George, 35 years old, lives with his family of 7 people. His parents do not work, and his sister works as a teacher in a kindergarten, and her three children live with them. He is the only provider for his big family.

George's father previously worked as a carpenter; manufacturing bird cages. He learned it from his father and worked with him from 2014 for more than five years.

George had the opportunity to go to Lebanon in 2019 and work in the field of sweets for two years, but due to the poor economic conditions, George’s salary was no longer sufficient, so he decided to return to Aleppo and work in his father’s workshop.

To be able to come back to his main work, he sold his car after it was hit by a shell in order to buy the necessary tools that he needed the most because the father’s equipment was too old and needed lots of repairs.

After years of sacrificing for the sake of his family, it is time for him to get the support he needs, which will improve George's working conditions and ensure him a better income.

My parents raised me with love and cared for me. Now it is my turn to care for them.

Eugenie, is 34 years old, a married women who works in nails care and as a makeup artist to support her parents financially specifically her father; during the war he got shrapnel in his foot and thus cannot work in addition, helping her husband who works as a seller of car parts with a low income.

She said: “When I grew up, I would like to be a nail artist because I am very creative and have an artistic touch.” And we can see her success by the number of clients she has.

She started working in this field more than 10 years ago in a salon for a period of 6 years, and because of the low salary, and in order to gain her independence she decided to work from her home. In order to increase her income, she learned how to make eyebrow tattoos because of their high demand. She started buying her own equipment over time, and set aside a room to receive her clients in.

Because of the frequent use of the tools that she has, they are now outdated and worn out.

Now, after getting the required equipment and tools through this initiative, Eugenie will have the chance to increase her income and enhance her family’s living situation. 

Mouhib 45 years old lives with his two children and his mother, as he had to move to live in his parents' house since the beginning of the war, after the destruction of the Sheikh Maqsoud area.

He started working in the profession of blacksmith when he was young. He learned this profession through one of the workshops near his house, after he gained some experience, he was able to rent a workshop for 10 years, later he bought his own workshop in the ​​Sheikh Maqsoud area and worked in it for three years until it became impossible to enter that area.

After losing his job, and to secure an income for the family, he learned the profession of repairing diesel generators of shops and houses with simple tools that he used to borrow from his friends, and he became well known.

In 2019, after the hostilities ended, Mouhib went to see his shop and discovered that it had been completely looted and needed restoration. Fortunately, the local church helped him in the restoration process, and he set out to work again with greater determination. Currently, thanks to the donors, Mouhib was able to return to blacksmith. He settled in his shop again, hoping to secure a better future for his children.

Joining the military can be a good experience for some people, but for others it can be a terrible mistake.

Antranic said: “My biggest fear was to lose my job, I knew it would happen after I had been there for 9 years and not being able to work during my vacations.”

He is 29 years old, recently discharged from the military, and lives with his parents. He had no idea what to do, nor was he able to manage between his job and the army. He decided to open a clothing store.

Antranic lives with his mother, who works in cooking, and his sister is a teacher at an institute, and, as for his brother, because of his disability, he cannot work. His father was shot in the war and died shortly after due to poisoning.

His previous experience working on a metal lathing machine for 7 years was not gone to waste; he has not forgotten anything, on the contrary, he has high motivation.

All he wants is to work again on metal lathing machines. And he was so grateful when he was accepted into Micro-Projects, now he is looking forward to securing a better income and getting back to his main career.

“We had a silver crafting workshop that my father had to sell to secure my treatment expenses” Samuel said.

Since Samuel was young, he suffered a lot from his colon and, because of the high treatment costs, his parents spent all their savings to be able to treat their son.

Samuel,32 years old, is a married man who has a beautiful child, and he is the only provider for his family. They live in a borrowed apartment from his uncle.

“My father helped me to choose what I wanted to become in life. I preferred to learn about his career in 2012 and become a silversmith." After going to the military for two years and being discharged due to his disease, Samuel got married and left his father’s workshop to open his own place and make more income but he needs the tools and equipment which are very expensive these days, and he cannot buy them on his own.

With the aid of the Hope Center, he was able to get his own equipment and, due to this financing, the profit would increase 30% and he can be able to make his way through life with all hope and determination.

If you want to improve something in yourself, you should work hard for it

Alice learned how to sew from her mother when she was just a kid on her mother’s old and small sewing machine, it was the first step for Alice on the path of this career.

