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, but his income from this work was less than that of blacksmithing. For this reason, he started working in his father's workshop and using old tools and machines.

Unfortunately, after the earthquake that hit Syria, because of their fear they traveled to Hama for a short period of time.

As a young married man, he wants to be the boss of his own business & tools, this way he’d be able to secure his family’s needs and live in a separate house. Now all of these dreams are possible after he got funded.

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 month, they had to sell the house due to their financial instability; they moved between several provinces in search for a better life and during their absence, the plumbing kit that he has bought was stolen, after which they returned to Aleppo and settled here. 

Harout now works as a plumber in the Salesian monastery along with some other clients but his only problem is that he has a primitive kit so he rents the equipment, which constitutes additional costs.

Harout’s only wish is to raise his children under stable and good conditions, which requires him to search for new ways to increase his income and fulfill his family’s needs. Now with the fund he has all the equipment and he is looking forward to better days to come.

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 a shrapnel in his leg and then he got recalled for reserve military service till the end of 2021. after his discharge he couldn’t turn back to the sewing domain because of his injury that made it hard on him to stand for long hours which led him to work as a keeper in a sewing workshop and that is where he currently works, but his income from this job is not enough to cover the livelihood expenses.

The consequences of the earthquake were harsh on his wife, it caused her onset of hemiplegia and her treatment expenses are high so his need to a new and better income became a necessity.

Mikhaiel heard about Hope Center’s Micro projects program and decided to apply for a taxi, because of his health condition this is the most appropriate job for him. Now that he owns the taxi, he is so thankful and full of hope that he will be capable of covering his wife’s medical treatment costs and their livelihood expenses.

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 for 4 years to start over. He worked there again with his profession, and he was able to buy new equipment after his old equipment were stolen. 

Currently, his wife helps him with the daily expenses through her work as a teacher in a private school, and he works between homes and workshops, where his specialty is detailing bedrooms and upholstering chairs with primitive carpentry tools.

Ghassan now has a chance of a new start with the new equipment that helps him save time, effort, and expenses.

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 encouraged her to pursue her passion.

Pamela wanted to take her talent to the next level and upgrade her skills by taking a design and montage course along with continuous self-improving.

She specialized in surgical photography because one of her friends was a dentist who believed in her and they agreed on working together, which enlarged her customers' circle and she became a well-known photographer among doctors who prefer this kind of promotions.

Pamela didn’t have any professional equipment; she used her mobile phone’s camera and when the doctors demanded a professional camera, she had to rent it.

Today after the support of Micro Projects, she has all the equipment and the confident to work independently and increase her income. 

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 good work and take it a step forward, Katia chose to work at home just so she’ll be next to her family and take care of them.

Later on, She got well-known and decided to participate in exhibitions to increase her income along with marketing purposes. Katia had some primitive tools that helped her so far but now that she has many more clients it requires her to renew and expand the equipment.

Hope Center’s fund helped to turn her dreams into a reality, and now that she has all the essential tools, she’ll be able to gain more orders confidently and help her husband with their family’s livelihood expenses.

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 wanted to be more independent; he was planning to open his own workshop, but his financial instability created an obstacle so he ended up as a partner in a workshop with a small share of the profit.

Soon after, the family’s expenses were getting bigger and bigger and his share of the profit was no longer enough as the only income source.

Micro project’s fund planted hope and joy in his soul, now that he is the boss of his own project and has all the machinery he needs, Antoine believes he will conquer most of the financial difficulties he may face in the future.

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 income source so he rented a shop and opened a market from his savings but sadly his market got robbed, to refund his business he sold his car and worked till 2021, then the owner of the shop told him to move out. He started working as a bus driver at the deaf school where he works till now. However the expenses were increasing rapidly and the salary became insufficient. 

Now he got the Taxi, he is happy and thankful for being able to secure his family’s needs and insure a better income.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 over years and negatively affected his work, however, what made things harder for him was not having an electric generator that is necessary for his work. At the same time, he couldn't afford to buy new equipment being the sole breadwinner for his family.

Samer applied for new equipment and an electric generator to improve his business productivity, which will enhance his income and allow him to ensure a better life for his family. 

