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The equipment that he has are from the day he opened the shop back to 1987, which became outdated and not useful anymore, that's why upgrading his shop became essential for him so that he won't lose more costumers.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

There will always be difficult challenges to face every day, but with great faith, one will be strong enough to defeat those challenges as Jamil Bshara did his entire life.

Jamil is 49, married to Silva Hamwi and together they have amazing three children; Eleanor and Alber born in 2003, and Enji born in 2005. Jamil and his family live in a small rented flat in Jaramana where he works in packaging at the Syrian Trade Corporation.

Before the crisis, Jamil used to have his own shop that sells toys and other stuff, his income was enough to secure a good living. After about 7 years of working in the shop and with the outbreaking of the Syrian war, Jamil had to close it due to the increasing prices.

However, he didn’t hesitate to do any job available because he had a family to feed and kids to educate, so he worked as a cleaner in Saint Mansour Monastery in Sednaya until 2013 because the situation there became very dangerous. After that, he started working in a local food restaurant in Jaramana and for many years he worked more than 12 hours a day and did his best to provide the best life possible for his kids, and he succeeded in his endeavor as his son Alber is at the informatic engineering college and his daughter Eleanor is at the architecture engineering college while his third daughter is from the top students on in her class.

“what you give out, will always return to you”

Jamil spent his whole life giving his family all the love, attention, and care, and it was time to reap the results as his request for the mini-market project was approved, and now Jamil is hoping that after all those tough years, he will finally have a thriving job that will enable him to be independent with a sustainable income.

Abdo had a peaceful and stable life with his family living in Sednaya town, Damascus countryside.

During the first years of the war, the situation began to worsen gradually, until it became very dangerous to stay in the area, as his house was severely damaged by the shelling which forced the family to leave their home without being able to take any belongings.

Abdo and his family moved to Damascus where his friend helped him rent a small apartment in one of Bab Touma's old neighborhoods to shelter there, as his children were still at a very young age.

Abdo worked in a small shop in Kashkool area, and he tried hard during those difficult years to secure the basic living necessities for his family, but his income was barely matching the high living expenses which prevented him from moving to a better house or buying new furniture and his financial condition was getting critical.

Unfortunately, by the end of the war, the economic crisis exploded, then the Corona pandemic started, which affected the business situation severely and Abdo had to close the shop in 2020, he began to look for any source of income to secure the rent and his children basic requirements.

He started working on his old car making deliveries or special requests with the help of his friends and relatives, but the car was worn-out and its malfunctions cost a lot of money which banned him from improving his work or his income.

Now after getting the approval, Abdo is touring the streets day and night with his new taxi, seeking to get as much work as he could in order to enhance his income and his family’s living conditions.

Kinan’s life was never easy, each chapter of it contained a lot of pain and bitterness, but he never gave up and was sure that all the faith and love he gives, will return to him.

He lived in Al-Qadam area in Damascus where he worked as a gypsum statues sculptor. He was like any young man of his age working hard and planning for his future as he established his own workshop, bought a mini pick-up to increase his income, and got engaged to Antoinette Ahmar but unfortunately, the war came to waste his efforts, and destroy all his dreams as Al-Qadam area was one of the conflict places that was severely destroyed by the daily bombing including Kinan’s house and workshop. He had to flee the area without being able to take any of his belongings or his work equipment.

In 2012, Kinan had to start from scratch since his career wasn’t demanded anymore so his uncle offered to share his house. Kinan worked any job available to afford his living expenses, but his financial situation was getting worse day by day. However, his fiancé Antionette stood beside him and refused to leave him. She waited eight years until he decided to sell his pick-up so he could marry and rent a house to live in with his wife and mother.

Despite the hardships, Kinan and Antionette got married in 2018 and had their son Sam one year after, they both worked together to overcome all the difficulties; Kinan rented a pick-up and started working as hard as he could to provide for his family and his wife was also doing handcrafts at home to support her husband.

Kinan was looking for a chance to improve his living conditions and had strong faith that life will turn up for him thereby, as soon as he heard about the micro-project program in Damascus, he applied for the pickup truck full of hope and determination.

Indeed, the darkest chapter of his life was closed and now he has his own pick-up truck that will increase his income and provide a second chance to have a decent and stable life.

Salwan Alnasr is 43 years old, married to Rita with a 13-year-old son called Jack.

Salwan and his family live in a modest rented flat in Al-Dwalaa, He used to work as a tile setter for more than 13 years. Despite the fact that his work was very hard and affected his health on the long term, he kept working to afford the best life for his family because during the crisis years, no matter how hard he worked, his income didn’t level up with the high costs of livelihood.

Unfortunately, in 2017, Salwan started to suffer from severe pain in his back and the doctor told him that he has to go through surgery that he couldn’t afford, but “the Good Shepherd Association” covered the surgery’s costs and after the operation, he had to stay for about 18 months in bed rest. During that period, Salwan had to spend all his savings to afford the basic living needs and after his recovery, his brother helped him to start a small shop close to his house where he could be able to support his family without much physical effort.