Now after many years she is a mother of two children, her son works on lathing machine with his father in a friend’s workshop and her daughter works as an accountant.

Alice said that “when you spend time with people who are working on similar things as you do, you’ll see that your self-growth happens faster than you think” so in order to develop her skills, she recently started working in a sewing workshop, in addition to submitting for many courses.

During the war her husband was working in Al-Arkoub industrial area, but he had to leave the shop in a hurry due to shelling and stayed without a work for 6 months. Alice's mother lived with them too. Because of the high cost of living and the insufficient salary to face these difficult conditions, Alice encouraged herself to search for a job in the field she loved.

With the new sewing machines Alice will achieve her dream of getting her independence by working from home, this support from the donors will make a positive impact on the family's life. 

Wahid a father of three children who had been working for 40 years in industrial electricity, winding motors, control panels, cooling and air conditioning for laboratories.

Before the war, He worked in a rented workshop in Al Sheikh Maqsoud area, fully equipped with tools that unfortunately, were stolen during the war. In 2013, a mortar shell fell next to their house and because of this incident the whole family moved to Al-Kimah Village with the help of their relatives to settle there.

He is currently working in Homs and Tartous. But he needs a new kit because his kit is old and the limited tools deprived Wahid of many good work opportunities.

This project is really important for him for the sake of establishing stability in the city of Aleppo and to be able to afford submitting his children in schools because it has become very expensive. Thanks to the micro project he returned to work again, hoping to gain new customers and increase his income.

Krikor is a 41 years old man from Aleppo. He never wanted to leave Syria, he thought the war would not take too long, but then his family decided to leave the country and stayed in Lebanon for ten years trying to travel to Canada.

They had a car furniture upholstery workshop in Al-Ramouseh, but when the war in Syria destroyed Krikor's workshop, he and his family decided to sell it because they did not have enough money to restore it after being so damaged.

Losing all their resources of income while searching for safety was the hardest part for this family, with the help of his relative who offered a workshop to work in for free, Krikor and his father were able to buy a small machine for their work, given that Krikor originally learned the business from his father 25 years ago.

He needs to buy two car upholstery machines, and he is also trying to get his old customers back. He applied to the Micro Projects Program, asking for a supporting hand, hoping that this new project will allow him to build a promising business. 

Michael’s father was kidnapped by the armed groups for 21 days, during which he was wounded in the eye and became blind.

This young man,37 years old, newly married, worked on sewing machines, from 2001, making chair covers for more than four years, then moved to Sheikh-Maksoud and worked with his brother until the war came around when all his sewing machines were stolen, there was nothing left for him, and he had no work for about a year.

He is currently working in a workshop, sewing curtains for cars and recently moved to a rented house and now he has some customers to begin his own project.

Unfortunately, the unstable prices were a real obstacle in his way. He is still striving to work and secure his own expenses so that he doesn’t need anyone’s help.

Michael is very enthusiastic and self-confident, he wants independence and better income. Now he has a well-equipped workshop, he’s ready to use his experience and passion to maintain a thriving business. 

Youssef served in the army for two years, and after his discharge he was recalled for reserve service, which lasted nearly nine years.

After returning he tried to work on a lathing machine then he began to work intermittently as a painter.

Youssef spent most of his savings due to the high cost of livelihood. His older brother works on a lathing machine, and he is the only one responsible for the household expenses.

His father does not work, but he has a shop in Bustan al-Basha that needs renovation; he was shot in the back by a sniper at the beginning of the crisis and could no longer work because of the chronic injury, so he began to rely on his children in terms of income.

When he heard about the Micro Projects Program, Youssef found a glimmer of hope, and after having his own taxi, Youssef is now working hard to improve his income and secure a decent living.

“We left our home dreaming of getting to Canada, where I was told that I would find a job to be able to take care of my family, but then we went back to Aleppo because we couldn't adapt.” Joseph told us his story when he took his family to flee from the shells that fell on their home, in search of safety.

During war the family house was hit by heavy shelling in Al-Suleimanie incident, which led to the wife's mental illness. so they moved to live in Tartous for two years, and then returned to Aleppo again.

Joseph old workshop for cars electrical maintenance was located in a dangerous area, that's why he decided to sell it before traveling to Canada. Upon his return, he tried to work with some simple tools that he was able to buy in his rented workshop.

Adding a lathing machine will increase his income and today, Joseph is trying to overcome his loss with a little help and a big hope.

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 with a decent living.

