Mikhaiel served in military for 10 years and now he thrives to start his life from scratch; despite all the difficulties that he has been facing, decided to focus on the opportunities and not the obstacles.

He had started working in the rubber molding domain with his father since he was young, gained experience and even worked during the vacations of his military service.

Moreover, they've lost all of their equipment during the war due to the fact that their workshop’s region was under the control of armed groups for a long period of time. 

Now that he’s a father of two and also takes care of his parents accordingly his responsibility became bigger than ever, but that’s not a hindrance for him, cause he finds all the courage he needs every time he looks at his beautiful family.

So, he applied for Hope Center, hoping to use his great experience to commence his own business and provide a better life for his children. 

"I love my country Syria and I'll keep up working at my shop no matter what" 

Salem who is 66 years old, lives in one of the parish's houses with his wife and three children, during the war they were forced to leave their home for a short period of time and sadly his daughter got injured by a stray bullet and she is still carrying a piece of it in her hand, moreover his stationery shop was damaged by the missiles that were falling around it like rain.

Despite this all, he didn't lose hope and persisted to open his shop and tried to continue his regular life, because he is a strong-willed, hardworking person, who looks at life from a positive perspective, with considering the fact that he is the only breadwinner in his family, whose only wish is to secure the basics for his family.

The equipment that he has are from the day he opened the shop back to 1987, which became outdated and not useful anymore, that's why upgrading his shop became essential for him so that he won't lose more costumers.

With the help of Hope Center, Salem now has all the tools he needs that will increase his income and provide a decent life for his family.

Salim is a hardworking and strong-willed man, who lives with his three siblings along with being the main breadwinner in his family. 

Salim laid the foundation of his sewing experience back when he was young by helping his father in his free time and during his summer vacations.

In 1986, he opened his own workshop and everything was great, the business was profitable, which made him enlarge the project and specialize in sewing uniforms.

The story of his big success was torn apart after the war that hit Syria, which left him with a mounting burden of debt, later on he sold off most of his machinery and his workshop to pay them back.

But he didn’t give up and turned back to his business with the simple machinery that he has kept; day after day he realized, that what he makes is not enough comparing with the market demand.

Now, that he got the opportunity to open a new workshop and turn it step by step to what it was before, he is so thankful to Hope Center for giving him the chance to fulfill his family’s needs and livelihood expenses.

Everyone appreciates his valuable possessions and it is difficult to sell a property in order to face the difficulty of life and the difficult living conditions.

Ohaness faced this problem when he had to sell their house because of the lack of work at that time after he was discharged from the military.

He is 31 years old, served the military for more than nine years, now he lives with his brother, who serves in the military, and his mother in their small house.

He returned to his previous profession in rubber molding after completing his service. But his savings were not enough to open a business, he decided to apply to the Hope Center to get help with a purchase of a press machine.

This initiative helped him have the essential machine to continue and save the family's only source of livelihood. 

Nidal’s military service lasted nearly nine years, then after being discharged from military, he faced the harshness of life as well as the vague future.

Immediately after his service, he worked in his brother’s sewing workshop, but being new in this domain made his journey harder.

All of Nidal’s family members work in their own specialization, which motivates him to have his own business and to care of his family’s livelihood expenses.

The opportunity of having his own taxi planted a seed of hope in his soul, he applied and got accepted which made him extremely happy.

After the long years of sacrifice he made, Nidal now is thankful for the chance that he got from Hope Center, which made him the boss of himself, and the idea of ensuring a better income for him and his family made him more confident than ever. 

Melkon started working when he was in his early twenties with plans in his head to create a secure future for him and his mother.

From a young age he worked in two different domains to learn more skills and gain experience; his first job was in a mechanic workshop and in a short notice he started working on a lathing machine to increase his income, by time he became gifted in both jobs.

When the war hit the city of Aleppo, Melkon thought about a plan to save his career and he decided on traveling, in 2011 he left Syria looking for a better opportunities to make money and help his family.