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 solution was to learn his uncle's profession; he stayed for 2 years in a village near Homs where his uncle lived and worked with him in his car repairing workshop.

Being the only son, he returned to the city of Homs to take care of his family, which counts on him; Elias had one goal that he focused on throughout the years, which was ensuring his family a decent income. 

He moved between many workshops and traveled to Lebanon to acquire the needed skills, which helped him a lot, but again, he couldn’t leave his family for a long time.

The difficult financial situation was the obstacle that stopped him from launching his own project; he worked for a workshop in Fairouza village, and his sister Mary left her university to work and support him. The Micro Projects Program was a great chance to take his first step, which will allow him to support his family. 

Elias's heart was full of hope that this project would be the light in his family's life and the way to improve their living conditions.

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 when they were forced to leave their home in Wadi Al-Sayed neighborhood due to the war in 2012, and everything she did was in an effort to ensure that her little family lived a decent life. Antoinette took care of the farm for eight years until its owner sold it, posing a new challenge for the mother and her two children.

However, being a strong woman, she didn't give up and moved with Naya and Rami to a rented apartment in Fairouza village, where she worked in the preparation and sale of homemade meals, and later, with the aid of her brother, she was able to rent a small shop and open a modest mini-market, providing for her and her family with a source of livelihood.

Inflation had a bad influence on Antoinette's mini-market, and sadly, her brother, who used to assist her, is now battling cancer.

The Micro Projects Program gave this hard-working woman new hope for the future by giving her the necessary support to revive her project.

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 spared the calamities of the devastating war, and her house was destroyed in Bab Al-Sebaa neighborhood. Today, she lives in a small rented apartment and relies on her simple pension, in addition to sewing for a living, but the bad situation of electricity decreased her productivity and sometimes, she had to borrow her relative's manual machine to finish on time.

Helping her to solve this problem by providing the suitable batteries guaranteed the continuity of her main source of livelihood and ensured this woman, who has always depended on herself, a life of dignity.

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 economic crisis and the severe lack of electricity, which hampered productivity for the past three years.

Simon and Amal were left with no choice but to switch to a different energy source in order to save their project, and for the family providers, who barely had enough money to cover the necessities, that was almost impossible. 

With this initiative, Simon managed to buy sewing machines powered by batteries, which will guarantee sustainable work and a better income for the family.

"Nine bitter years were taken from my life for no good reason, I did not want anything to do with this brutal war, my brothers and I went to serve in the army while my elderly parents stayed alone in the village praying day and night for our survival."

Gabi's service was in the most ferocious locations, but the great mercy of God made the in-charge officer, assign him as a driver since he had previously worked in driving which kept him away from direct horrors of fighting and battles.

He was discharged in 2020 thinking that he is still a young man, full of strength and energy, but unfortunately, these nine years have taken a lot from him and burdened him with hardships of life.

Gabi had no choice but to work as a driver because the years of service prevented him from learning any other profession, but it was no longer that easy; the car rent was very high and the costs of living were even higher. He could hardly provide for daily food, not able to save any money to support his parents.

"My days were passing by without value or purpose, working day and night to pay two-thirds of my income to the owner of the car at the end of each day, and with what left I could hardly live by. I was literally at the edge of despair when I heard about the micro-project program in Damascus."

After about a month of applying, Gabi got the approval to have a taxi which changed his life completely, as he became independent, with a better and more sustainable income that will definitely help him restore hope into his life.

"Whatever happens in your life and no matter how troubling things might seem... do not enter the path of desperation, God’s hand is always there to save you." That’s what Majd Maalouf said with great faith. 

Majd is 39, married with three sons: George, Jamil, and Jad.

Since his childhood, Majd had to work hard to afford his livelihood; he started as a tile polishing worker in 2006 and then was able to have his private tiling equipment which improved his income and made him able to provide for his family.

However, after two years of the Syrian crisis, his business declined so he had to sell the tiling equipment in order to afford the basic living needs for his children. After a period of being jobless, Majd joined the Civil Defense in Aldwalaa area trying to support them in keeping the area’s security.