In 2017, she made a brave move, moving her pharmacy to Al-Hamidia neighborhood. Here, she faced numerous challenges, particularly the scarcity of medications and the skyrocketing prices, which took a toll on her small business as she struggled to maintain the sustainability.

She sought assistance from the Micro Projects Program to strengthen her pharmacy and stock it with essential medications. With the support, her pharmacy thrived, offering vital medications to her community, and ensuring a better future for her family.

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 obstacle, Ghattas applied to the Micro Projects Program.

His application was for a mini-cultivator, which would help him save on plowing and spraying costs. Additionally, he sought assistance for a trailer and fertilizers tank. With this support, he could secure his family's financial stability and ensure the prosperity of their olive land.

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. They delved into this idea with the guidance of an experienced mentor in the field. Being from an agricultural area, he recognized the potential in vermicompost, a form of organic fertilizer produced through earthworm farming.

With unwavering determination, Ammar set his sights on creating a sustainable source of income for his family. He designed a project that revolved around two key aspects, producing high-quality compost and breeding earthworms. The vermicasts produced by these earthworms were rich in vital nutrients, making them ideal fertilizers that improved soil quality.

To bring his vision to life, Ammar needed specific resources such as tanks, earthworms, concrete tank construction, water tanks, an electric generator, water hoses, and a weighing scale. However, his financial situation posed a significant obstacle.

In his quest to overcome these challenges, he applied to the Micro Projects Program, with the provided support, Ammar obtained the necessary resources to launch his vermicompost project. As the earthworms multiplied and the project expanded, his dream transformed into a flourishing business, providing a better future for his family.

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 the workshop closed its doors in 2016.

Despite challenges, Georgette didn’t give up on her passion, repairing clothes at home with an old machine. Her dream of a small business became stronger and she aspired to assist her husband in providing a better life.

A positive turning point came when she applied to the Micro Projects Program. Her request for sewing machines and a solar power system was granted. With renewed hope, she could now work with dignity and generate a stable income, contributing to a brighter future for both her and Hosn. 

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 training under the guidance of a skilled nail care specialist. She practiced her newfound skills at home, using her trainer's kit as she couldn't afford her own.

Her dream was to start her micro-project, allowing her to provide for her family during these tough times. Her application to the Micro Projects Program was approved, and now she has her own kit, ready to offer her services and secure a brighter future for her family and all her effort and hard work will shine as she embarks on this new journey. 

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 assistant photographer for Suboro TV, a remarkable opportunity that further honed his craft.

Determined to make his own path, Samer resorted to social media to start his small photography business, initially by renting cameras to fulfill his customers requirements. 

His family, unable to afford a camera, relied on his father, a nurse at a medical laboratory, as the sole provider. Samer's dream was to ease the burden on his aging father, who supported his mother and sister.

His work encompassed a wide range of services, from photography in various domains to product and food marketing, alongside his role at Suboro TV. His goal was to have his own camera and equipment, transforming his passion into a sustainable livelihood.

In pursuit of this dream, Samer applied to the Micro Projects Program for support, with the assistance, he now possesses his own camera, enabling him to contribute significantly to his family's well-being. Samer's hard work has turned his passion into a source of hope and support for his loved ones. 

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 rebuild their lives. Recognizing her strength and potential, she applied to the Micro Projects Program for assistance. With the support she received, Sanaa invested in a battery to enhance her handmade pieces and secured essential raw materials for crafting candles and souvenirs.

Through hardship and loss, Sanaa's resilience prevailed. With the Micro Projects Program's help, she rebuilt her shop, proving that determination can conquer adversity.

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, symbolized her determination to build a better life. Her dream was to expand her business, offering not just sewing but also designing and clothing repairs. This was her path to improved productivity.

Hope came in the form of the Micro Projects Program. Despite the hardships she had endured, Matile saw a ray of hope through this program, a chance to turn her dreams into reality and provide a better living for her family. 

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, juice, and ice cream. That's when Nekoula learned about the Micro Projects Program.

With hope in his heart, he applied for a sustainable solution, a solar power system. This innovative change not only secured their family's livelihood but also saved them from the financial burden of fuel costs. The solar energy would now power their mini-market, a beacon of hope in the face of hardships.

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 time of need, Ahlam turned to the Micro Projects Program for support. This crucial assistance breathed new life into their shop, preventing its closure and allowing this passionate family to continue their journey in handicrafts and provide good living for their loved ones. 