Melkon worked in Lebanon nearly 11 years in both of the domains, in 2022 he decided to come back, start a family and settle in Aleppo now, he is a newly-married young man and they live together with his mother hoping that someday they will be able to buy their own house.

Supporting Melkon with the important equipment will have a positive effect on his work and he’ll be able to create a secure future for his child and provide his family’s needs and livelihood expenses.

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

After that he thought of working in the aluminum manufacturing domain, but the lack of experience and costumers together with his financial circumstances weren’t encouraging for him.

Fredy is a newly married man and they are blessed with a daughter, but due to the economic crises they are living with his wife’s family. He is currently spending from his savings plus he is the only one responsible for all of his family’s expenses.

Fredy is aiming to work and be able to move out to their own apartment, provide a happy and secure future for his family.

After he heard about Hope Center, he was grateful for the opportunity to start working independently on his taxi and improve his income. 

Archelous lives with her husband and son in their modest house located in Al-Midan area; they were able to buy it many years before the war through the help of her family and a small loan from the bank that was repaid, in addition to selling the gold that she owned.

She used to work as a teacher in the Faculty of Science at the University of Aleppo, in addition to working as a nurse in hospitals and between houses, but because of her advanced age and the decline in her health status, she resigned and worked in selling Homemade food supplies, which she had been practicing since 1989.

Being the only breadwinner for the house, as her husband suffers from hearing and sight impairment, and he cannot work well in any profession. Her son works in a warehouse selling car parts, with a small salary that is not enough to cover his own expenses. 

The family used to own a house and agricultural land in Al-Yaqoubia village, but they were displaced from it and it was no longer possible to benefit from the agricultural lands that they had there.

Today, with the help of donors, Archelous was able to purchase the equipment that help her in her work and facilitates the preparation process in order to sell Homemade food supplies quickly and with higher efficiency, in addition to the ability to introduce new items that provide her with additional money to meet the difficulties of daily life.

"Holding a great responsibility at a young age is a huge challenge” .

in 2014 Hovsep’s family fled to Lebanon after selling their house and all their possessions to escape the harshness of the war and search for a better life.

When Hovsep was young, he loved all professions related to car repairing, especially since his father was a famous mechanic, so he benefited from this passion in Lebanon and learned a new profession, which is car spraying.

He worked there for 6 years until he gained a lot of experience, However, when the war hit Lebanon in 2020, it led directly to the deterioration of the economic situation in the country. Therefore, they decided to return to Aleppo.. Shortly after their return, Hovsep rented a small shop with a partner.

Unfortunately, the father suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed, and he became in need of special care, which forced the mother to work in a sewing workshop to help with the household expenses. After two years of working in Aleppo, Hovsep’s partner traveled abroad after selling the shop’s equipment, which was a shock for Hovsep, who did not give up and began borrowing the required equipment from his neighbors.

Today, thanks to the micro projects program, he owns the entire shop’s equipment and he became independent at work.

Hagob lived with his mother and his sister until the war came and took everything from him; their lives turned upside down like many Syrian families.

“We had tools and equipment in our workshop in Bustan Al Basha that were stolen during war. The workshop was also damaged and has recently been restored.”

Rehabilitating the workshop consumed all of their savings, and they were left with no source of income. Although their workplace is renovated, they still needed to buy the essential machinery to start the work.

Hagob started this career back in 2008 and now he does not own any tools, but rather works in another car body shop with a low salary, he decided to reopen his father's workshop.

He said: “My father taught me his profession in auto body repair workshop and everything related to this field that can help me in the future.”

All he needs is the support to get the equipment to start working again, with the help provided by Hope Center, he will be able to achieve a better income and then hopefully things will turn out for the better.

Like many other professions, sellers are going through some changes nowadays. Karahkin is the father of two kids Carine and Hagob,41 years old, and lives with his family. His wife works but with a low salary.

He said: “I’ve been in the selling business for 14 years. I'm driving my friend's pickup truck. I've always dreamed of having my own pickup truck, it’s so much easier when I drive to the shops and load goods”.

