Abdullah Hatem, a hardworking 31-year-old with an entrepreneurial mindset, started his journey from a young age. He worked alongside his father, who owned a car mechanic workshop, but Abdullah did not envision himself working in the same field. Instead, he developed a keen interest in the art of garment printing. In 2012, he embarked on his journey and worked towards starting his own project and owning a workshop.

Abdullah's determination and hard work allowed him to save every penny he earned, aiming to purchase his very own shop. Initially, he rented a small space, but through persistent efforts, he eventually managed to buy his own workshop. However, the outbreak of war disrupted his business, causing a significant decline in his income. Additionally, he faced the challenge of acquiring the necessary printing equipment.

Abdullah made investments with a friend in an attempt to increase his income, but unfortunately, it did not yield favorable returns. Faced with these setbacks, he found himself in need of a helping hand to provide the push he required. With the assistance of Hope Center and access to essential equipment and materials, he aimed to boost the productivity and quality of his project. He found solace and guidance, which restored hope and determination to overcome all hardships.

Kevork is a 53-year-old skilled mechanic with over 30 years of experience in car maintenance and mechanics. He used to work in his workshop, which he owned since 2005. However, when the war started, his house in Aleppo was damaged by the ongoing shelling. As a result, he was forced to make the difficult decision of selling the equipment he had acquired through years of hard work and moving to Lebanon with his family.

From 2015 onwards, he resided in Lebanon along with his wife and his two sons. In 2018, he returned to Aleppo. Relying on his years of experience, he was determined to support his family.

Despite the challenges he faced, living with his parents, he remained committed to provide for his loved ones. With the assistance of the Hope Center, Kevork was able to obtain all the essential equipment he needed. With his revived business and experience, he was able to rebuild his thriving business.

Bassil Mssedy, a dedicated father in his 50s, worked as a blacksmith for 15 years in the industrial city of Aleppo. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the war made him jobless. The industrial area, once thriving, now lay in ruins.

Bassil and his wife used to reside in a rented house in Al Midan, an area that was heavily bombarded during the war. Tragedy struck one fateful day when a missile destroyed their home. Miraculously, they had left the house just an hour prior, escaping unharmed. Although relieved that their lives were spared, their house suffered significant damage, so they had to move in with their parents in 2014.

Despite their challenging circumstance and unemployment, Bassil managed to secure a position as a church keeper, working part-time. However, his income was barely sufficient to support his family. His wife worked at the airport to help her husband. Unfortunately, she also battled diabetes, adding further strain to their finances due to medical expenses.

Ensuring their basic needs became a daily challenge, as putting food on the table proved to be a constant struggle. They heavily relied on food baskets and cash aids to make ends meet. 

In the depths of despair, Bassil was filled with hope when he received assistance from the Hope Center. With the new taxi he received, he was able to increase his resilience and income, which brought stability to his life.

George Tabbakh is a skilled CNC machinist with 15 years of experience. He began his career in 1997 until 2002 when he decided to start his own business and invest in a metal lathing machine. George has always had a passion for personal development and enjoys immersing himself in new learning experiences. Aware of the potential of 3D printing and mechanical drawing, he attended numerous workshops and courses to enhance his skills with software like SolidWorks.

In 2008, George purchased his own 3D printer. Things were going well until the outbreak of war significantly impacted his business. Faced with financial challenges and a scarcity of jobs, George was forced to sell his equipment. However, in 2015, he resolved to rebuild his career and opened a new shop with the hope of reestablishing his work.

George encountered a multitude of difficulties and challenges. Despite working tirelessly to increase his income, the majority of his earnings were consumed by electricity bills, leaving little to provide for his family of three. His work particularly suffered from the absence of a CNC machine. Whenever a customer requested a small sample, George had to rely on others who owned such machines, often waiting for a month just to receive a sample due to the machine's scarcity in the city.

George and his wife made the conscious decision to stay in Aleppo, despite numerous opportunities to relocate. His wife also contributes to the family's income, supporting her husband through these challenging times. While they have hopes for better prospects in Syria, they are concerned about the low salaries and inflation.

With the support of hope centers, George finally obtained the necessary equipment for his job. The availability of the CNC machine has been a game-changer for his business, allowing him to produce samples quickly and efficiently. George remains dedicated to his craft, determined to make the most of this newfound opportunity to improve his financial situation and provide for his family.