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 faced a significant obstacle, the lack of resources to establish his own workshop. 

Determined not to let this setback hinder his dreams, he applied for the Micro Projects Program, seeking the opportunity to turn his passion and experience into a thriving business. With the program's support, he managed to start his workshop, his way to build a better life for his loved ones.

From his modest beginnings, Wissam's journey reflected resilience and determination. His path to mastering his profession began at an aluminum workshop in 2007. However, his dreams were interrupted by an 8-year-long mandatory military service. Despite the setbacks, he persevered, driven by his role as a husband and father of two young children.

In 2015, the life of this family took an unexpected turn when displacement forced them to leave their village, settling in a rented house in Homs city. Wissam's longed to provide stability for his family intensifie, the opportunity arrived in 2019, as he seized the chance to rent a small shop and establish his aluminum workshop. The initial hurdles were tiring; starting with basic tools and dealing with poor electricity supply.

The Micro Projects Program was a turning point. Recognizing the potential, he applied and secured crucial assistance. With the program's support, he acquired necessary equipment and an electric generator. This boost pushed his workshop forward, enabling him to offer a better life for his lovely family.

When someone has been through terrible trauma and they’re starting a new life from scratch, it’s not easy for them to recover especially if they were living in a post-war period like the case of Yazan Sayegh.

He is 25 and lives with his parents and sister in Kashkoul. Yazan was 18 when the family received the news of his brother’s death during his military service in Aleppo. Such news was devastating for the whole family especially Yazan who had to stay steady for his parents whose health was affected badly as a result.

Yazan found himself at the age of 18, responsible for his family, and had to work in order to afford the living demands. He started to work as a barber and learned about the profession but despite all his hard work, it was hard for him to save any money and establish his own work due to the increasing prices which made him struggle to afford the basic livelihood for his family. Yazan started to think of traveling abroad in order to make a decent career and living but he didn't want to leave his parents alone especially since they lost their first son.

Out of its endeavor to preserve the Christian families in the county, Hope Center supported Yazan in purchasing all the tools and equipment needed to have his own barber shop to provide him with a sustainable source of income to overcome his obstacles and improve his living hoping that this project will help in keeping him in the country beside his beloved family.

Mariam always believed that there is no limit to what she could accomplish despite all the difficulties she had been through

She is 40 years old, divorced, and originally from Tartous but lives alone in a small room in Damascus. Mariam got married at a young age but after seven years she got divorced and returned with her kids to live at her parents' house in Tartous. She didn’t hesitate to continue her education and was enrolled at the trade and economics university and started to work at the same time to afford her living.

Her brother passed away in 2013 leaving her, her parents, and four sisters heartbroken, Things changed a lot after his death as her parents’ psychological condition was affected badly and Maryam had to increase her income to support them.

She decided to move to Damascus in order to find better job opportunities seeking for better income to support herself and her family in Tartous. Mariam tried many jobs but she wasn’t lucky. she was good at trading so she started to work in online marketing because she wasn’t able to afford her own shop but it wasn’t profitable enough to afford a proper living. 

Through the help of Hope-center, Mariam was supported to have her own perfume and cosmetics shop which she considered the life chance that would improve her living conditions and help her to secure a decent life. 

Maram Mahfoud 31, is an independent, hardworking woman, who was always strong enough to stand alone in the face of difficult circumstances.

She lives with her parents in an old room in Bab Sharqi. Her father used to work at a sanitary maintenance workshop but after getting old, his health didn’t allow him to keep working which affected their financial conditions. Despite her young age, Maram decided to start working and support her parents so she enrolled in a make-up course at the church and started to work in this field then in 2017 her friend bought a Laser cutting machine and asked Maram to help him. She quickly learned to work on the machine, trained on its programs, and became excellent at running the work alone. However, her salary was low in comparison with the hard work she was doing so in her spare time she kept working in make-up in order to increase her income and afford the living expenses.

Maram wanted to rely on herself and have her own project because she believed in achieving her goals through determination and perseverance so she applied at the Micro-project office asking for support.

Now, after the fund, Maram is so grateful to have her own laser workshop and started to do marketing to enhance her work full of faith that she will succeed in this project and her living situation will be improved.

Johnny Fallouh is 33 years old, he is newly married and soon to be a father. In 2006, he started his career as a pastry chef and was passionate about this job but in 2011 he was called to join the military service and thought that it would be for two years and then he would go back to continue his normal life and the work he loves.