Karahkin and his family were safe throughout the war and were not injured, so they were grateful. Due to the high cost of living and the pick-up truck's high rents, he suffers from many financial obligations. One of the most important things that help him in his work and increase his income is buying a car, and thus he can save his money and his work will be easier.

His job requires transportation for the shipping and services and this car will allow karahkin to make a good living on his own.

One of the most difficult decisions taken by the Rezkallah's family was when they decided to sell their house to face the difficult living and economic conditions.

Although all family members work, all their salaries combined are no longer enough to cover the rising livelihood costs.

His father works as an employee in a mall, his mother is a clothing saleswoman, and his little sister is still studying. This young man is trying to help his family with expenses, and his work in Mobile software requires more development which is necessary because technology is constantly changing.

This ambitious young man, 22 years old, started working as a salesman in a mobile store in 2018. After two months, he decided to learn a new interest and enter computer and software maintenance to increase his income.

What distinguishes Rezkallah is the pursuit of self-development, and through his work for four years in this domain, Rezkallah became known for his skills, and the mobile shops near him began to provide him with work as well, despite his young age.

Now, Rezkallah has all he needs to run a successful business and secure a decent income for his family. 

Since he was young, Nader tried all the fields of construction work but the main profession that he loved and mastered was renovating old houses, in addition to his special skills in decorating and stone carving. 

In 2011, he had to leave his house in Homs due to the vicious war and moved to "Mashta Al Hilu" town where he continued working with other craftsmen despite all the difficulties, 2014 was the year when he managed to return home; unfortunately, his house was damaged and he didn’t find most of his equipment, which forced him to work for others. 

Nader lost his chance of working independently after losing his equipment and being the sole provider for his wife and their two lovely daughters, he was in real need to improve his work conditions and income, especially since he has all the required experience to achieve complicated work. 

With more than 20 years of hard work, Nader deserves all the support to go forward and develop his work.

When things got tougher, Mounzer, who is the only provider for his wife and their three children, had to find additional sources of income to guarantee that all of their needs would be met and that his kids would have a proper education.

The hardworking man works as a government employee besides working in the field of floor grinding and polishing, which has been his main occupation since 1991. 

Before the disastrous war began and had a negative impact on everything, Mounzer's work was thriving and everything was going well. He lost all of his equipment in 2013, and in order to support his family, he worked as a wall painter until he was able to save up enough money to purchase a new grinding and polishing machine, which allowed him to restart his business. 

Yet, the majority of the craftsmen who largely rely on the availability of electricity have found it to be a tremendous challenge. 

Equipping Mounzer with an electric generator will improve his income and alleviate the financial burdens of renting one, resulting in a better  livelihood conditions for him and his lovely family.

Sami has been working in the construction field for 25 years and this is his source to provide for his wife and their three children. His older son Jalal went for his mandatory military service, his daughter Jackie repairs dresses to cover her own expenses, while Elie, the youngest is a school student in the 7th grade.

During the chaotic situation of the war, Sami lost his equipment that was stolen twice and suffered a lot to compensate for a part of his loss. As the provider for a family of five, he thought of increasing his income, which became hardly enough for the essential needs and since his main work is building concrete blocks, he wanted to add the service of lifting blocks at the construction site, but securing the requirements for this process, especially the mini-winch was difficult due to the severe inflation, and in order to buy the equipment, Sami would have to borrow money and fall into debts.

The Micro Projects Program was his last hope to develop his work and ensure a decent living. Today, Sami's work opportunities will be doubled after having the needed equipment, and he will be able to guarantee a dignified life for his family. 

Kamel is the head of a big family of five that lives in Homs city, which includes his wife, two boys (Maher and George), and their daughter (Yara). 

He spent 23 years as an employee at Al-Forat Dam before retiring and returning to his family in Homs. Considering the economic crisis and the free time he had, Kamel made the decision to transform the hobby he has in the field of carpentry into a source of income. He began with basic tools at home, and with the help of his three children, he was able to open a modest workshop in 2018.

Maher, his eldest son, took on the role of marketing, while George and Yara joined their skills in painting with their father's artwork to produce beautiful handmade pieces. 