After he was discharged in 2020, Majd started to work as a taxi driver but no matter how hard he worked his income was barely meeting the increasing living expenses. He became unable to pay the house rent so he took his family and belongings to live at his parents’ house. His determination didn't weaken, Majd was always ready to challenge all the difficulties in order to secure the best life for his children.

After applying to the Micro-projects program, he was supported to purchase a pickup truck which made him independent financially, and able to improve his family’s livelihood hoping for better days to come. 

George Shehadeh is one of the people who were forced to spend all their life savings during the years of war and ended up on the verge of financial collapse.

George is married and a father of two beautiful sons, Salim (born in 2009), and Lynn (born in 2013), living along with his family in his parents' modest house in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood.

Since the year 2000, he worked as a taxi driver, but the explosions and heavy shelling after the war started caused great damage to his cab, so he sold it for a cheap price which wasn’t enough to buy another one or start a new project, thus his wife decided to sell her wedding ring to support her husband to buy a Pick-up truck.

George started to work in everything he could find to improve his income, he used to deliver goods, furniture, and even vegetables and fruits just to meet his family’s living expenses and provide his children with good education.

Unfortunately, the past two years were very tough for George as his Pickup broke down; the repairs cost a lot of money, which made him work as a taxi driver during the day. Both incomes weren’t enough to even afford the basic daily needs. George was frustrated with no savings in the middle of the worst economic circumstances. 

“I am no longer able to see my children disadvantaged, I am willing to do anything in life, just to provide them with their simplest living rights”

George applied for a taxi hoping that all those years of struggles will end with a new opportunity, and indeed he got a taxi which will enable him to be work-independent with a good and stable income to secure his children with the decent life they deserve.

Elia Al Bahrie, is a happily married man and a proud father for Cathrin, Sharbel, and Sophia, in addition to being a successful beekeeper.

Eight years ago in Heineh village, Elia had his own beehives and a very successful honey business. It was his passion and source of income. With the annual revenues, Elia was able to provide his children with good schools, decent life, and everything they asked for. But during the years of war the situation changed drastically, all the areas that surround their village became fighting zones, and Elia was no longer able to protect his bees farm or transfer the honey apiaries to a safe place until sadly he lost them all.

"These bees were like family, losing them was the disappointment of my life," Elia said, explaining how happy he was in his village with his beekeeping business, between his family and friends and how devastating it was to lose everything.

However, there was no time to grieve, Elia started a clothes shop in Al Jdeideh town but another hardship faced him when his shop was damaged by the armed groups and all the goods were stolen. These continuous losses, in addition to being trapped in the same place unable to work or study, forced the family to take the decision of leaving everything behind and start from scratch in a new place with a new career.

The whole family stood together, and after they settled in Al Dwalaa, Elia rented a small shop in Bab Toma where he and his wife started to sell homemade food and viands. They were managing things with great hope that every new day is a gift from God.

Supporting Elia with the refrigerators and the battery will help in preserving their food and dairy products from spoiling, and ensure the quality and sustainability of their new business. 

Anton did not choose to spend his youthful years in military service, but it was something imposed on him by the brutality of war and the bitterness of the crisis.

At the end of 2011, Anton was called for military service, which extended for a whole decade, during which he had to work day and night as a driver. During those years, his family was exposed to many dangers and migrated to Lebanon, while he remained in Syria. Even when his father was diagnosed with cancer and was forced to return to Syria with his mother to have treatment, Anton could not do anything to support them financially or incorporeally.

Anton was finally discharged in 2021, he found himself in his thirties, lost and confused without any savings or a profession, in addition to being responsible for his ill father and his exhausted mother in the most difficult living circumstances. He had to overcome the hardships and start working, as his family was living in extreme poverty and needed his support.

Based on his driving experience, Anton started working as a taxi driver, but the profits were much less than the living expenses especially since two-thirds of his income was going straight to the taxi owner which made him quit and start to work as a private driver for a family, but his salary was also very low and didn’t meet the costs of his basic needs or his father treatment.