He worked in the shop with his brother until his traveling in 2020 when Salwan took the responsibility of running the shop by himself and he became very popular in the neighborhood as people got used to buying from him.

However, due to the Corona and the huge increase in prices, Salwan couldn’t support his shop with new goods, and day after day it became empty besides a few materials that were left on the shelves. Salwan was in a bad financial situation and he wasn’t able to make a balance between his income and his family’s living demands. 

“Don’t let life bring you down. Remember that God gives you struggles to test your faith.”

Salwan’s faith was stronger than his struggles, and now after being supported by the micro-project program he is able to support his shop with a good amount of goods and products to improve his income and restore his life balance.

The cruel war forced many people to live far away from their families and children, seeking better income to afford decent living conditions.

Dekran Kendmian worked in maintenance and his salary was good enough to meet his daily expenses, but with the beginning of the war, his profession was affected badly and he became unable to afford the basic needs.

Dekran couldn’t stand watching his children deprived of having a good life or proper education, so he decided to travel to Lebanon where he started to work there in his profession and send whatever he earned to his family back in Damascus hoping that someday he would bring them to live with him. Unfortunately, the high living costs in Lebanon prevented this dream and he spent 9 bitter years waiting for the day of their reunion.

However, with the beginning of the Lebanese revolution in 2019, the security and economic situation in Lebanon worsened, and he decided to return to Syria.  But the Corona pandemic, and the quarantine that happened after, reflected negatively on his financial situation as he started to spend his savings with no income.

Dekran was a hardworking man who couldn’t stand letting his family live in need and poverty, he said:

“I am willing to tear down the walls with my bare hands to secure my family with a better life”

Through the Micro-project program, Dekran got a pick-up truck so he could be able to make a sustainable income that will improve the family's living circumstances.

In 2010, Tony left his village and headed to the city of Damascus with hope and determination to make a change in the life of his family. He settled in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood and started to work in any available job and send most of his wages to his mother and brother who suffers from sight disability. 

Unfortunately in the first years of the war the security situation in Damascus deteriorated badly, and soon after, he was asked to serve in Hama.

Tony accepted the bitter reality and for more than eight years he served in very dangerous zones, went through several hardships, and survived many calamities. Yet, he didn’t let his situation bring him down, on the contrary, he learned the hairstyling profession and while he was serving in Hama, he worked at Marmarita village then when he was transferred to serve in Damascus, he continued his work there and gained good experience by the leading of professional hairstylists in the area.

The day that Tony was looking forward to, had arrived and he was discharged from the military service. He didn’t hesitate and started to work many shifts during the day to improve his financial situation, he wanted to save money to have his own salon, but his family’s situation wasn’t stable and he was sending them money every month to secure their basic living demands.

Tony’s dream of being independent and having his private job was fading away with the increasing costs of living, but he kept on the hard work until he heard about the micro-project program so he came with all hope asking for support.

Now, after being financed with the necessary equipment and the electric generator, Tony has finally reached his goal; having his own salon, and being independent to mprove his living circumstances.

"Being responsible for a lovely family with two little girls under current circumstances in Syria is something very difficult, it breaks your heart not to be able to secure the simplest needs of life and see your daughters growing in deprivation."

All that George was seeking for, is to secure a decent living for his family. Unfortunately, within the economic crisis in the country, no matter how hard he worked he couldn’t afford even the daily food.

In the previous years of war, George moved between several jobs as he worked at a coffee store for a year but his salary wasn’t good so he quit and started a Shawarma restaurant in partnership with his friend, but after one year his friend traveled abroad and George couldn’t handle all the expenses alone so he had to close it and worked as a waiter in a hotel. Since 2019, George has been working for more than 12 hours a day trying to afford his family's livelihood, but the situation is getting worse year after year and his income isn't enough to meet his monthly obligation.

He takes courage and determination from his daughters' innocent eyes to keep working and trying every day, because his main concern is providing them with a decent life.

Through the Micro-project program, George was supported to open his Coffee shop, so he could be independent and able to improve the living circumstances of his family. 

For 23 years, Nawal worked as a teacher to many generations who learned from this wise woman, she didn’t just teach them the typical curriculum but also planted true values of life in their mind and you can see that from her sons whom, despite the difficult financial and living condition of the country, were supported by their mother to become successful in their education. Hani is now in the third year of Agriculture Engineering, Fady is in the first year of Informatics Engineering and the youngest, Dani is in the eighth grade.

Unfortunately, the last decade was very hard for the whole family, as her husband’s job was affected badly by the war in addition to losing their house and land in the village of Rakham, Daraa governorate, with 125 olive trees that were cut and burned.

However, despite the losses, Nawal and her husband kept their faith as they started to work together to raise those young boys and provide them with basic needs and proper education, and even after her retirement in 2016, Nawal insisted on playing a major part in her family’s life; she tried to find a job but with the deteriorating condition and the increasing prices, nothing was suitable to secure the income she needed.