The acute lack of energy and the absence of key crucial machines that Kamel needs to ensure the quality of work were the main problems this hardworking family had to deal with. 

The viability of this workshop will be guaranteed through the efforts of the entire family, who are working hard every day to ensure a successful business.

Elias built a peaceful life in his small village Al-Dwair, without realizing that he would lose it all in a blink of an eye. 

The sole provider for his wife and their three children is a carpenter who opened his first workshop with his brother back in 1985. 

Elias's family lost everything they had and was displaced to the city of Homs, just like all the other families in this village who witnessed the horrors of the war, but, the skilled carpenter didn't let the difficulties get in the way of his work for the sake of the people he loves. 

Every now and then, Elias was able to buy a new machine; however, starting from scratch was not easy in a country that was just coming out of a war, and despite the fact that he worked nonstop, he was unable to afford the missing equipment, particularly the electric generator, that would have increased the productivity of his work.

Elias wants to develop his workshop and guarantee that it is equipped with everything needed to maintain his project successfully.

At the age of 16, Ayman decided to take responsibility and learn a profession; he worked for a hair salon in Al-Arman neighborhood where his family used to live before the war.

Unfortunately, their house was hit by a shell and it was severely damaged, which forced them to move and settle down in Fairouza village. Today, Ayman lives with his parents and only brother, and the two sons are providing for the family after their father had critical health condition that prevented him from working.

The young man worked in Lebanon for one year then when he returned, he continued working at home because he couldn’t afford to open his own salon.

Ayman applied to the Micro Projects Program aspiring to make his first step towards a better future, helping the enthusiastic hairstylist was the beginning of achieving his dream and he is ready to continue by himself depending on his talent and the skills he gained while working in several salons.

Milad's love for his family was his only source of inspiration when things got difficult.

He is a dentist from Homs, lives with his wife Julie, their two sons, Boulos and Nour, and their daughter, Angela, along with his elderly mother. He converted a room in his home into a dental clinic and began offering his services to the residents of the area.

His daughter Angela (24 years old) was born with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, which affected her mental abilities and she requires special care and when his life partner was tragically diagnosed with colon cancer, Milad had to work alone to support the family who relies on him.

The growing responsibilities stopped him from enhancing his work, and all of his income was hardly enough for basic needs and the monthly cost of his wife and daughter's treatment. 

Milad applied to the Micro Projects Program in the hopes that he would be able to renovate the old dental chair that he had been using since 2000. Now that his clinic is fully equipped, he has everything he needs to raise the quality of his work and increase his income. 

A few years ago, some friends asked Reem to help them with their nails designs and that's how she discovered her special talents and gained the needed skills and her family encouraged her to follow her passion. 

At first, she offered her services at minimal prices and worked at home just to acquire experience and create relations with the ladies in her neighborhood. 

She is a married woman and a mother of three beautiful daughters; her husband Firas works as a government employee and when his salary became barely enough for their needs and the financial burdens increased day after day, Reem decided to open a shop and work to help her family.

She applied to The Micro Projects Program where she found support to continue and improve her project, and now, the hard-working woman has all she needs to run her small business and guarantee its success. 

Hassan chose to stay in the country where he grew up and lived, while his wife and children traveled abroad seeking a better future.

Hassan is a barber who started his career as a barber back in 1990 and he managed to ensure his wife and their three children a dignified life through it until the cruel war started. He went to Lebanon and worked there for ten years then returned when the deteriorating economic situation affected all aspects of life. 

His house was severely damaged and he spent all the money he saved during years of hard work in order to repair it and settle down. Hassan's shop lacked some new tools and a battery to improve the lighting condition, which is essential in such a profession.

Supporting his shop with all the requirements made a positive change and lit a new hope inside the darkness that the war has left behind. 

"I have lost nine years and a half of my life in the army!" Bassam said, sharing his experience during the cruel war.

He was called for mandatory service back in 2011 and when he was discharged, he found himself responsible for a family of four, since his father passed away while Bassam was absent, and his only brother had an accident that affected his ability to walk, and he is now working in a vegetable shop. 

