a means to navigate life's challenges without relying on others.

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.

Karin Jbeil, a woman of remarkable courage and determination, born in 1989, lived a journey of strength and self-discovery that shaped her life forever.

Married to Wissam Al Ramahin, a dedicated hospital employee, Karin’s life revolved around her family. With two precious children, Sharbel born in 2010, and Christelle in 2013, her days were filled with love and purpose.

Karin's entrepreneurial spirit ignited in 2008 when she enrolled in a nail and waxing course at the European Institute. From 2012 onwards, she began her journey offering her skills to the community. Her home, became her workplace, with a room dedicated to her craft.

The echoes of war that ravaged their area in subsequent years did not deter Karin. Despite the chaos and uncertainty, she persevered, balancing her career aspirations with the safety of her children so she started to work in a nearby childcare center for two years, ensuring stability for her family during tumultuous times.

As peace slowly returned to Dowella, Karin resumed her passion for beauty, working part-time at local salons but the low salary wasn’t worth the long hours she spent far from her kids. She yearned to establish her own beauty salon, equipped with nail and waxing services.

Having support from Hope Center to have her own salon not only empowered her to become financially independent, but also assured her that dreams can flourish, and lives can be transformed.