Micro-Projects is a livelihood-support program which helps family providers who had either lost their livelihood during the war, or aspire to be a productive and financially independent part of the community by starting their own income generating business. By financing their micro-projects, Christian Hope Center is helping Christian families to have a sustainable source of income, through the provision of equipment, machinery and tools. This will eventually mitigate the economic harm caused by increasing poverty and insecurity, preserve their dignity, and alleviate the calamities of war and the economic crisis, which will ultimately preserve the existence of an active Christian community in Syria. In addition to the Micro-Projects supported in Cities of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, the program also supports families who rely on agriculture as their principal source of income in rural Homs.


612

Aleppo

467

Homs

176

Damascus

Blacksmith Workshop


Youssef lives with his wife, parents and sister in his family's house. After marriage he was planning to live in a borrowed house and he had started to renovate, but during the war the house was damaged. Then they traveled to Lebanon for three years but he didn’t succeed there so he came back to his country.

During his time in Lebanon, he worked as a blacksmith in a company, after which he worked for two years in maintaining air conditioners,...


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Plumbing Equipment


Harout is 41 years old and a father of two daughters and a son, living in a rented house, his first job was in his father's shoe workshop, then they sold it to cover living expenses. Afterwards he started working as a plumber in a monastery and learned the profession there. 

In 2010 he traveled to Lebanon and continued in the same profession.
At the end of 2011 the family returned to Aleppo and bought a house, unfortunately after nearly just one...


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Taxi


Mikhaiel is a newly married man who recently moved to a rental apartment subsequent to living in his parent’s house since his financial situation was unstable.

Mikhaiel started his career back in his early twenties when he rented his friend’s taxi and worked as an uber driver but this didn’t last long because he got called for military service in 2007 for two years and then he worked in a sewing workshop approximately for 8 years. 

In 2017 he got injured by...


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Carpentry Equipment


Ghassan 55 years old has been working as a carpenter for more than 40 years, he learned this profession and worked in many workshops for more than twenty years, then he decided to become independent and work separately between homes and workshops upon request.

Today, Ghassan is the father of two sons who live in his grandmother’s house, after the loss of their own home, which he bought in 2012. As a result, the family moved to the city of Homs...


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Photography Equipment


Pamela lives with her parents and her younger sister in a rented apartment, she has been working since she was 17 and they moved to Tartus to escape from the war and the shells that were falling all over Aleppo.

In Tartus she worked in so many different domains, later, she started taking photographs as a hobby then, that hobby turned to a passion and profession.

In 2017 the family came back to Aleppo and Pamela's friends were the biggest supporters who...


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Sweets and pastries at home


Katia is married with two kids; she loves to take care of her family and pamper them along with prioritizing time for her hobbies and her work.

Katia discovered her passion which was making pastries and sweets, she took a course from a professional chef to gain more knowledge in her specialization.

She started evolving slowly, and her first few orders were from her close friends and her relatives, everyone who tried her sweets and pastries encouraged her to keep up her...


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Air conditioning and refrigerator maintenance


Antoine is married with 2 kids, they live in a modest apartment, his wife and him both work hard for their daughters.

Antoine has made his way in this world by working at air conditioning maintenance since he was a young man, he started as a worker and after taking a course he developed his work range.

First few years of learning the profession were somehow harsh on him, but his aim and hard work paid off and he became skilled and...


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Taxi


Antoine is a divorced man living with his daughter who is preparing for the bachelor’s exam and they live a small apartment.

Antoine had a vehicle which he used to drive when he was a round trip driver at a transportation company and he was satisfied with his income but after the war and its consequences the company decided to close and he became unemployed. 

Because he has a daughter to take care of, he needed to quickly search for a new...


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Rubber Mold Workshop


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...


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Stationery shop


"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...


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Sewing workshop


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...


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Rubber Molding


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...


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Mini-Market


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...


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Mini-Market


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...