Today, Bassam lives with his mother, sister, and brother in Fairouza village and he works in construction because he didn’t have the chance to have a former job before the military service. 

This work didn’t ensure a sufficient income and Bassam started to think of another source of livelihood, which is suitable for his condition and enough to cover his family's essential needs. The mini-winch was his choice due to his work in the construction field and the good relations he created with many craftsmen. 

This support will guarantee an independent business and better income for this family. 

The economic situation in the country imposed a new reality where the family's main provider has to find more than a source of income to secure a decent living.

Fadi has been working as an employee for an oil factory since 2002, he lives with his wife and their two children in addition to his mother and sister and he is the sole breadwinner for the big family. 

While the financial burdens were increasing, Fadi's salary wasn’t sufficient at all to cover the essential needs, he decided to focus more on agricultural work as a sustainable source of livelihood. He used to work in the family's land in Maskanah village and he made his decision to prepare the land and improve its crops of grapes.

Planting new vines required setting iron stands, which he couldn’t afford due to the high prices. Now, Fadi planted the land and he is working hard to ensure a successful crop, waiting impatiently for his land to start producing and generously provide him and his family with a dignified living.

Maria Al-Samaan is the eldest daughter in a family of five, her father has retired due to a disability and his pension was their only income for many years in addition to the help of relatives.

however, their circumstances were never easy, and during the years of war, they suffered precarious conditions and financial hardships, in addition to her mother's illness with breast cancer.

All this did not weaken Maria's determination to complete her education, as she was able to enter the Faculty of Architectural Engineering, and since her first year at the university, she started working in the profession of nail beauty with the help of her aunt so that she could afford her university expenses.

After graduating from the university, she was employed at Syriatel telecommunication company as an engineer, and at the same time, she continued working in nail beauty because her salary was very low and was barely sufficient to cover the house demands.

Over time, Maria found that her work in Syriatel was draining her time and energy, and her salary was very low compared to the house obligations, so she decided to resign and work full-time in the profession of nail beauty.

unfortunately, this work also has disadvantages, as she was diagnosed of having sciatic nerve inflammation and neck beaks, and she was no longer able to keep working and needed an income-generation project to cover the livelihood demands.

Maria was concerned because she is the eldest daughter and she is responsible for the house and her siblings, but with the help of the Micro-project program, she was able to start her own cosmetic store to sell nail beauty and cosmetic materials, which will relieve her of the hard work and provide her with sustainable income to live in dignity.

Rafy is 45 and married to Rania Al-Asaad and they have two sons Fady born in 2005 and Hady born in 2009.

Before the war, the family lived in Maaloula village and they were in a good financial situation as they had a mini-market on the main street where Rafy and his wife used to work and at the weekends Rafy used to work at wall-painting workshops to increase their income.

However, after 2011, their life changed completely as the armed groups attacked Maaloula, entered the city, and began spreading the killing and violent acts everywhere. In 2013, the family was forced to flee to Damascus and live at the wife’s family house in Al-Dwallaa area, as their house in Maaloula was hit by a shell which caused its destruction, and the shop was looted and burned.

However, Rafy didn't let desperation sneak into his heart, so he decided to overcome all the incidents they have been through and start a new mini-market in Kashkoul and named it "Al-Maalouly" but soon after he was called for the reserve military service and for the next six years he was serving in Alqtaifa and his wife was running the mini market until his discharge in 2019.

He was very concerned about the fate of his sons and he decided to travel to Erbil with his family to seek better living conditions but that decision coincided with the Corona pandemic and he lost all of his savings in Erbil and went back to Syria despaired. 

upon his return, Rafy started to work as a driver but of his bad luck he had a car accident and was hurt but several injuries that caused him a 60% deficit and a long period of treatment.

he was devastated and lost so he decided to hold his last hope and apply to the Micro-project program for the mini-market project.

After the fund, Rafy is so grateful and feels blessed that God has made up for all the calamities he went through and he is determent to restore his life balance and work to improve his living conditions.