Vahe Tashjian is a 56-year-old mechanic with 23 years of experience. In his younger years, he worked in Kuwait, but he later moved to Aleppo, where he found employment in various companies. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, the companies closed down, leaving him jobless. 

Vahe has always dreamt of owning his own workshop, but his previous attempts were unsuccessful due to the need for financial resources, in 2022, he briefly went to Dubai but got very ill. In less than a year, Vahe returned to Aleppo with great hopes and determination to establish his livelihood. Given his extensive experience, he no longer wanted to work as an employee. 

Luckily, through a friend, he managed to secure a temporary workshop without having to pay rent. As Vahe took his first steps in this new workspace, the recent earthquake impacting the already struggling job market and resulted in a severe decline in customers. This situation left him with no choice but to take matters into his own hands. In order to cut costs, he had to let go of his workers and do the hard physical work himself, which put strain on his health.

 After receiving approval for his project, Vahe felt a sense of relief. He could now bring back his dedicated workers and once again immerse himself in the job he loved. No longer needing to rely on borrowed equipment from others, Vahe was finally able to invest in his own tools and resources. He could provide for his family and generate a more substantial income.

Aziz is a determined young man, recently married to Rasha and waiting for their first born child.

He worked as a driver since 2009 and continued working in this job during his ten-years military service in Damascus, Rasha works as a nurse in a hospital and they live in a modest rented house. 

During his service aziz was injured in the leg then he was discharged and he started looking for a job to secure his life and future. His parents decided to travel and leave the country but Aziz decided to stay and he started looking for a job to secure his life; he started working night shifts at a beverage shop in a local neighborhood but the salary was low and the job included many troubles so he kept his faith and determined to search for a solution to enhance his situation. 

After getting married, Aziz responsibilities got bigger and he found the micro program as the best opportunity to get back to his original career as a driver, with the support he got the taxi and he can now improve his income and provide a good life for his wife and awaited child. 

Antoine had a good life before the war working as a hairdresser with great skill and many customers, in 2013 he was called for military service and had to serve for nine long years in Aleppo's suburbs which affected his health greatly as he was subject to many injuries from explosions.

Antoine suffered from a neurological condition that caused trembling in his hands and he no longer was able to continue in his original career of hairstyling, even grabbing the scissors became the most difficult task for him.

However, he didn't surrender and was determined to find a way to secure his livelihood especially that he is the breadwinner of the household that he shares with his parents and he looks after them; the family had to sell their house in Midan area after the brother was called to service so they can afford the increasing livelihood expenses.

He started working in a blacksmithing workshop but the income was insufficient and it demanded a lot of physical effort. With the support of the Micro Projects program, Antoine got a taxi that would help him make a better living and at the same time it is the most suitable job for his health condition, hopefully it will be the start of a better days to come for him and his loved ones. 

Haytham's journey in the world of tailoring began in 1988, Aleppo, During the war Haytham faced a great loss when his workshop in Shekh Maksoud was completely destroyed and all of his sewing machines and tools were stolen. He used to work alongside his brother for a short period of time, but circumstances led them to separate and focus on their individual projects. Haytham received his share of the profits, which he had planned for his own project, but instead, his wife got very sick so he had to use the money for her surgery. Unfortunately, destiny had a cruel twist in store for him as his beloved wife passed away after a heart surgery in 2014, leaving him devastated and alone.

In Haytham's time of despair, a friend suggested that he rent a workshop. Thankfully, the owners were understanding and charged him a minimal amount of rent, which was a relief considering the financial burden Haytham was already facing. However, there were additional expenses that Haytham had to bear, especially the high monthly private electricity bills. Most of his hard-earned income seemed to disappear into these bills, leaving him with little income to support himself.

Recently, Haytham received devastating news that the owners of the workshop were planning to sell the workshop, without even considering the impact it would have on him and on his son George. Determined not to let this happen, Haytham made the decision to upgrade the workshop in an attempt to prevent the owners from selling it. He planned to replace the outdated sewing machines with new ones that consumed only less electricity. This upgrade would not only modernize his workshop but also significantly reduce the electricity consumption.