Unfortunately, his service coincided with the beginning of the war in Syria, it extended to 10 years under difficult conditions and at critical times as he served in Al-Hasaka city which was one of the most severe war locations. 

However, in 2021 Johnny was discharged and went back home, but the postwar period was not easy and he couldn’t return to his old job as a Chef because it was no longer enough to meet the household demands. 

Johnny had no choice but to find another career so he started working as a salesman, he also got married and wanted to establish a family which was difficult especially since his wife got pregnant and they are waiting now for their first baby.

Supporting this newly established family was always one of the Hope-Center goals. Johnny was supported with the mini-van in order to improve his work and income, help preserve his dignity and fulfill his responsibility towards his wife and newborn baby.

With a deep wound in his heart, Jan Samaan was struggling each day to continue his life journey and improve his condition.

Jan was worked as a carpenter since 1990 as he established a carpentry workshop in partnership with his friend specializing in the field of kitchens and bedrooms. Together they worked hard to improve their business.

However, during the war, the carpentry work decreased and their income became not enough for both of them so his friend decided to end the partnership and work on his own which forced Jan to take his machines and equipment and start his own workshop in Dwalaa trying to preserve his career from declining.

During that period, Jan got married to Shereen Deeb and they had their first baby Joseph in 2016.

Soon after his son’s birth, he was diagnosed with abdominal cancer at a critical level making Jan feels as if his world was about to collapse. He started to focus on treating his son which was a difficult period in their life and cost a lot but Jan didn’t hesitate to spend all his savings for that purpose then he sold his workshop machines to handle the high cost of his son’s treatment. Unfortunately, all of those endeavors didn’t save his son and he passed away in 2020 the same year that Jan and his wife had their daughter Marita whose birth played a major role in getting her parents out of their state of grief.

With Marits's birth, Jan decided to travel to Sudan seeking to find better job opportunities to compensate for his losses but he wasn’t that lucky so he went back to Syria working in several workshops trying his best to secure a proper living for his family.

Bypassing all his circumstances, Jan decided to apply to the Micro-project asking for support and that what he gained as he was supported with the carpentry machines and necessary equipment that will enable him of having his own workshop so he could revive his profession and secure a decent living for his family.

“All the incidents we went through during the years of war were no harder than holding my son bleeding and seeing him fighting death to survive”

This is how Samer explained his tragedies during the Syrian war.

Samer Deeb is 49 years old, married to Roula Memary, and has two sons Elias born in 2004 and Gabi born in 2006. He lives with his family and sick mother at a modest flat in Dwalaa area.

Before the crisis, Samer was working as a waiter and then became a hall supervisor in different restaurants in Bab Touma until the year 2020 when his health started to deteriorate and he became unable to stand for long hours so he started to work as a salesperson, driving a pickup car and delivering vegetables and goods to shops and markets.

Samer’s financial condition was very bad, especially after the incident his son Gabi went through, as in the year 2013, Gabi was shot in the head while they were on their way to the village, he was transferred to Tartous Hospital where he remained under operations for six fateful hours until the surgeons were able to rescue him.

Although Gabi survived, he suffered many psychological effects and asthma, which took him many years to recover and continue his study. 

On the other hand, his second son Elias finished his baccalaureate exam and started to work as a hairdresser trainee trying as much as possible to reduce his expenses and support his father.

Samer was in desperate need of a new chance in his life and through the micro-projects, he was able to get it. 

Today after being funded with the pick-up, he started to restore his independence and dignity and he is willing to work as long hours as he could to provide his family with proper living conditions.

Firas had to face enormous difficulties in his life as he was responsible for his sick mother and disabled sister in addition to the household demands so he started working as a mini-bus driver at a young age seeking direct income to afford the living expenses.

He was working on Darayya-Damascus transportation line but after the start of the war, it became very dangerous to work there then the area was closed due to the armed conflict making Firas lose his job. 

Firas didn’t hesitate to work in a different fields because he was the breadwinner of the house and can’t stay jobless so he started working as a salesperson with a percentage of profit.

During that period Firas got married to Riham Asfour and had their kids Tatiana and Carlos. Together, Firas and his wife were working to secure the basic living needs for their kids and his wife was also helping in taking care of Firas’s mother and sister while he was doing his best to work hard and handle the increasing costs of living.

Firas realized that improving his income was uneasy because he was working for other employers and he needed his own project so he applied for the Pick-up truck project depending on his sufficient experience and wide knowledge of the market and customers.

this project will enable him from buying products and goods which will reflect positively on his income and help in improving his living conditions. 

