Bassem 51 years old lives with his wife and daughter in a rented house in Aleppo, after they have lost all their property in the village of Al-Jdayda at the beginning of the war. 

Before the war, he had a large agricultural land he relied on as a main source of income in addition to his work as a policeman. 

When the fighting reached the village, Bassem fled with his family to their relatives' house in Aleppo.

He started a new life in a new city to provide his family with their daily needs and to help his children finish their studies, especially after they suffered a lot from fear and anxiety, but it was not easy at all where they did not have any friends, and they were also subjected to internal displacement several times due to the many bombings.

After the end of the armed conflict in Aleppo, Bassem decided to retire from his work as a policeman and wait until things calm down in the village, but unfortunately, he had no idea about what happened to his lands and his house in there. He decided to take new job to improve the family's income, especially in light of the difficult conditions the city was going through, so he learnt how to mold rubber from his friend and worked together for five years.

Today after Bassem gained a lot of experience, he decided to open his own workshop and thanks to the donors, he has an independent business with good returns to face daily life, waiting for a better tomorrow, hoping to return someday to his beloved village.

Khalil 47 years old, lives with his old parents and two brothers. the youngest one has a disability and his parents have a lot of health issues due to their old age.Therefore, Khalil and his big brother are the main providers for the family; they have been working on Pickup-trucks since 2009. but life wasn't easy for them, last year, Khalil's vehicle was stolen in front of his house during the night and he lost his main source of income.

Khalil didn't surrender, his brother shared his vehicle and they took turns in shifts each with their acquaintances.

During the war, their home was damaged as a result of a shell falling on the building next to them. The financial situation of the family is very weak, especially after their house was damaged, his mini pick-up truck was stolen, and everything they owned was sold to cover livelihood costs.

The mini pickup truck will secure a good income especially with all the work opportunities he will get from his many acquaintances and this project will allow him to secure a decent life for his family, hoping to overcome all past hardships.

Sarkis,20 years old, was born to a modest family consists of four people, his parents work in the same school, his father is a bus driver, his mother is a cleaner and his sister woks and studies at the same time.

“My parents did their best, but they never encouraged me to continue my education”, Sarkis decided to quit school and learn hair styling to gain enough experience and become a well-known barber.

He worked in a barbershop since 2014, but due to the travel of the employer, the shop was closed, then he worked in many other barbershops to provide a better income for his family.

During the war, Sarkis was displaced with his family several times to rented houses after shells fell near them and their home was damaged.

"My parents were very worried about the future, especially under these hard circumstances and now, because of Micro-Projects I was able to purchase all the necessary equipment for my new barbershop and be able to open my own business”.

The will to survive cannot be stopped, no matter how difficult the circumstances are"

With this sentence, Mr. Shukri opened his speech, defying all difficulties and struggling in the face of the daily life. 

Shukri did not complete his studies, but had to leave the school early when he was just 12 years old to help his family to provide the income; he worked for one of the best mechanics in the area and learned to disassemble and assemble the car engine on his own without any help.

In 2004, he opened his own workshop in Bustan Al-Basha area, he was just 30 years old at that time, and became famous in the area, as he reached a stage where he had more than 150 types of car engines, which he repairs and sells at the same time.

But the war knows no mercy, as with the entrance of armed groups into his area, they robbed the shop, including the tools and materials it contained, and Shukri became without work, in the hope that the war in the city would end. 

During that period, he was forced to sell his car, for the sake of his family's livelihood, especially since he adopted the daughter of his relative, whose family was martyred as a result of the war, which increased his responsibilities.

He did not give up but returned forcefully to search for a new job and worked in a shop for 10 years, until the employer sold the shop and traveled abroad.

Now after being funded by the Hope Center, Shukri returned to work, but this time in his own shop to support his family.

Life takes a heavy toll during war times. people start to lose hope.

Hagob is 57 years old and lives with his wife in their modest house. He has been working in satellite dish repair for 25 years. He had a kit but in the war, his house was damaged by a shell, and all the furniture was stolen, including his tools that he used to use for work.

Although he was able to repair his house, he could not make up for the loss of the tool which was his source of livelihood. Currently, he is borrowing equipment from his friends, but he wants his own equipment to be independent in his business. His wife works as a goldsmith in her cousin's gold workshop to help her husband.

Hagob was funded with the necessary tools to start his work, in the hope that his project would develop and become able to obtain a greater income that would provide him with a decent life.

"Due to the displacement, the illness of my son, and the loss of all my savings and my home in Raqqa, I am no longer able to bear these difficult living conditions all by myself." Kamel said.

Kamel is 61 years old man, worked in several fields, such as blacksmith for a period of time when he was in Raqqa, a valet parking for about 3 years in Lebanon, and when he settled in Aleppo, he resorted to the state function and worked there for 20 years, then retired and no longer had a job to support his family.

His 23-year-old son, Majd, was suffering from a spinal problem. He left his university after the third year of mechanic engineering when he underwent an operation because of the pain he suffered, and he could no longer stay standing for a long time; he then changed his university to a trade and economy university because it does not require a lot attendance.

Unfortunately, all of the family's savings were spent on treatment costs. Kamel had a blacksmith shop in Raqqa but he had to sell it. He is now dependent on his second son, who is studying abroad, in order to pay the rent for the house.

This project will change his life because it will reduce the burden of expenses on his son, and will finally be able to secure a sustainable income by working on the taxi.

The biggest loss for me was being forced to leave my workshop and sell all the machines I had. With these words, Vahe described his loss during the war.

Vahe is 47 years old, lives alone after his mother passed away 7 years ago, and the effects of war and shrapnel are still in his house until now.

