George, 35 years old, lives with his family of 7 people. His parents do not work, and his sister works as a teacher in a kindergarten, and her three children live with them. He is the only provider for his big family.

George's father previously worked as a carpenter; manufacturing bird cages. He learned it from his father and worked with him from 2014 for more than five years.

George had the opportunity to go to Lebanon in 2019 and work in the field of sweets for two years, but due to the poor economic conditions, George’s salary was no longer sufficient, so he decided to return to Aleppo and work in his father’s workshop.

To be able to come back to his main work, he sold his car after it was hit by a shell in order to buy the necessary tools that he needed the most because the father’s equipment was too old and needed lots of repairs.

After years of sacrificing for the sake of his family, it is time for him to get the support he needs, which will improve George's working conditions and ensure him a better income.

My parents raised me with love and cared for me. Now it is my turn to care for them.

Eugenie, is 34 years old, a married women who works in nails care and as a makeup artist to support her parents financially specifically her father; during the war he got shrapnel in his foot and thus cannot work in addition, helping her husband who works as a seller of car parts with a low income.

She said: “When I grew up, I would like to be a nail artist because I am very creative and have an artistic touch.” And we can see her success by the number of clients she has.

She started working in this field more than 10 years ago in a salon for a period of 6 years, and because of the low salary, and in order to gain her independence she decided to work from her home. In order to increase her income, she learned how to make eyebrow tattoos because of their high demand. She started buying her own equipment over time, and set aside a room to receive her clients in.

Because of the frequent use of the tools that she has, they are now outdated and worn out.

Now, after getting the required equipment and tools through this initiative, Eugenie will have the chance to increase her income and enhance her family’s living situation. 

Mouhib 45 years old lives with his two children and his mother, as he had to move to live in his parents' house since the beginning of the war, after the destruction of the Sheikh Maqsoud area.

He started working in the profession of blacksmith when he was young. He learned this profession through one of the workshops near his house, after he gained some experience, he was able to rent a workshop for 10 years, later he bought his own workshop in the ​​Sheikh Maqsoud area and worked in it for three years until it became impossible to enter that area.

After losing his job, and to secure an income for the family, he learned the profession of repairing diesel generators of shops and houses with simple tools that he used to borrow from his friends, and he became well known.

In 2019, after the hostilities ended, Mouhib went to see his shop and discovered that it had been completely looted and needed restoration. Fortunately, the local church helped him in the restoration process, and he set out to work again with greater determination. Currently, thanks to the donors, Mouhib was able to return to blacksmith. He settled in his shop again, hoping to secure a better future for his children.

Joining the military can be a good experience for some people, but for others it can be a terrible mistake.

Antranic said: “My biggest fear was to lose my job, I knew it would happen after I had been there for 9 years and not being able to work during my vacations.”

He is 29 years old, recently discharged from the military, and lives with his parents. He had no idea what to do, nor was he able to manage between his job and the army. He decided to open a clothing store.

Antranic lives with his mother, who works in cooking, and his sister is a teacher at an institute, and, as for his brother, because of his disability, he cannot work. His father was shot in the war and died shortly after due to poisoning.

His previous experience working on a metal lathing machine for 7 years was not gone to waste; he has not forgotten anything, on the contrary, he has high motivation.

All he wants is to work again on metal lathing machines. And he was so grateful when he was accepted into Micro-Projects, now he is looking forward to securing a better income and getting back to his main career.

The skills and experience you gain from traveling abroad can give you life-long personal benefits as well as an advantage in the professional world.

Garabet,68-year-old man, father of two daughters, traveled to Canada in 1986 for more than 7 years where he worked in the same field on the brake lathing machine and then returned to Aleppo after gaining great experience.

He said: “travelling abroad is an amazing way to learn a lot of new things”. Before the war, he had his own rented factory with his partner in addition to owning all the necessary machines. Everything was going well before the war started, and he was the main provider for his family.

After losing all his machines, Garabet did not give up despite his 40 years of experience in his career. Day after day, the financial burdens were getting heavier and he did his best to guarantee his family a good life.

Now, Garabet is working in his workshop but still needs the lathing machine. This new machine will greatly develop his work and encourage him to accept bigger opportunities and, thus, increase his income.

“We had a silver crafting workshop that my father had to sell to secure my treatment expenses” Samuel said.

Since Samuel was young, he suffered a lot from his colon and, because of the high treatment costs, his parents spent all their savings to be able to treat their son.

Samuel,32 years old, is a married man who has a beautiful child, and he is the only provider for his family. They live in a borrowed apartment from his uncle.

“My father helped me to choose what I wanted to become in life. I preferred to learn about his career in 2012 and become a silversmith." After going to the military for two years and being discharged due to his disease, Samuel got married and left his father’s workshop to open his own place and make more income but he needs the tools and equipment which are very expensive these days, and he cannot buy them on his own.

With the aid of the Hope Center, he was able to get his own equipment and, due to this financing, the profit would increase 30% and he can be able to make his way through life with all hope and determination.

If you want to improve something in yourself, you should work hard for it

Alice learned how to sew from her mother when she was just a kid on her mother’s old and small sewing machine, it was the first step for Alice on the path of this career.

Now after many years she is a mother of two children, her son works on lathing machine with his father in a friend’s workshop and her daughter works as an accountant.

Alice said that “when you spend time with people who are working on similar things as you do, you’ll see that your self-growth happens faster than you think” so in order to develop her skills, she recently started working in a sewing workshop, in addition to submitting for many courses.