With over 35 years of experience, Haytham has mastered the art of creating a wide variety of cotton-wear clothing, to both men and women, including pajamas and robes. As for his personal life, he and his son George live in a rented house. However, Haytham strives to provide the best life possible for his son and wishes to ensure a stable and successful future for him. Haytham's determination and drive are truly admirable. Growing up as an orphan, he experienced hardships at a very young age; however, his determination and passion for his craft have always been the driving forces in his life. Today, with the new machines and support from the Hope Center that Haytham has received, he has overcome challenges and secured a better future for himself and his beloved son, George.

Antoine is 28 years old, married and a father of a 1 year old lovely boy, he has served in the military for almost the last ten years of his life which has robbed him of any opportunity to pursue a career and build a future for his family.

with no experience and a very harsh economic situation of the country, Antoine put a lot of thinking of his next step in life, he looked for any job that would help him provide a decent life for his wife and newborn son, he started working in a soap factory but the salary is very low and not sufficient to make ends meet. 

The earthquake had a huge impact on this family, they lived in fear and were affected by the damages, the church helped them and continues to deliver a small monthly aid, unfortunately the situation is deteriorating with the inflation and the increasing living costs. 

Antoine found hope in the Micro Projects program when he applied for a taxi as it doesn't require a former experience and at the same time he can work long hours and make a better income to improve the livelihood of his loved ones. 

Salem Kadah, a 40-year-old tailor, chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become a tailor himself. Before the war, he worked alongside his father. However, after his father passed away in 2003, Salem forged his own path and began working in jeans production, distributing products to high-end brands. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, his business was disrupted, which forced him to look for alternative sources of income.

In 2016-2017, Salem attempted to revive jeans production but faced significant challenges due to low-profit margins. Consequently, he shifted his focus to tailoring and repairing clothes, utilizing his father's shop. Unfortunately, outdated sewing machines consumed substantial amounts of electricity, the cost of electricity bills was eating into his already modest income.

Despite the difficult circumstances during the war when work opportunities were scarce, Salem always found a way to make ends meet and worked tirelessly; however, minimal income broke his thrive.

Today, with the support he received and his unwavering dedication, Salem now feels confident that his hardships will no longer go to waste on excessive bills. His wife also works and supports him, while together, they provide for their family. Salem seeks to upgrade his workshop, aiming to increase his income by expanding production rather than solely relying on clothes repair.

Upgrading his machinery will undoubtedly lower electricity consumption and save time and effort. Today with the support of Hope Center Salem's 20 years of experience and hard work have not been in vain. With renewed hope, he aspires to resume his job and provide good living for his family.

Mardiros a young barber with seven years of experience, he lives with his mother and bears the sole responsibility of being the family's breadwinner. As a talent in his craft, Mardiros was longing for the security and independence that came with owning his own barbershop. However, the lack of supportive environment and economic challenges of the country left him hesitant to take the leap. He meticulously calculated every aspect, and despite numerous attempts, he remained doubtful as it posed a significant risk.

Having endured the frustration of earning minimum salaries while working for others, Mardiros knew he needed his own equipment to establish his resilience. Mardiros had an idea to minimize the cost of rent, Mardiros's current barbershop decided to offer him the opportunity to rent a chair in their salon for his own customers. This arrangement enabled him to reduce rental expenses while still generating a steady source of income.

With the approval from the Hope Center, Mardiros received an incredible boost in confidence and support. Finally, he could embark on his journey towards independence. The burst of hope and opportunity provided by the Hope Center gave Mardiros the courage to chase his dreams, ensuring a brighter future for himself and his family. 

Nancy Samaan, an ambitious young girl from Tartous, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and later relocated with her family to Aleppo. Nancy always had a clear vision of her passion for graphic design and poured her heart and soul into her work.

At a young age, in 2018, Nancy started her career as a graphic designer. However, she soon realized that her previous job didn't provide the opportunities she needed to improve her skills and profession. Determined to grow, she embarked on a new job that allowed her to explore photography, expanding her abilities and opening up diverse avenues in graphic design. She delved into areas like social media content creation and product advertisement.

After gaining five years of experience in the field, Nancy desired to work independently, driven by her longing for financial independence. She planned to achieve her goals step by step and began by building an impressive portfolio of her work, which earned her positive feedback from customers who admired her talent and expressed a desire to collaborate. Nancy leveraged social media platforms to showcase her work and gain recognition in the job market. With unwavering confidence and fearlessness, Nancy's ultimate dream career was to become an interior designer.

