Being old does not mean being unwilling to work, the 76-year-old Anissa does not know the meaning of giving up, laziness, and sitting at home without work, she does all her hard work by herself and supervises people who work with her personally and follows up on the smallest details continuously.

Anisa has been working in the field of wedding decorations for more than 22 years, today she is considered the best and almost the only one in the city. She is distinguished by her good reputation, quality of work, excellent dealing with customers, honesty, and integrity. 

This unique profession is very profitable especially in the wedding season during the summers, in particular after Anissa has gained a great reputation and she has many customers, but at the same time, the costs of this profession are very high, as the profits are divided among several people between transportation and assistant costs, in addition to the costs of cleaning and repairing, as she suffered from major and continuous breakdowns of her washing machine until the engine broke down and could not be replaced due to the lack of spare parts for the 40 years old machine.

Today, thanks to the funding from the donors, Anissa bought a new washing machine and a sewing machine that save her time, electricity, and effort.

Having a supportive partner can truly change your life.

The ambitious young Suzi, 34 years old, is a mother of a little girl called Elsa, she works hard to support her husband to buy a house.

Her husband works in selling and maintaining watches in his rented shop, it was no longer sufficient to secure his family's expenses, so he decided to work as an accountant to increase his earnings.
Before marriage, Suzi worked as a teacher in a kindergarten and after it was closed due to the war, she moved to an office as an employee for 4 years and left her job in 2016 to return to the field she loves.

Her work in a salon since 2016  made Suzi gain much experience. Currently, she wants to work alone at home, Because of her beautiful little daughter, Suzy can no longer stick to her shift at the salon she's been working at for 7 years, but at the same time does not have the equipment to be independent at work.

It was very important for Suzi to enhance her project and buy the essential requirements and through this support, Suzi became independent with her work, and now have her own equipment in addition she will have the chance to increase her income and thus enhance her family’s living situation. 

“Fathers are pivotal in children's lives. My father has always supported me in chasing my dreams and pursuing what interests me. He has always taught me to be independent and brave.” Jean said.

Jean,40 years old, the father of Antoni, works as a car mechanic in his father’s workshop, he gained from his father all the experience needed and has been working on cars for 22 years now.

During the war, the shells were fallen and their workshop was destroyed. He traveled for a short time to the village of Kafroun, and they worked there in the same profession, unfortunately, the project did not succeed there because of its rural nature, so they returned to Aleppo.

After making all the necessary repairs in order to return the workshop to what it was, Jean and his father are back at work.

His father passed away a year ago, and Jean wanted to continue his father's work. It was well equipped but his tools were too old to be able to continue his work so he applied to hope center to have new equipment in addition to a new car inspection device that would help him improve his income and have a successful project.

It all started when Youssef was wounded in a part of his lungs in the army; he was taken to the hospital and placed in a mortuary while he was in a coma for several hours after it was believed that he was dead.

luckily his friend who took him to the hospital assured the doctors that he was still alive when he rescued him, and he wanted them to make sure after placing him with the dead. He was able to move his finger, but he was unconscious.

After 9 days of losing consciousness and entering a coma, Youssef woke up trying to overcome all the difficulties that he faced during the recovery period. During those years he went through many challenging circumstances.

Youssef was no longer able to work in any field due to his health condition. Despite that, he tried to work in plumbing to secure an income for his family, especially since he is newly married and has a young son named Joud who is 5 years old. recently he began to work in a gold workshop, as he is the only provider for his small family. His house is small, with little furniture.

Youssef applied for a taxi at the Micro-Projects because it is a suitable job for him and has a good income, and he hopes to improve his living situation and move to a bigger and better house and be able to purchase all household basics.

George is 51 years old, lives with his family and his mother, he used to work as a blacksmith for a long time in his own workshop with his father who taught him this skill until he passed away and they had to sell the workshop. shortly after that he got a chronic pain in his back and he no longer could work after suffering from spinal disc.

In 1992, he worked as a car parts seller for 19 years, but when the war started, he had to stop working for more than 7 years due to the sanctions on imports and the rising of prices.

After the end of the armed battles in the city, George returned to selling spare parts for 4 years, unfortunately the situation made it impossible to work in trading because of the huge inflation and the decline in the purchasing value of the local currency.

Because of these challenges, the only source of income for the family became the wife's salary from teaching. Therefore, George decided to reopen his own place in Bustan Al-Basha area after repairing what was destroyed by the war.

Today, after the workshop has been renovated and provided with the needed equipment, George will depend on his experience to regain his old business and look forward for the future.

Many soldiers have returned from service with injuries, missing limbs, and mental trauma after fighting in the war. Riad, 41 years old, was one of them. 

After his treatment ended, he hoped that life will soon return to normal. Over time, he challenged himself to go back to work; as a result of a shell, the upper part of his body was injured, in addition to some damage to his stomach, he underwent many operations without being discharged from service until 2021 when Riad began a new chapter in his life.

"We owned a bakery before the war, and I was working with my father in Idlib for more than 13 years. Unfortunately, we had to flee at the beginning of the war to Aleppo, then I went to the army in 2013 for more than 6 years, after which I underwent treatment for 3 years due to my injuries in the war” he said.

Riad was left with painful scars and traumatizing memories, suffering from his inevitable condition. After the end of the treatment period, Riad returned to his work as a sales representative for a pastry factory in addition to working as an accountant to increase his income.

