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.

We are all aware of the violent acts of war during the last decade which affected the lives of many innocent people.

Edwar was one of those people who was exposed to a kidnapping incident that turned his life upside down.

Edwar Darwish was born in 1972, married and has a son ‘Gassan” born in 2014. He lives with his family in Kashkoul, a Damascus suburb and for more than 10 years, he worked as a bus driver on Damascus-Aleppo international road.

His tragic story began in 2012, a few months after he bought a taxi in installments. he was looking to be self-employed with a better and more sustainable income after completing the car's price but unfortunately, while he was working in the taxi, some masked men blocked his way with their guns and kidnapped him, and took his taxi.

He was captive for several days under severe torture until he was able to escape during the night and kept running till he reached Damascus suburb road as he headed to a police station and reported for his kidnap and the stolen car.

Edwar was in a pathetic situation as he stayed for more than a year recovering from the incident’s physical and psychological effects, his financial situation has also deteriorated as he had to pay back all the remained installments in addition to his treatment costs.

Edwar returned to his previous work and although the income was a lot less than the living expenses, he kept working hard trying his best to secure the basic demands for his family but with the increasing costs of living, his situation became worse than before and they were barely able to afford for their daily food.

Through the Micro project programs, Edwar was financed to have his own Taxi, which will provide him with a second chance to make up for his losses and restore his life by having a decent income.

After more than 20 years of a stable career and secure living conditions, Anwar Hanna, the 63-year-old man was a victim of displacement and losses.

Anwar was living with his family in Erbin area, in the countryside of Damascus, he was working as a blacksmith at his private carpentry workshop and their life was full of peace and security which all was ruined after 2011 as the terrorist groups broke into the area and spread their violence and horror at over. Anwar was very concerned about his family’s life and took them out of the city under shelling and bombing without being able to take any of their belongings, all that he cared about was to keep them far from being hurt.

They moved for a period to Sednaya then to Jaramana where they rented a small and modest flat to shelter themselves after losing everything they worked for in their entire life, their house, furniture in addition to the workshop tools, and equipment.

Anwar had to start from scratch so he got employed at a factory in the industrial Adraa where he worked for more than 10 hours a day so he could be able to put food on the table at the end of the day, his work was hard and the income was very low but Anwar was trying his best until his health condition started to deteriorate and he became unable to continue the hard work.

His son’s income was barely covering the house rent and expenses so Anwar had to keep working in order to secure the basic living needs.

He started to work as a taxi driver with 25% percent of the taxi wages a day and spent many days touring the streets trying to improve his financial situation but couldn't meet the high costs of living.

Anwar decided to apply for the taxi project because it will provide him with a sustainable and good source of income which will be enough for the house expenses and to improve their living circumstances.

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.