Anton was in a very bad psychological state especially after one of his friends committed suicide, he felt as if God has abandoned him and that he was left alone to face life’s misfortunes. However, God has a purpose behind every difficulty we face. Indeed, the wisdom of the Lord intervened in time to lead Anton to the Micro-projects Office in Damascus, where he applied for the taxi, and his request was approved.

“The date of receiving the approval of having my own taxi was the date of starting my new life, for the first time, I will be able to secure enough income to support my family and secure a decent living for them”.

In Anton’s case, out of desperation.....a new hope was born.

We can’t run away from pain, we can just pray for God's help to give us the strength to overcome it.

Since his childhood, Abd Almasih faced the reality of being the older and supporter of the house. His sister Cathrin was born with Cerebral Palsy which affected the psychological state of the whole family; they all took part in taking care of her and giving her the love and care she needs to survive.

As time passed, the family’s financial situation was getting worse, which forced Abd Almasih and his brother to quit their school and start working at a young age in electrical workshops to help with the house expenses and their sister’s medication costs.

The year 2011 was a critical turning point in their lives, as they began to go through harsh conditions as the war escalated, which they had to face with patience because their sisters and parents were counting on their financial and emotional support. 

Despite the dangerous situation they were going through, Abd Almasih and his brother overcame the difficulties one after another, trying their best to keep their family from poverty. Unfortunately, living in Syria wasn’t getting any easier; no matter how hard he worked, Abd Amasih was unable to meet the increasing living costs.

With the help of the micro-project program, Abd Almasih is now able to have his own electrical supplies store where he and his brother can work and support each other, with great hope for the upcoming days.

Ammar Asaad is married with two lovely boys; Evan and Ricardo, he lived in Harasta city where he worked at his Aluminum workshop. The family had peace and security until the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011.

Soon after, the situation in Harasta became extremely dangerous and the family had to flee under bombing and shooting without being able to take any of their possessions, then they were informed that all their belongings were damaged and Ammar's workshop was attacked and all the equipment and tools were looted.

Without any notice, they lost everything they worked for their entire life and had to start over from scratch, Ammar rented a small flat in Jaramana, and with the help of his family, he opened a workshop and began to slowly reestablish his business.

Due to his great experience in this field, Ammar became well-known rapidly, as most of the customers appreciated his good work. He once again became able to support his family and was seeking to provide his boys with a decent life and proper education, which was difficult to afford during the previous years as the economic situation was harsh.

Through the equipment and supplies that Ammar applied for, he will be able to support his workshop and provide a better living for his family.

Jihad Haddad is one of the Syrians whose life was completely changed after the beginning of the war. He worked as a driving instructor at Alfaihaa training school in Mesraba town, the countryside of Damascus; his income was good enough for a decent living and a peaceful life, but everything changed after 2011, Mesraba became a center of clashes that caused huge destruction to many buildings including the training school, Jihad was suddenly left unemployed facing harsh circumstances. 

For a few months after Jihad worked as a private driver, but most surrounding areas became conflict zones and he even escaped death several times before he decided to work as a part-time minibus driver; his work was limited and so was his income, insufficient to meet the basic daily needs.

Jihad, his wife and two kids live in Al Dwalaa in a small, dark room at his parents’ house along with his mother, brother, and sister whose situation was also very difficult. They all work and support each other but no matter what they do or how hard they work, their situation keeps getting worse year after year and they reached the state of poverty. 

“I am waiting for a miracle to help me change my life, I don’t need much, I just can't stand to see my kids deprived of the simplest living rights” 

That’s what Jihad was asking for, by helping him to have his own pickup truck, hopefully, it would reflect a great improvement on the family's life and provide a sustainable source of living. 

Samer Al Boutros spent his entire life defying all the obstacles and difficult circumstances to provide his family with the best possible living conditions. 

He used to work as a cobbler for about 20 years in "Sehnaya" the countryside of Damascus, but during the wartime, reaching his workplace became very hard and dangerous, especially after his health condition deteriorated and he needed to undergo heart surgery, but Samer couldn’t afford its costs and became unable to do any effort or be exposed to stress or shocks.