Elias Faddoul, 56, is married to Carmen Jarrous and they share living with his siblings at the family's old house in Bab Touma.

Before the war, Elias had a small store for selling holy icons and rosaries, he loved his work a lot and was always creating new designs, but with the beginning of the war, the difficult economic conditions affected his job as the demand for icons was no longer required because people were barely able to afford the basic demands so his business deteriorated and ended with closing the store in 2015.

However, Elias didn't despair and was ready to start over; he took many courses at the church including project management, design, and many others then volunteered to work with special-needs people and trained them to do wax modeling and handicrafts. He also started a workshop affiliated with the Greek Catholic Church in 2018 to recycle and sell candles, and all the profit went to charity work.

Elias was very passionate about his profession and wanted to start his own workshop especially since his wife had experience in the field of crochet and handicraft work, but the tools they owned were old and worn out, and their financial conditions hindered them from achieving this dream.

With great faith, Elias applied to the Micro-project program to start his workshop and he was funded with equipment, machines, and materials that will revive his work and secure better and more sustainable income for the future.

Sami Hartak is a determined and hardworking young man, he is 31 and lives with his old parents and sisters in a modest house in Al-Dwallaa neighborhood.

He graduated from the faculty of agricultural engineering during wartime which made it so difficult for him especially since his parents are old and retired so he was responsible for his expenses and the house obligations at the same time under some very harsh circumstances.

Sami wasn’t lucky to find a suitable job that meets the high costs of living but he got employed in the morning as an agricultural engineer and took a part-time job as a photographer assistant in the afternoon. He soon became passionate about this profession and took many courses to enhance his skills then he volunteered to do all the media work for the Maronite church and the hope charity related to sisters Jesus and Mary and gained practical experience.

Although Sami loved working with the church, his financial condition was falling apart and he needed to have an income to afford the living demands so he applied to the micro-project program and took a project management course to improve his management skills so he could be able to run his own project.

Now after the fund, Sami started to see life through his camera’s lenses, and he is not only doing the work he loves but also benefiting and securing his future.

George Dahdal, 31 years old, lives along with his father, brother, grandma, and aunt in a small house in Al- Dwalaa area.

Before the war, George was working with his father at the family mini-market until the beginning of the crisis in Syria which affected their work so his father decided to close the mini-market and started to work as a pick-up driver.

During that period, their village became invaded by the armed groups, and George’s grandmother and aunt were displaced and came to live with George’s family in Al-Dwalaa which increased the responsibilities since they are both disabled and needed a lot of care and medication.

In 2014, George was feeling hopeless and decided to go to Lebanon to work and he stayed there for six years working at a restaurant and sending money to his family until 2020 when he got the news about his mother’s disease as she was diagnosed with cancer. George decided to quit his job and return to Syria to stay beside his mother during her treatment journey that took two difficult and painful years and ended up with her death in 2022 which was a great shock for the entire family.

During those two years, George tried to find a proper job to support his family with the house expenses but most jobs' income wasn’t matching the high costs of living so he decided to apply for the mini-market project since he has an experience in that field.

He also took a project management course and did everything he could to improve his chances and in return, his project was funded with all the needed tools, goods, and products.

George now is looking forward to improving his business and planning to expand his project for the future.

Fady Ibrahim is 30 years old, married to Mariam Altheib and they have three cute little girls, Georgette born in 2017, Cathren 2019, and Yara 2021. They live in a rented flat in Kashkoul, Damascus suburbs.

With the first sparks of war, Fady was still at the beginning of his life journey, full of youthful enthusiasm, but he didn’t have the time or choice to start a new chapter of his life because in 2011 he was called for military service until 2021.

Ten harsh years drained his dreams and energy, as he was serving during the toughest circumstances especially since his concerns and responsibilities increased after getting married and having his three daughters.

However, after his discharge in 2021, he found himself in the prime of his life without any profession or experience so he worked many jobs such as a taxi driver, a worker at an aluminum workshop, and a pickup car driver. Fady was a hardworking man and his employers were very pleased with his work and tried to support him.