However, the unavailability of a laptop became the only obstacle hindering her success; One day, while working from home, Nancy's laptop suddenly stopped functioning due to a surge in electricity, resulting in the loss of all her files and documents.

Standing as Nancy's number one supporter, her mother is immensely proud of her daughter's determination and unwavering belief in her abilities. With the support she received from the CHC team, Nancy regained her confidence with her new laptop and took the first step towards realizing her dream and unleashing her boundless creativity to pursue a fulfilling career.

In 2010, Nidal and his wife Badiaa started their small family, and today they are the parents of two boys, Elias (10 years old) and Elie (8 years old). The family of four lives in a rented apartment, and Nidal is their sole provider.

They used to live in the war-torn neighborhood of Bab Al-Sebaa until they were compelled to leave because of the war dangers, and Fairouza village was their new home after starting a new life there. 

Nidal is an electrician, and during his career, he went through many experiences that helped him develop his great skills, particularly in maintenance.

After being forced to leave Homs, he continued to work using the few tools he was able to bring with him. Although it was difficult because he was in need of some necessary tools, the hard-working man never gave up.

Having all the tools will make a positive change and Nidal will guarantee his family a better future.

Catherine, the family's youngest daughter, made the decision to pursue her own career and life path.

When she realized that the major she had been studying was not what she was passionate about, she began working in a hair salon, where she discovered her true passion. The experience she gained at the salon was not enough for the ambitious young lady, who attended specialized courses to broaden her skills and utilize her talent in the best way.

She lives with her parents; her father was a plumber, but lately, he became no longer able to continue in this tiring work due to a health condition, and her mother works as a seamstress at home, their situation made Catherine more eager to work and support her family during the tough economic circumstances.

She intended to take her first step by offering nail care services at home, but acquiring the necessary tools and materials was challenging without assistance.

With her unique skills and good experience, Catherine now has the tools necessary to provide the best service to her clients thanks to this initiative.

Jackie and her husband Mikhail are young parents who are doing their best to give their 3-year-old daughter Tatiana a happy life. The small family rents an apartment in Fairouza village; Mikhail owns a vegetable shop, and when their financial obligations started to increase, Jackie decided to support him in finding an additional income.

For Jackie, nail art was just a hobby until she realized she could use her talent to support her family. In 2021, Jackie turned a spare room in her home into a workspace and began taking on clients. Over time, she was able to acquire a few tools and supplies, but Jackie still required more equipment; particularly a battery to make up for the electricity shortage, in order to ensure better services.

This project is now complete since Jackie possesses the required skills and qualifications, in addition to all the requirements, and she intends to open her own salon in the future once her lovely daughter grows up and starts going to school.

After retiring from his job as a craft trainer at the electrical institute, Khaddour was able to devote all of his time to his career in electrical installation and maintenance, which he started in 1984.

He is the sole provider for his wife and their two children, Ornina and Fadi, who are university students.

Khaddour's entire equipment was stolen while he was working at a construction site in February 2022, which caused him to lose his primary source of income. His wife is, unfortunately, a cancer patient, so his pension barely covered the family's essential expenses. He was also unable to pay for new equipment, which caused him to lose out on many opportunities.

Khaddour was able to resume working thanks to this support, which also ensured him an additional source of livelihood during this difficult times.

Twenty years ago, Maryam launched her small shop to assist her husband; the mini-market is a part of their home because they converted a room rather than renting a place to save the financial responsibilities. The fact that she sold a variety of goods in a busy neighborhood, including food commodities, coffee, and cleaning supplies, in addition to making her own dairy products, increased the project's chances of success there.

Yet, the extreme inflation had an impact on Maryam's shop and led to a shortage of merchandise to the point that she could not keep up with the sharp rise in pricing. She has three sons; the youngest had health issues that stunted his growth, and he needs special care and permanent medication.

The hard-working lady strives to preserve her family's only way to a life of dignity, and the Micro Projects Program enabled her to strengthen her shop, ensure a larger variety of products for her customers, and increase her family's income.