Samer had no choice but to quit his job in Sehnaya and try to find another one closer to his house in Jaramana. Unfortunately, his old profession was no longer profitable during the crisis, but he didn’t despair and searched for another career that would secure his living expenses.

In 2017, Samer started an optical shop in Kashkoul, with the help of his son, and due to his good reputation and quality work, he gained regular customers from different places. By the end of 2019, the economic situation began to worsen, accompanied by the Corona pandemic, which greatly affected many jobs including Samer’s business; as he became unable to purchase new goods or tools for his shop and his income started to decrease day after day until it no longer met the basic needs.

Samer was looking for support to save his work and he found it through the micro-project program, as he got the necessary supplies that will make a great difference in his workflow and provide the family with a decent income. 

Tony Al Khouly, is a 61-years-old man, married and a father of two girls; Carol and Elissar.

For all his life, Tony’s main concern was to secure his daughters with a good living and proper education, he didn’t mind working hard for their happiness and comfort. Before the crisis, he used to work along with his brother in a cigarettes store in Al Zabadani area, the countryside of Damascus, but after 2011, Al Zabadani was one of the first areas to be affected by the war; their workplace was greatly damaged and they lost their living source.

Tony found himself jobless in the middle of the most difficult circumstances, when he was supposed to be a strong father and provider. Those heavy burdens didn’t weaken his will to work; he started to take any available job, then he started working as a real estate agent, in addition to helping his brother in his mini-market in Jaramana trying to secure as much income as possible. 

Despite his age, Tony was willing to do anything for the sake of his family, but the harsh living conditions made his long working hours worthless because he was unable to meet the high livelihood expenses which frustrated him.  

Nonetheless, Tony had great hope in God’s mercy which will lead him to a better path.

The support from the Micro-project program, will not just provide him with the needed goods for a better and more sustainable income, but will also secure this family some safety and comfort.

The brutal war that started in 2011 was a crucial turning period in the lives of many people whose lives were drastically flipped without a fault of their own. 

Fady Raffoul life turned upside down after the outbreak of the Syrian crisis. he used to work as a freight car driver for foreign Oil companies since 2006 and his financial situation was good. However, after 2011, the Oil companies canceled their contracts in Syria and discharged all the employees including Fady who found himself unemployed in a middle of a critical situation. 

He worked as a microbus driver for a while but the income was very low and the situation was getting worse, so he moved to his village for two years but life there was no better. For over four years, Fady moved between several countries, from Turkey to Greece, and ended up in Lebanon, seeking safety and security for his family, but all his efforts and money went in vain, he then returned to Syria frustrated and hopeless. 

Fady’s faith was stronger than his difficult reality, and he was ready for an opportunity that could help improve his financial and livelihood situation. Supporting Fady with the taxi will make a positive impact on his life after fighting so many obstacles and hardships. 

“Don’t let life bring you down. Remember that God tests your faith through struggles.”

The war may have stolen many people's lives, homes, health, but it didn't take away their will to live and win their life battles. Josephine’s life was always burdened with hardships, especially after the death of her husband as she found herself lonely with no supporter, solely responsible for her children and their living.

For more than 12 years, Josephine worked at Al Asieh school in Jaramana as a buffet lady. Although her body was getting weaker, she kept working trying to afford the basic living needs, especially after her son Essa was called for mandatory service in 2012. Josephine prayed every day for the safety of her son, especially since he was located in the most dangerous areas, indeed, God responded to her prayers when her son survived death after an explosion, but sadly he lost both of his legs. 

Despite this terrible incident, Josephine’s faith was strong. She quit her job to be close to her son and support him physically and emotionally after what he had been through. The family needed to trust in God’s great mercy which was not strange from a mother like Josephine who was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of her son.

With the support of the wounded of homeland project, they rented a small shop in Jaramana in 2020, Josephine didn’t hesitate to work with her son in this shop trying to support him as much as possible but they couldn't afford to fill the shop with goods because the financial situation was very bad which threatened to shut down their small business.

Yet, Josephine didn’t give up; as soon as she heard about the Micro project program, she asked for help to get all the needed goods for her mini market, which we provided with pleasure as this iron lady deserves to get all the possible support because she had already given so much love and sacrifice to her family.