He didn’t mind working three jobs a day so he could live in dignity and afford all his obligations and living expenses but the post-war years were very tough, and being a family provider wasn’t an easy job because no matter how hard he worked the income was still not enough to match the living demands. Fady wanted a chance to have his own project.

Having a taxi made him feel independent and responsible for his own income and gave him the power to work even harder trying to change his family’s livelihood for the better.

Although the war is over, but its calamities has remained in the heart of each one of us, as a painful reminder of what we have been through especially since many are still suffering from its effects such as Emad Dawood and others from the war-wounded individuals.

Emad is 31 years old, married to Nour Sbaih and they have three adorable kids, Rosseil born in 2017, and the twins Roy and Junior born in 2022.

Before the war, he worked as a tiler and was dreaming of improving himself and have an independent business but unfortunately, the war came to rob all his dreams as he was called for military service and he had to serve in the most dangerous places in the countryside of Damascus until 2014 when he was injured by more than one shot.

His injury was severe as he had to undergo many surgeries that led to a complete removal of the spleen, part of the colon, and part of the stomach, leading to a 40 percent of disability as a result, so he was discharged from the military service. However, Because of his disability, Emad was unable to return to his old profession so he started working at Bab sharqi cemetery in 2017 then he worked as a salesperson in a dairy shop until its closure in 2019 when he took a job as a delivery-man for a restaurant.

Emad was fighting for the sake of his family and didn’t hesitate to work more than 16 hours a day, yet he wasn’t able to provide even the milk for his newborn twins or the livelihood demands of his family. he was looking for a chance so he applied for the mini-market project.

Now, After being funded, Emad finally feels that God is leading him to the best and he is willing to work hard to improve the family's life.

Wasim Abou Saab is 33 years old, married to Majdoleen Albahry with two kids Lamitta born in 2017, and Elia born in 2019, and the couple are waiting to welcome their twins after a few months.

Before the war, Wasim graduated from the faculty of economics and trade, then worked at a company for three years until 2011, as he was called for military service and wasn’t discharged until 9 years later.

During that period Wasim got married and started a family with the help of his parents and his in-laws, then after his discharge, he started working during the anise season as he used to transport the anise crops from Hieneh village to Damascus but his income was very little and exclusively during the harvest seasons so his friend loaned him a taxi to work on as a part-time job so he could be able to meet his obligations and expenses especially since his wife is suffering from back disc pain and Periphera neuropathy and she needs medicines on daily basis.

Wasim was struggling; working many jobs to provide his family with a decent living but during the previous years the situation deteriorated quickly and he was seeking a project of his own to secure his livelihood.

He applied for the pick-up truck because it will help in his seasonal work and also for transporting goods which will increase his income and provide him and his family with better living conditions.

For many years of his life, Shar Alabdoun, worked hard taking every possible opportunity to have an income and live in dignity.

He graduated from a tourism institute and started to work as a cook, and when he had a job vacancy in the Caribbean islands he didn’t hesitate to travel and work there, then when he saved some money he decided to return to Syria and have his own project.

For his bad luck, he returned in 2011 and started his restaurant in the countryside of Damascus unknowing that the timing was terrible because that very year, the war broke out and all the suburbs were attacked which led to the destruction of his restaurant and losing all the money he saved in the past years.

However, Shar decided to start over from scratch and returned to work as a chef at different restaurants trying to have a proper income to afford his living and save for the future, he even traveled to Lebanon seeking better job opportunities but the high costs of living there were unbearable.

In 2019, Shar got married to Majd Alnehmeh, and they had their son Sharbel who brightened their life.

Shar was always searching for a chance to be independent and has his own income so he sold the wedding rings and started a mini-market but the heart problems he suffered from after that and the surgery he went through affected his financial situation and made him unable to make any improvement at his project.

With the help of Hope center, Shar didn’t lose his mini-market because he was funded with the necessary goods and products that will give him a strong push to expand his mini-market and work for improving his conditions and provide his family with a decent living. 