After being displaced from their home village of Al-Qaryatein and losing everything, Ibtihaj did all she could to ensure that her family of four got a dignified life. 

She is married and the mother of a boy and a girl; they live in a rented house in Fairouza village, her husband, Waleed, has a genetic disease that has rendered him blind, while her children are still school students, thus Ibtihaj has taken on the role of the family's main breadwinner. 

With simple capabilities, Ibtihaj managed to rent and open a mini-market, which was the only way to cover the family's needs and their monthly obligations.

However, the mini-market was heavily affected the economic crisis and the sharp rise of prices that left it short on many goods and necessities.

This initiative brought new hope to the project, and Ibtihaj is looking forward to a new beginning that will enable her to secure a better livelihood for her son and daughter.

Akram used to work with his father and brother in floor tiling, and throughout the years, the hardworking man gained new skills in stone cladding and decoration besides his main profession.

His work was very good, and in 2009, he saved some money and bought a basement in Fairouza village, which became his family's only shelter when the cruel war began in Homs.

He is a married man and the father of a daughter named Jessica; after his father passed away, Akram became his mother's provider. His wife Nisreen runs souvenirs shop and helps him in covering the family's needs, while their daughter, Jessica, is at the ninth grade.

For Akram to be able to work and provide a sufficient income for his loved ones, he needed some important tools, so he applied for the necessary equipment and an electric generator to overcome the lack of electricity challenge that was affecting his productivity and preventing him from pursuing more opportunities.

Hanna is the only provider for his wife, their two children, Maya and Fadi, as well as his elderly mother.

He has more than 35 years of experience as a floor tiler, which he has gained through hard work between Homs' urban center and its rural outposts.

Hanna had most of the essential equipment, but he needed some additional tools to improve his work since he was forced to stop working for four years during the war and spent all the family's savings to cover their needs. Later, he couldn’t afford to buy them, taking into consideration the economic situation in the country and the financial obligations of living that are growing continuously.

Hanna's productivity will increase now that he has everything he needs, especially the electric generator, in addition to the electric bike, which will allow him to save on the daily expenses he used to pay for transportation costs.

Bassam Gerges, 60 years old, is married to Aida Haddad, and they have four daughters, who, as he put it, are the most valuable thing in his life.

For over thirty years, Bassam worked hard, trying as much as possible to provide the means of livelihood for his family and get his daughters to university. His dream was for his girls to be educated and independent to prove their success in life without the help of anyone.

Bassam was working in a company as a transaction facilitator, but at the same time, he worked as a sales representative using his minivan to sell milk products trying as much as possible to take care of his family. 

At the beginning of 2008, the owner of Bassam's house raised the rent and Bassam became unable to pay so he decided to sell his minivan and buy a fifth-floor flat in Jaramana to shelter himself and his family, and despite its small size and modest condition, it formed the perfect shelter for them during the time of explosions and horrors.

However, in the past years, Bassam's biggest dreams started to come true as his four daughters entered university and after their studies, they are working to support themselves and help their father with their expenses.

His daughter, Josephine, said: "My father worked hard to provide us with the best conditions and secure our future and he was always kind and supportive"

At the age of 60, Bassam became unable to handle his work hardships especially since his salary is low and no longer enough for their daily food so he applied for the mini-van project seeking better work conditions and sustainable income that will help improve his living conditions.

For over twenty years, Tanous Qadmous 55, was struggling to provide his family with the best possible living. 

He is married with two kids, Joseph born in 2000, and Jessy born in 2002, living along with his family in Alqseir village.

Tanous realized that his income was quite low so he moved to Damascus and started working as a barista man at a restaurant while his wife and kids stayed in the village. for many years Tanous sacrificed being far from his family and worked long hours daily so he could send them money every month and secure their living, especially since his daughter was born with mental retardation and needed a lot of care and attention.

Soon after the beginning of the Syrian war, Alqseir village was affected by the armed conflict and its citizens became victims of the violent acts so Tanous had no choice but to bring his family to Damascus to save them from constant danger. 

Tanous kept working at the restaurant until 2016 when he wasn’t able to meet his living expenses anymore and his health started to deteriorate due to his long working hours, so he quit and started working as a taxi driver hoping to increase his income but in the last years, with the increasing prices and the fuel crisis, Tanous realized that most of his profits were going to the taxi owner at the end of the month and his living condition was getting worse.