After losing the bakery they owned, Riad wanted to revive and reopen a bakery for them in Aleppo, and through his work in the field of marketing, Riad made many customers, especially as he distributes bread to customers; and now, he can secure a decent life for his lovely family.

Dr. Hazem, 50 years old, has been working as a general internist for more than 22 years in Aleppo city.

He is well known for his kindness, high morals, and his passion for humanitarian work, in addition, he is a loving father to three children.

During the war, many Christian families relied on him for their treatment costs, as he was fully dedicated to helping all the people in need, especially the elderly whose children traveled and left them alone, he didn’t take any money for his humanitarian work in most cases, he was happy with the kind words of gratitude, and honored several times by the churches and local charities.

Currently, in the morning he works at Saint Louis Hospital, and in the evening, he works in his loaned clinic by one of his friends, but like many others, he suffers from electricity blackouts, as most of his devices were damaged due to the many power outages.

During the Corona pandemic, he didn’t leave any of his patients alone, he visited them in their homes, risking his health and safety, all out of his love for humanity and belief in the principles of his career that he passionately practices. 

Today, after being funded with the appropriate equipment, Dr. Hazem is once again able to work overcoming all difficulties, in addition to saving fuel costs to run his clinic.

Elias 31 years old, lives with his wife and two sons in a small house, which his family bought long before the war, during the war he married and settled there. Unfortunately, since the house is on the sixth floor it was exposed to several mortar shells and explosive fragments and was partially damaged.

Elias works in the field of clothes prints; he learned this profession in 2010 and he worked in several workshops. But the bad economic situations that he experienced, like many other people, forced him to take extra work in order to secure a living for his family to survive, but the ferocity of the war and the deterioration of the security situation during that period forced many workshop owners to close and leave the country, therefore Elias remained without work for many months, but he did not give up and started working in different places such as dental laboratory, an accountant and also selling food in a supermarket.

After the end of the hostilities in the city, some of the workshops re-opened and he returned with great ambition and passion for his profession and worked as the main supervisor in the workshops and was able to enrich his experience.

Today, Elias wants to open his own workshop with the hope that the family's situation will improve and secure a better future for his children.

Aboud is a talented man who works in manufacturing wooden frames and lives with his wife and their three young children. Two of them study engineering, and the third is still in school.

After 4 years of training and learning the art of manufacturing wooden frames in addition to his work, Aboud and his brothers opened their workshop in 2010 to work in it after their work.

This workshop is currently a source of income for three families, especially after Aboud decided to leave his old job in 2015 and focus on his skills.

The brothers have some equipment that is broken and can't be fixed, and they are currently working with the carpenter to complete their work so that they won't lose their customers. In order to develop the work and to reduce time and increase productivity, Aboud needed to complete all the tools and equipment so that they could do all the work in their workshop without having to rely on anybody else. 

Aboud applied to the Micro-projects and was supported with the tools and equipment to revive his shop and give him a chance to maintain a business and improve his living conditions.

George, 29 years old lives with his parents in a rented house because the family lost their home in Sheikh Maqsoud area after it was controlled by the armed groups during the war.

George didn't complete his studies and left school at a young age to work in workshops and help with the family’s income in addition to his mother’s work, but during the war he was called for the military service, and during that service he was shot in the leg which shattered the bones and he was also injured in the hand with shell shrapnel so he could no longer work in the workshops after that.

Finally, after 7 years away from home and family, George finished his mandatory military service and decided to find his way back in life because he did not give up; he worked in several professions in order to get enough money to cover his own expenses and soon he will marry and start his own little family, that's why the taxi was a major reason for the improvement of his living situation to put him on the path of financial independence and secure a better income under these difficult circumstances.

"10 years away from home, everything has changed, and I don't know what to do anymore, all I need is a fresh start”,

Michael, 28 years old, married with two children and like many young men, he suffers a lot from the lack of job opportunities especially after being away for many years during the military service.

Michael did not complete his studies because he had to work at an early age to support his family; he worked in a pharmaceutical supplies company for 5 years until he was called for service. It was hard on him as he was injured three times during that period in the hand, chest and head which caused some difficulties performing complex operations and he became unable to work in many fields that requires great effort.

During that time, the family of his wife used to support the couple and provide them with their basic needs, especially as they moved between several houses seeking lower rent, and currently they are living in a crowded area and soon they will move again.

Michael wants to rely on himself to secure a better future for his children, and make up for what he missed during the past 10 years, the taxi is an opportunity to start again and fight against life's difficulties.

Death can sometimes break a family

“My father passed away twenty days ago unexpectedly and I have to be strong and work hard to provide for my family's needs”. Rober shared with us theses words with much sadness.

This talented young man ,26 years old, lives with his mother and his sister who works as a physical therapist. During the war in 2016, his father was wounded and became deaf.

Though he is still young, piano has been in all chapters in his life. When he was at the age of about eight years old, his parents bought him a small children’s piano keyboard and this keyboard was the beginning of his talent.

Turning his hobby to a career after growing up and practicing it was the best choice he made, his time and dedication to learning allowed him to become a skilled piano player.

Rober has been in the music business for six years and has a good reputation, and in order to realize his dream and open his own studio, he converted one of the rooms of the house into a sound recording studio and put the instruments needed for his project in it. He teaches music, records songs, and works as a music accompanist, programming music on the keyboard. But his instruments are old, especially the keyboard, and by the support of Micro-projects, Robert was able to expand his work and achieve bigger milestones on his career path.

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 ho