It is never easy to hold responsibility of a family at a very young age, especially during war times, but Maroun Fares proved that strong faith and hard work always overcome obstacles.

Maroun is 24 years old, he lives with his mother and three younger sisters in a 50-meters, unfurnished and modest flat in Jaramana. They used to live in Bloudan, Damascus suburbs and during the wartime, they suffered a lot from many dangers in addition to the lack of all life necessities which forced him at a very young age to work and help his family with the livelihood demands.

Unfortunately, his father’s health deteriorated as he was diagnosed with cancer which was a shock for the family, Maroun had to face this reality and accompany his father during his long treatment journey until he passed away in 2018. Maroon was still eighteen at that time but he became the man of the house and decided to bury his grief deep in his heart and take responsibility for the sake of his mom and sisters.

He started to work at many workshops and continued his study at the same time so he was able to support his sisters to continue their education and also afford the house expenses. 

He worked hard at a detergent manufacturing workshop and learned everything about the detergents industry then took a course about this profession at Damascus university; because he was dreaming to have his own workshop and he was able to achieve that dream with the help of Hope center as he was funded by the manufacturing machines and the materials needed which will provide him with sustainable income and help improve his living conditions.

No matter how harsh and difficult the conditions are, there is nothing more difficult than the bitterness of death.

This is what the twenty-three-year-old Naya Al-Freijat believes, who experienced death in its worst forms; in 2016, during the brutal wartime, her older brother Yazan was working at Al-Badia Cement Factory in Dumayr, when the armed groups attacked the area, and when they knew that Yazan was Christian, they executed him.

The impact of this tragedy was devastating for Naya and her family, especially her father, who could not handle the loss of his son in such a horrible way and was subjected to a severe shock that led to his death.

Naya's mother also suffered from severe psychological trauma after losing her son and husband and her health started to deteriorate as she had diabetes and high blood pressure.

In the face of all these tragedies, Naya and her sisters suddenly found themselves heartbroken and lonely without a supporter. They had to take care of their sick mother and younger sister Hanin who was still in school so they decided to study and work, Marwa graduated from the faculty of pharmacy and started working as a trainer and Naya graduated from the technical arts institute with a specialization in photography and started working as a photographer.

She had practical experience for two years that enhanced her skills in taking photos in addition to learning the Photoshop program, and when she started to have external photography requests, she would borrow a camera from her friend or from the center in which she works.

Naya has always wished to have her own camera so that she could have more work and increase her income, but the harsh circumstances she has been through made that dream impossible.

" Nothing is impossible with God " Luke 1;37

through the Micro-project initiative, Naya was funded to have her own camera and equipment that will allow her to receive more customers requests which will improve the conditions of the family and now she dreams that this camera will be the first step to success in her life and to have her own business "Naya Photography”.

Starting from scratch is always difficult, especially during wartime, while being responsible for little kids, and not knowing how to keep them safe and secure.

That’s how Norma Elias 44, expressed her journey during the years of war. She is married to Ziad Alhomsi and they have three children Lady 2001, Elias 2004, and Larita 2009. 

Her husband used to have his own workshop in Aldekhanieh area, Damascus suburbs, and his income was good enough to provide the livelihood demands of the family.

However, Aldekhanieh was among the areas that were affected by the war calamities as it was hit daily by many shells, which forced Norma’s husband to flee leaving everything behind, and he never had the chance to restore any of his machines or equipment. That year in 2014, Norma and her husband lost their source of income. Her husband returned to be a worker and Norma didn’t hesitate to support him so she took some courses in handicrafts and cooking at the church and then started to work from home and help with the living expenses.

Soon after, she began to rent tables at the church exhibitions to display her products which were quite profitable at the time but during the last few years, the economic situation had a devastating impact on all people including Norma and her family as she became unable to buy the materials necessary for her work and at the same time her husband income couldn't meet the living demands so she decided to apply at the micro-project for support.

Now after having all the required tools and materials, Norma is preparing beautiful handicrafts for Christmas with all hope that her business will thrive and she will be able to help her family and improve their condition.