During that period, his son Joseph who was suffering from Dysarthria started working to support his father but despite all their hard work, Tanous became incapable of securing the simplest living demands.

Helping Tanous with the Taxi project will provide him with a sustainable source of income to provide his family with a decent livelihood and secure their future, assuring his faith that hard days won't last forever.

"Nothing wrong with whatever you do for a living, as long as you do it with dignity"

This is what Ghazi Al-Nasir, 59 years old, has proven.

He is married and lives with his wife and two sons in a small modest flat in Jaramana, Damascus suburbs.

since 1995, Ghazi worked as a school janitor and for more than twenty years he didn't mind doing the hard cleaning work because his main concern was to secure a decent livelihood for his children and support them to complete their education; his eldest son is studying now at the Faculty of Commerce and Economics, and the youngest is studying in the Faculty of Informatics.

Ghazi was very proud of his sons and considered the fact they are studying at the university his biggest achievement in life.

However, in the year 2019, Ghazi had an injury during his work at school, which caused him a severe fracture in his foot, and because he couldn't afford the high costs of the operations, he ended up suffering from a 30% disability in his leg and wasn't able to work anymore, so he started a small buffet service in the school for students, and for two years he was able to support his family through its income.

Unfortunately, at the end of 2021, the ministry of education stopped all the school buffets, which made him without any job.

"When God closes a door, he always opens a window"

Through the Micro-projects program, Ghazi was financed with the necessary goods and equipment to start his small mini-market, which he and his family will work in, hoping to obtain a sustainable income that will provide them a decent life.

The effects of the horrific war have reached everyone on several levels, but the biggest impact that we are suffering from is the people’s migration which most likely comes with very negative results such as the case of Michele Othman and his wife.

Michele is 47 years old, he is married to Fadia al-Jat, the couple used to handle all hardships together and even during the time of war, they faced danger and insecurity by supporting each other to pass that difficult period.

Michele was working in his mini-market daily trying to secure their living but in the post-war period, the economic situation became worse and they were barely able to afford their daily food. 

they were dreaming to live the rest of their life in better circumstances so they decided to risk everything as his wife borrowed some money and started her journey abroad toward that dream. Unfortunately, she went through five tough months of homelessness until her husband finally managed to bring her back to the country.

that attempt had a significant impact on the couple and their living conditions because Michele had to spend all his savings to bring his wife back, which affected his Mini-market as he didn't have the money to renew the goods.

Michele and his wife were striving for a better life, but they returned to scratch after losing everything they worked for.

However, Michele decided not to give up, so he applied to the Micro-project program for support, hoping to restore his sustainable source of income and have the opportunity to improve his living conditions and secure his future.

It is always promising to see young people who have emerged from the horrible years of war, full of hope and determination to make a difference in their lives and their surrounding society. Nael Al-Saad, 25, is the perfect example of that.

Nael’s father was a tiler and his mother was a school teacher, they worked hard to secure their children's livelihood and education despite the bad situation they were living in, the harsh living conditions, and the old dilapidated flat, but they were able to put their children on the first steps of success; as Nael is at the fourth years of the faculty of Law and his sister Wisal have finished her university education and started working as a school teacher.

However, in the past few years, his mother retired and his father's health began to deteriorate due to his hard work, so Nael had no choice but to start working in addition to his study to support his parents and secure the house expenses.

in 2016, Nael began voluntary work with the Syrian Society for Social Development and worked hard to positively impact his surrounding community. For 5 years, Nael used to work, study and improve himself, trying as much as possible to secure the family’s expenses and financial obligations, which became more difficult during the current circumstances and the increasing prices, so he took a part-time job at a stationary store to increase his income.

during the time, Nael found himself with this work and had many ideas to add; such as securing university services for students, their lectures, and many other ideas, so he decided to apply to the Micro-projects program, asking for support to start his own project.

Indeed, this creative self-made young man deserved a chance in life and was supported to start his stationary store hoping that it would be a supportive project for the whole family to improve their living conditions and provide them with sustainable income and at the same time allow Nael to finish his education.

Marwan El Khoury is married and has two sons. Elias, who since his birth in 1995 was suffering from cerebral palsy, and Majd was born in 2000.