He used to work in his own workshop before the war, and he had all the necessary sewing machines. After that, he sold them to secure his needs. He first started working on sewing machines in 1987 and worked for a long period of time in Lebanon.

Due to the current situation and the lack of demand in distributing clothes between workshops, Vahe took a job with his neighbor in the shop, helping him repair the clothes with a low salary.

Vahe will not give up despite all the tough circumstances, with the help of the micro initiative he will resume his work on the new machines with hope of regaining his business and securing better life.

Khajadour, 55 years old, lives with his wife and two sons, and tries hard to secure a decent life for them. since he was young, he suffered from the harshness of life, as he left school early and started to work in a lathing workshop, where he learned this profession.

when he was just 22 years old. He was able to open his own shop and became very famous and developed himself through several professional courses within the country and even abroad in Italy and obtained international certificates.

But the war was difficult on his family; his shop was completely robbed with all the equipment, so he remained for a short period without work until he volunteered in the church committees, and he was one of the people who helped the displaced families and provided them with support and assistance. 

He suffered a lot of material and emotional losses, but his greatest loss was when a shell landed on his house, which led to the injury of his pregnant wife, and consequently to a miscarriage. After the end of the hostilities, the church helped him restore his shop and bought him a small machine. He returned and opened his shop and set out to work again with great hope to improve their living situation. 

Today, thanks to the donors, Khajadour was able to buy a large machine for his shop and provide him and his family with more work to increase his income and secure a better future for his children.

In this fast-moving age, with the development of education and modern technologies, people strive to secure jobs after graduating from colleges and universities. Despite their efforts, many young adults in different parts of the world have a frustrating experience of finding a long-term job.

Shagik Kevork, 24 years old, is a recent graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry, coming from a family with a small income consisting of four people. She graduated in 2022 and worked in laboratories and clinics to increase her experience and enrich the training she followed during her studies.

Her father had previously worked as a blacksmith for agricultural machinery at the area of ​​Marea in his rented workshop during the war period. He lost his work there and the family's dependence became on the mother salary.

Shaghik's mother was fully prepared to sell the house and buy the equipment she needed to fulfill her daughter's dream. Her financial obligations and the high cost of living prevented her from opening her own clinic, so she started working within the clinics to gain a good reputation and increase her experience.

Now, after she has been funded by the micro program, the lovely family no longer has to sell the house, in addition, Shaghik can finally fulfill the dream that she long waited to achieve and secure a source of income for her family.

Abdul Masih Shammo 72 years old, is from a simple family of three; they are originally from  Al-Hasaka City in northeast Syria.

He works as a blacksmith specializing in manufacturing all kinds of agricultural vehicle's accessories, such as harvesters, water tanks, and trucks, he learned this profession when he was only 20 years old.

In 1995 he moved from Al-Hasaka toward Homs city looking to start his own project in a new city, he worked there for 6 years but unfortunately, the job didn’t reach his expectations so, he decided to move again but this time to Aleppo which is considered the major industrial city in Syria. 

In Aleppo, he rented a shop in the Bustan al-Basha area and launched his work there until the war started in 2011, the armed groups took over the area and all his equipment was stolen... he lost everything he had.

His loss was huge, but he didn’t surrender and he insisted to continue, so he rented a small shop in Deir Hafer village next to Aleppo to sell agricultural equipment and reentered the labor market again, but the spread of the Corona virus made him suffer a lot, his works stopped again and he was fell ill so he had to spend all of his savings for treatment. After he recovered, he went to his shop and found out that it had been completely robbed.

once again his determination pushed him to reopen his workshop through the support provided by the donors, and thanks to this initiative, Abdul Masih will now return to work to provide a better future for his family.

In 1992, Bashar started learning on the sewing machines from his uncle and practiced this profession with his brother. Then, they decided to open their own workshop, but unfortunately because of their father's death, they closed it.

During the war Bashar had to move to Mashta-Al Helou for more than four years. but there was only few sewing projects there, so he worked in restaurants to meet the needs of the family, and then returned to Aleppo after the end of the fighting in the city.

Currently, Bashar is still working in the sewing domain, but he doesn’t have a workshop; he works between his brother's workshop and that of his relatives, trying to secure a good income, especially since his mother is sick and he looks after her.

Bashar is still working despite not having a workshop or sewing machines of his own, in addition he was able to keep his customers. All he wants is to have the necessary requirements for his project, to work in the field of cotton, and he will be able to achieve a successful business.

Today Bashar rented a workshop and through the Micro-Projects he was able to purchase all the necessary machines for his project. hopefully life will turn around for him and better days are coming on his way.

Without hard work, there is no success in life.

Finding and getting a job can be a challenging process. It is something very important to everyone and, unfortunately, most young men do not have jobs these days.

After spending several years exploring the job market; Youssef worked in several fields (cleaning dishes in a restaurant, sanitary installations, a sewing workshop, etc...) trying to find his career path.

the 21 years old, lives with his parents and his sister, with modest means of life the family face the high cost of living and difficult living conditions, especially after his sister suffered from a pituitary mass.

This hard-working young man didn’t depend on his father for income, but he tried to work two jobs at the same time to help him, but his mother did not work and his sister, after recovering, continued her studies. His last job was as a hairdresser. Through his work in a salon in 2020, he learned about this profession.

Due to the lack of returns to face these difficult economic conditions, Youssef wanted to increase his income by working in the customer’s houses, since he had acquaintances and his own equipment, and maybe in the future, he would be able to open his own salon.

Youssef was blessed to have the support of Hope Center by getting all the necessary equipment to be able to help his father and his family.

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.