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Mini-Market


Raghida helps her husband provide for their two children through a mini-market she has run since 2010, which she opened from a part of her house in Fairouza village. 

Her husband, Elian, is a goods distributor who drives a rented pick-up truck, and the two of them have never missed an opportunity to work and provide for their family. Their son, Elias, is learning hairstyling in a barbershop to cover his own expenses, while their daughter, Marylin is unemployed. 

Raghida applied to supply her mini-market with sufficient commodities so it can endure the challenging economic difficulties of the country and provide for her family of four with a decent income.

Floor Tiling Equipment


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...


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Wall Painting Equipment


Despite his advanced age, Michel is still working and providing for his wife Laila and their granddaughter, Maria.

He is a well-known painter in Homs, where his career began in 1975; unfortunately, he lost all of his tools during the brutal war and many job opportunities along with them, because he was forced to rely on manual labor, which demanded more time and effort, while, on the other hand, borrowing the necessary equipment was nearly impossible.

Michel applied to get his own tools and ensure that he would continue to provide a good life for his family and become self-independent. 

Floor Tiling Equipment


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...


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Floor Tiling Equipment


Samer fought cancer bravely after a painful battle in 2019 and resumed working in his profession as a floor tiler. He lives with his wife Ragheda who is, unfortunately, suffering from cancer too, in addition to their two sons Asaad (18 years old) and Ronny (14 years old). 

In 2012, Samer lost all of his equipment and in order to provide for his family, he started to buy used tools each time he had the chance, but they became worn out...


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Car Repairing Workshop


Elias is a young man who was compelled by the cruelties of life to abandon his childhood and school to support his family when his father was diagnosed with a psychological disease.

The 11-year-old boy was forced to find a way to support his parents and sister; his mother used to be a seamstress, but she was sadly diagnosed with cancer, which stopped her from working, since her profession was tiring and she underwent a critical surgery.

Elias found that the best...


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Mini-Market


Antoinette played the roles of both a father and a mother for her children and carried the entire burdens by herself.

Her husband died after 11 years of suffering from cancer and kidney failure; she is the mother of two children, a boy named Rami, who is 14 years old, and a girl named Naya, who is 15.

She worked as a cleaner on a farm in order to provide for her children's needs and secure a place for them to live...


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Mini-Market


Claire works with her husband, Samir, in the mini-market they opened in 2012, using a part of their house. They live with their two daughters, Mary (14 years old) and Jessica (8 years old), along with Samir's mother.

This shop became the family's only source of livelihood after Samir lost his mobile phone store during the war. However, this mini-market started to suffer from the hard economic situation, and its results appeared when the couple were no longer able to supply their shop with sufficient merchandise, which increased their financial burdens.  

Claire knew about this initiative and applied to develop her family's project, hoping that it would flourish again and ensure them a decent living.

Sewing at home


Ghada is a strong lady who bravely faced the hardships of life on her own after losing her husband, who was her only family. She overcame throat cancer and went through a long treatment journey.

She has worked as a seamstress for more than 40 years, and thankfully, when her health began to gradually improve, she was able to resume her work. Also, for 29 years prior to her retirement in 2011, Ghada worked as a school bus assistant.

However, she wasn’t...


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Sewing Workshop


Simon's story with this profession began back in 2000, when he learned all about sewing from his wife Amal, converted a room of their house into a workshop, and worked for more than 20 years.

The couple were specialists in producing women's pants, and their small business was flourishing, which allowed them to ensure a decent living for their family, which consists of two children and Simon's mother, who lives with them.

The simple workshop was impacted by the war, particularly the...


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Taxi


Samir is a husband and a father of 2 young kids that he devoted his life to providing them with what they need for a good life, especially for his son, who suffers from asthma and needs to visit the hospital every now and then to recover. 

Samir works two shifts every day as a valet at a hotel and even though he works for long hours he still barely makes enough to survive

Back in 2010, Samir used to own an optical...