For more than thirty years, Marwan worked hard as a painter trying his best to secure his family a decent life and provide his son Elias with the needed medicine, and the necessary care.

He did not hesitate to take a second job to increase his income, so he started working on his brother's pick-up car, transporting goods and everything available.

However, the horrific war affected the life of this simple family; the severe bombing and constant dangers forced them to sell the truck.

At the same time, Marwan's work in painting began to decrease gradually due to the high prices of materials, but he did not lose hope and kept working on whatever he could, trying to secure the simplest living demands for his family.

His hard work for those long years had affected his health, and he became no longer able to carry out painting workshops as before, Marwan was seeking another job to support himself and his family, which led him to apply for a pick-up car.

This struggling man deserved to take another chance in life, and his request was approved, hoping to secure him a sustainable income that would provide his family with a decent life and secure their future.

“For my family to be well, secure, with the basics of living, is all I seek in life”

Firas is 44, married to Hadeel Dahdal and they have two adorable daughters Marita, born in 2013, and Marcel born in 2016.

Firas got employed at the Ministry of Electricity in 1999, but his salary wasn’t good enough to secure a decent living so he started studying at university and in the afternoons he worked at a Foul and Falafel restaurant in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood.

He graduated from the faculty of trade and economics in 2009, then Firas and his brother started a devices maintenance shop in Jaramana and at the same time, they were benefiting from the olives harvest from their village “Tasia” in Daraa governorate. 

Unfortunately, A couple of years after, the war started in the country and its violent effect spread all over to reach their village, all the houses were destroyed and the olive trees were cut, and their farming land was burnt which was a devastating loss for the family. As a result, the shop’s income became insufficient to meet the living expenses which made his brother leave the country and Firas was facing all the financial obligations of the shop alone, so he had to close it soon after.

However, despite all those losses, Firas didn’t despair and he took part-time jobs to increase his income so he could afford the basic needs of livelihood which were increasing year after year until he became incapable of meeting them no matter how long he worked. 

With the help of the Micro Project initiative, Firas now has started his Foul and Falafel Restaurant in Bab Sharqi and he is full of determination and enthusiasm to make this project succeed in order to improve his living conditions and regain his independence. 

For most of his life, Samer was struggling against his life calamities which hit one after another stealing many years of his life.

He started working in maintenance back in 1994, and for many years he kept doing his hard work and paying installments to buy a pickup truck so he could have another source of income and improve his living conditions.

But the life wheel has turned upside down and in 2010 Samer was diagnosed with lower-jaw cancer, and for the next two years, he had to go through twelve surgeries that cost a lot of money and forced him to sell his pick-up truck.

Soon after, Samer had his two kids Selina and Mark who brought happiness to his heart and helped him to overcome his painful affliction so he returned to his work trying to secure his family the best living conditions.

Unfortunately, his peaceful life collapsed by the beginning of 2020 when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed surgery to remove the tumor, in addition to chemical therapy which he couldn’t afford so he had to borrow money from his friends and got help from his family for his wife who is still under treatment.

Despite all, Samer had faith that after every storm, there will be a rainbow and this strong faith brought him to our office to apply for the Taxi project which was approved, and now after having his own Taxi, Samer said:

“I was sure that God won’t let me down, this chance he gave me will change my life and help me to secure a better future”

Firas Malaab, 27, has proven that no matter how hard life pushes against you, your faith should be stronger to push right back.

He is married to Safaa Falouh and they have two kids; Mark was born in 2018 and Roy was born in 2019. They live in two small rooms built on top of his parent’s flat roof.

When he was sixteen, Firas had to leave school and work to help his parents with the living expenses, he learned the hairdressing profession for nine years and then became well-known in the area due to his good work.

During that period Firas was diagnosed of having Retinitis Pigmentosa and needed to undergo surgery, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful and his sight deteriorated badly which affected his career and he became barely able to work. So he took a part-time job at a hospital as a cleaner trying his best to afford basic living needs. 

Soon after, his father was diagnosed of having cancer which was a devastating period for the family as Firas had to borrow money to treat him but he passed away in 2021 leaving Firas and his mother in deep sadness.

Despite his bad health condition, Firas was struggling to secure his family at least their daily food especially since he became responsible for his mother as well so he and his wife were working together full of determination and hope that better days are coming.