This hardworking woman kept searching for a chance and didn’t hesitate when she heard about our initiative to apply for a stationery shop which was approved. Nawal received the necessary equipment and materials to start her stationery shop where she could work along with her sons to get a sustainable income that will improve their current situation and hopefully their upcoming future.

For more than 27 years of experience as a shoemaker, Elias Alhelo has devoted all his life to the sake of his family and his three daughters Maha, Ayda, and Hanin.

They lived in Aldekhanyeh area in peace where Elias had his workshop and the profit was sufficient to secure a decent life for them.

Unfortunately, after the beginning of the crisis, things started to worsen gradually until the year 2014, when armed groups entered Aldekhanieh and started to shoot at the houses spreading violence and horror and terrifying the citizens including Elias and his wife who were in great fear for their daughters’ lives, especially that their daughter Hanin was still a newborn. Elias was forced to take his family and flee immediately without taking any of their belongings.

They became homeless, with no money or shelter so they stayed for two months in an unfinished flat until Elias managed to get some money to rent a small apartment in Kashkoul. He found himself forced to start everything from scratch; so he doubled his working hours just to afford the household necessities.

Although Elias was a skilled craftsman, being an employee at a workshop didn’t provide him with enough income to meet the living costs or secure his daughters' education costs, he was looking for a chance to improve his living circumstances.

Giving Elias the opportunity to have his own shoemaking workshop will make him independent with a sustainable income, in addition to restoring hope to his heart that life can still be kind to the ones who believe. 

Jana and her family had a quiet, peaceful life in their home in the city of Sednaya.

Unfortunately, this situation changed completely two years ago as Jana's father passed away from a heart attack, after that the family began a journey of pain and misery.

Before their tears dried, they were asked to leave their home because it was given to the father as a work benefit, so they were left without shelter or support. They moved to the city of Damascus, hoping to find better work opportunities, and rented a small house in Jaramana, all family members began working together to secure the daily food and their basic needs.

Jana's mother started to do cleaning work, but it was very hard for her as it affected her health and damaged her back, so she had to undergo several surgeries and stay at home.

Despite her young age, Jana decided to help her family with the household expenses, so she worked in several jobs then started to learn the profession of nails care and gained good experience in this field, but the lack of money prevented her from buying the necessary materials and improve her work.

Through the Micro-project program, Jana was supported with the necessary tools to work and save money so she could be able to support her mother and siblings in improving their livelihood conditions.

“Either you challenge life or let it defeat you”

The words of a woman who was hit by life’s hardships many times and came out stronger and wiser.

Clemance Akhras is 46, a widowed mother of two, Mouna 23, and Naser 22. She used to live happily with her family in Aleppo, working as a seamstress to help her husband with the living expenses.

With the start of war in 2011, her husband passed away from a heart attack, leaving Clemance heartbroken and alone in face of the horrors of war. She did not have time to mourn her husband, as the crisis struck the city of Aleppo and soon violence and death spread all over the city, then her house was destroyed by the shells and she couldn’t take any of her belongings out. she and her kids escaped with only their clothes to find themselves scared with no shelter or support.

Clemance decided to resort to the church where she stayed for two weeks then she moved with her children to Damascus hoping to have a new start there. With the help of the priest and the nuns, Clemance was able to rent a small flat in Al-Dwalaa and got employed at the Good Shepherd center as a children’s supervisor. In the afternoons, she worked as a seamstress at a sewing workshop.

Clemance worked day and night to provide her kids with proper education and basic living needs, but no matter how much she was trying, new challenges emerged; the workshop was closed and her income became much less than the increasing living demands. 

“I just want to grow old with my son and daughter beside me, not in a faraway country”.

This little dream of Clemance is our main purpose in the Hope Center, she was supported to have her own sewing workshop so this strong lady could have her independency, a sustainable and decent income to improve her living, and hopefully keep her children by her side. 

Firas Haddad, 46, lives with his mother in a modest house in Jaramana, Damascus countryside.

as a child, Firas went through very difficult circumstances as he was exposed to a fire accident in his childhood that caused severe burns on his hands and face. He has undergone many surgeries since then and still suffers from deformities, but it didn't prevent him from working or having a normal life.

In 2010, Firas started working as a salesperson using his small car, and even during the period of war, he continued to tour on the roads, trying his best to afford his living expenses and take care of his sick mother; secure her medicines as she suffers from severe back pains and osteoporosis which needs lots of attention and permanent treatment.

This situation continued until the year 2020, when Firas had a health problem, as a result of which he had to go through a stents placement operation, then he had to stay at home to rest. During that period, his financial situation was affected greatly, especially after the high treatment costs and the increasing living expenses, after his recovery, he wanted to start working again, but the prices had risen dramatically, and that prevented him from buying any new goods.

Firas and his mother became reliant on the church’s relief support, he kept looking with all hope for a way to restore his old life. It was when the church's priest told him about the Micro-project program, so he applied to be financed with the goods and materials to get his job back, secure a decent income for him and his mother, and become an independent and productive person once again.