As a talented musician, George's career started in 2006, he was playing his favorite instrument “the Electric Keyboard” in various locations performing beautiful musical sets.

George had a great passion for music and wanted to deliver his music love to everyone believing that this is an important message in his life, so he took classes at many schools and started teaching music to children until 2014 when the situation deteriorated badly and the teaching income was very low compared to the increased living expenses.

As a result, George had to focus more on his work as a musician in order to be able to afford the living needs of his family but although he was a musician for a long time, George has never had the ability to purchase his own instrument and had to rent an electric keyboard every time he has a job.

He also had to pay half of his wage to the instrument owner in addition to being restricted in choosing times and places of work.

Thanks to Hope Center, George was supported to buy his own Electric Keyboard which added great value to his career as he is able now to take any job opportunity without having to share his income with anyone and that will definitely improve his financial condition and secure a better livelihood.

Samaan is 35, unmarried, and lives with his parents and his grandmother. He has three brothers; Alaa and Jalal are married and live separately while Bashar is in military service which made Samaan the breadwinner of the house and responsible for his parents and his sick granny.

Before the war, his family lived in the village of Al-Adeedah, his father was a blacksmith so after turning 15, he started to help him at the workshop and learned the profession, in 2008 he was called for military service and when the crises started in Syria he was obliged to stay as a reserved soldier until his discharge in 2019.

Those 10 years prevented Samaan from making any steps in his life or building anything for the future but he kept on practicing his profession whenever he had time during his service.

However, after being discharged from the service,he returned to his village and started working at several workshops but due to the lack of opportunities there he decided to move with his family and live in Damascus; Soon after, he got to know many contractors and started working with them, especially in setting the solar power bases but most of them didn’t give Samaan fair wages because he doesn’t have his own equipment which make it very difficult to get good income.

With the help of Hope Center, Samaan got the proper fund to establish his own blacksmithing workshop with all the tools and machines required to improve his work and enable him to increase his income and have better living conditions.

As a determined man, age was never an obstacle in Youssef’s life.

He was a hard-working employee for more than 23 years at a governmental institution then he retired and started to do freelance work, seeking one target in his life which is providing his kids with a safe and comfortable environment.

During the crises, the situation started to decline and his income became unstable so he decided to collect his savings and start a small stationary shop in the neighborhood to ensure a sustainable income.

However, this wise decision helped Youssef during the years of war to preserve his dignity and afford the living demands of his family, he wanted to improve his work by adding a printer and other tools but he couldn't because three years ago, his daughter Katia was diagnosed of having Multiple sclerosis which was devastating news for Youssef and his family.

Youssef tried to empower himself for the sake of his daughter to support her during her treatment journey but the pain attacks she suffered from were very tiring for him and his health also deteriorated.

However, that tough period affected Youssef’s work, as he spent most of his income on his daughter’s treatment which made his stationary shop poor in goods and equipment.

With the help of Hope Center, Youssef was supported to purchase a new printer and some equipment to improve his stationary work and secure a better income for his family.

Nabil Farhat, a shoemaker for more than 25 years, is originally from Lebanon, came to Syria in the late eighties, learned the profession of shoemaking, and decided to continue his life in this beloved country.

He got married and had three kids and was very known in his field as many factories were dealing with him due to his meticulous professional work and kind attitude with customers, he considered Syria as his homeland and was feeling grateful to this country who gave him all the good things in his life.

Even after the war, Nabil refused to go back to his country Lebanon and challenged all the difficult conditions and the lack of security and stayed in Syria with great faith that things will get better.

During the crisis, Nabil worked at several factories and workshops trying to secure the basic living needs for his family and supported his kids to continue their education, and was looking forward to teaching his son the profession of shoemaking.

However, in the past couple of years, the work market declined and the demand for well-made shoes decreased due to the high costs of production which made Nabil decide to start a home-based workshop using an old sewing machine and worked at his own expense but he faced many challenges from the lack of electricity to the frequent machine malfunctions that affected his craft and became unable to meet the customers’ demands.

Nabil was so passionate about his profession and was seeking a way to revive it so he sought help from Hope Center and was supported to purchase different kinds of sewing machines in addition to the batteries that will provide him with electricity in order to increase his production and help in bringing him back to the market with a competitive shoes’ quality which will improve his work and living condition.