Indeed, Firas found his way to our office where he applied for a mini-market and he was financed with the equipment and goods that will allow him to start his mini-market close to his house where the family will work and support each other hoping for better days to come.

For a long period of his life, Essam Alsamara was struggling to secure a decent life for his family, and he never hesitated to make all his efforts to raise his children “Fadi and Joel” in a safe environment and provide them with a good education.

Unfortunately, His continuous pursuit and long working hours became no longer useful during the years of war, because the living situation deteriorated badly, not to mention the daily dangers and shelling which affected Essam’s work and his income was no longer enough to meet the household demands. His great loss was in 2015, when the armed groups seized his house in Kharaba village, Daraa governorate, looted everything inside and left it damaged and uninhabitable 

Essam felt that after all these tough years, he did not yield any results from his hard work, on the contrary, his responsibilities became doubled as he was supporting his brother who was diagnosed with cancer, he became also responsible for his daughter’s family, especially since she had a newborn baby and her husband was unemployed 

Essam did not let despair penetrate his heart. Rather, he kept working for long hours behind the wheel, trying hard to secure at least the daily food, as he was sharing half of his income with the taxi owner, he needed to gain his independency in work so he could be able to improve his income and afford better living conditions for his family.

At the age of five, the life of Adeeb Haddad completely changed from a young child living in a safe environment with his parents to a homeless orphan moving from house to house.

His father's death in 2001 put his mother in a state of grieving and shock and also affected Adeeb who lost security and stability. Their financial conditions were very bad as his mother wasn’t working, so they moved to live with their relatives until his mother decided to marry and move with her husband to Homs.

Unfortunately, his stepfather was very cruel to him, while his mother was too weak to protect him so Adeeb moved back to his relatives' house and never saw his mother for the next eight years. Adeeb has suffered a lot from deprivation as his relatives were also living in extreme poverty; he was forced to leave school in the sixth grade and worked in cleaning bathrooms and washing dishes, or any other job he could find.

In 2017, Adeeb worked with his friend in a mobile maintenance workshop, where he found his interest, as he liked the profession and learned it quickly until he became well-known in his neighborhood for being a skilled maintenance worker. However, his friend wanted to travel, so Adeeb decided to borrow some money and buy the equipment from him to continue in the workshop alone which gave him the opportunity he was looking for to be independent and start his own project.

Adeeb was working in his shop seeking to improve his living conditions to get married, but no matter how hard he worked, that little dream kept becoming farther because the living circumstances were very tough, and with his modest workshop and old tools, he was unable to save money or improve his conditions.

With the help of micro-projects, Adeeb was supported with new tools and proper amounts of goods to enhance his work and income, hoping that after all those tough days, life will smile on him and he will be able to improve his situation and establish his own family.

‘What an iron girl, compared to such pity life’

One can do nothing but feel sorrow and compassion when hearing the suffering and misfortunes of Nermin Albezreh. In 2003, her father passed away leaving this 13-year-old girl sad and alone facing huge responsibilities.

The whole family’s life was turned upside down by losing their only supporter, forcing her mother to work as a cleaner to afford her children’s bread. Nermin couldn’t watch her mother suffer alone, so she left school and started to work as an assistant to a physiotherapist in order to help with the living expenses and at the same time help with looking after her younger brothers.

Nermin loved her work a lot and was dreaming of having her own clinic in the future, but in 2014, she was working when she was electrocuted and miraculously survived, so she quit and started to work with her friend at an undergarments shop. 

During the previous years, Nermin and her mother were working hard and fighting their deteriorating health conditions as her mother suffers from back Disc pains and knee problems, and Nermin suffers from toxoplasmosis in the eyes with no treatment available. Moreover, during the military service of her younger brother, he was exposed to many explosions that ended with having his fingers amputated and Neuropathy disease, he was discharged from the service and returned to his family unable of doing any real job to support them.

In face of such great responsibilities, Nermin didn’t hesitate to take any job available so she could afford her family’s living, the last one was as a secretary at a clinic and was taking a very low salary in return.

Now, after applying to the Micro-project in Damascus, Nermin was financed with all the equipment and goods necessary to start her own undergarments shop which will be a new start for this strong-will woman who deserves after all those calamities to have a better livelihood and secure her future.