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Law Office


Nidal always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. He studied hard and graduated from law university in 2001. However, his family's financial situation prevented him from finishing his degree, and he had to work as a government employee after graduation. He also had to help his father in their small grocery shop next to their house.

Years went by, and in 2019, Nidal finally finished his studies and became a lawyer. He started working under the supervision of a professional attorney, and...


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Taxi


Youssef had always been a hardworking man. He spent most of his life as a government employee, dedicating himself to his job with diligence and determination. However, as the years went on, his age began to catch up with him, and he found himself suffering from a series of health issues that made it increasingly difficult for him to work as he used to. he had already undergone a hernia surgery and a digestive system operation in recent years, and...


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Mini-Van


Wasef  was content with his work until the war broke out, forcing him to serve in the most dangerous areas. Despite the risks, he remained determined to survive. 

Years went by, and Wasef witnessed countless heart-wrenching moments that often left him with a heavy heart. However, in 2018, something even more devastating happened. While on duty, he got injured by being exposed to poisonous gas, causing him to lose one of his lungs.

Wasef's injuries limited his work options, and he found...


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Taxi


life had not been easy for Riad. He has two young children and a wife who works as a babysitter to help make ends meet, to add to his troubles, his two sisters were married to men that had been diagnosed with deadly diseases, and Riad took on the responsibility of supporting them as well.

Riad had always been a hard worker. For over 20 years he had worked with gold, crafting delicate and intricate pieces that were traded all around...


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Pick-up truck


Rawad was just a boy when he lost both his parents, he had to start working hard from a young age to make a living. He worked on farms in his hometown and various jobs here and there to make a living, but life was tough.

When the time came for Rawad to serve in the army in 2011, he was sent to one of the most dangerous area in Syria - Daraa where he spent 10 years on the frontlines,...


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Pharmacy


Randa was born and raised in the small village of Khabab, where her parents had settled after retiring. She lived with her family, which included her brother who serve in the army, and her sister who work as a teacher.

After completing her high school education, Randa was lucky to receive a scholarship to study in Damascus, along with her sister and brother; Randa worked hard to earn her degree and was overjoyed when she graduated.

Afterward, Randa started her career as...


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Pick-up truck


Samer is a hardworking husband and loving father of two young children including a newborn baby. The four of them rent a small house in the countryside. He used to work in automotive electronics but had to stop due to a debilitating condition called Sciatica; this condition has not only prevented him from continuing to work in his field but has also limited his ability to work in any job because he is in immense constant physical pain.  

Samer needs surgery that...


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Pickup truck


Nidal's life has been full of struggles and hardships that would have broken the resolve of the strongest men; Nidal has faced numerous challenges that have threatened his family's survival. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather that had to endure the weight of responsibility for his loved ones' well-being.

With a small two-room house, Nidal's living conditions have never been the best. Still, he has managed to provide his family a roof over their heads. His eldest son...


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Taxi


Youssef woke up to the sound of his mother's sewing machine that she used to earn some extra money. in the small rented house where they lived with his older brother. They had been struggling to make ends meet since his father passed away years ago. 

Youssef had studied in college, but the war situation forced him to leave and serve in the army from 2018 to 2021. It was a difficult time, but he managed to pull through with the...


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Taxi


Danny always knew that life wasn't going to be easy. He grew up in a small village near Swaidaa, in the countryside of Syria. Danny's father was their sole provider, working as a farmer to feed his family. Danny helped him since he was old enough to pick vegetables and deliver them to the local market.

When Danny was only 18 years old, his father passed away from cancer. It was a huge shock to the family. Danny had to take...


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Tattoo Artist


Sandra had always been the reliable one in her family. As the eldest child, she had taken on the role of mother and sister to her younger brother, especially after their mother passed away in 2012.

It was a devastating loss for the family, but especially for Sandra and her brother. Their mother had a heart attack after hearing about an explosion where her son was at that time. The trauma of losing her son overwhelmed her and led to her...


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