During the war her husband was working in Al-Arkoub industrial area, but he had to leave the shop in a hurry due to shelling and stayed without a work for 6 months. Alice's mother lived with them too. Because of the high cost of living and the insufficient salary to face these difficult conditions, Alice encouraged herself to search for a job in the field she loved.

With the new sewing machines Alice will achieve her dream of getting her independence by working from home, this support from the donors will make a positive impact on the family's life. 

Wahid a father of three children who had been working for 40 years in industrial electricity, winding motors, control panels, cooling and air conditioning for laboratories.

Before the war, He worked in a rented workshop in Al Sheikh Maqsoud area, fully equipped with tools that unfortunately, were stolen during the war. In 2013, a mortar shell fell next to their house and because of this incident the whole family moved to Al-Kimah Village with the help of their relatives to settle there.

He is currently working in Homs and Tartous. But he needs a new kit because his kit is old and the limited tools deprived Wahid of many good work opportunities.

This project is really important for him for the sake of establishing stability in the city of Aleppo and to be able to afford submitting his children in schools because it has become very expensive. Thanks to the micro project he returned to work again, hoping to gain new customers and increase his income.

Krikor is a 41 years old man from Aleppo. He never wanted to leave Syria, he thought the war would not take too long, but then his family decided to leave the country and stayed in Lebanon for ten years trying to travel to Canada.

They had a car furniture upholstery workshop in Al-Ramouseh, but when the war in Syria destroyed Krikor's workshop, he and his family decided to sell it because they did not have enough money to restore it after being so damaged.

Losing all their resources of income while searching for safety was the hardest part for this family, with the help of his relative who offered a workshop to work in for free, Krikor and his father were able to buy a small machine for their work, given that Krikor originally learned the business from his father 25 years ago.

He needs to buy two car upholstery machines, and he is also trying to get his old customers back. He applied to the Micro Projects Program, asking for a supporting hand, hoping that this new project will allow him to build a promising business. 

Michael’s father was kidnapped by the armed groups for 21 days, during which he was wounded in the eye and became blind.

This young man,37 years old, newly married, worked on sewing machines, from 2001, making chair covers for more than four years, then moved to Sheikh-Maksoud and worked with his brother until the war came around when all his sewing machines were stolen, there was nothing left for him, and he had no work for about a year.

He is currently working in a workshop, sewing curtains for cars and recently moved to a rented house and now he has some customers to begin his own project.

Unfortunately, the unstable prices were a real obstacle in his way. He is still striving to work and secure his own expenses so that he doesn’t need anyone’s help.

Michael is very enthusiastic and self-confident, he wants independence and better income. Now he has a well-equipped workshop, he’s ready to use his experience and passion to maintain a thriving business. 

Youssef served in the army for two years, and after his discharge he was recalled for reserve service, which lasted nearly nine years.

After returning he tried to work on a lathing machine then he began to work intermittently as a painter.

Youssef spent most of his savings due to the high cost of livelihood. His older brother works on a lathing machine, and he is the only one responsible for the household expenses.

His father does not work, but he has a shop in Bustan al-Basha that needs renovation; he was shot in the back by a sniper at the beginning of the crisis and could no longer work because of the chronic injury, so he began to rely on his children in terms of income.

When he heard about the Micro Projects Program, Youssef found a glimmer of hope, and after having his own taxi, Youssef is now working hard to improve his income and secure a decent living.

When Hassan was asked about his project, he said: "I have a wide experience, but I've never had the chance to buy a Mini-Winch before, due to the high costs." And then added:" Renting a Mini-Winch was affordable. Now, it's a real financial burden, especially since I have to buy fuel for the electric generator."

Hassan is a married man and a father of three; two sons and a daughter, he is the sole responsible for his family and his sons work with him to cover the family's needs.

He has been working in this field for more than 14 years in Fairouza village and known for his skills, reasonable prices, and his commitment to finishing work on time, which encouraged many engineers to work with him.

Giving the selfless father the main equipment for his work ensured him the independence he needs at work and improved his income after saving the high rental costs. 

Adapting to a new reality is not always easy and many challenges might come up along the way.

Back in 2013, Al-Dwair village was attacked by armed groups and its people were forced to leave under gunpoint; Hekmat and his family were displaced from their home and had to leave everything behind after they witnessed the terrors.

A new life was waiting for the family in Homs city, and starting from scratch during such circumstances was the biggest challenge. The family didn’t have a shelter when they first came to Homs and the church helped them to find a house.  Giving up wasn’t an option for them and they all worked as one trying to compensate for a part of the loss; Hekmat rented a shop near the house and worked in refrigerator maintenance, his wife resumed her work as a school teacher, while their two sons and only daughter worked as government employees. 

Although their journey to settle down took a lot of effort, each member of the family worked hard and supported each other. Although the current situation is stable in terms of security, but the economic crisis that the war left behind are still affecting all aspects of life. 

Hekmat needed an electric generator to improve his work in addition to some other equipment and tools, which he couldn’t afford to buy. Now, the self-made man will have the needed equipment to strengthen his project and ensure a better livelihood. 

Fadi worked in stone sculpting and cladding for more than 20 years until this tiring job severely affected his health causing him serious neurological diseases. In 2021, he became hardly able to stand on his feet and spent all of the savings on treatment costs, in addition to selling his car to cover his family's needs being the sole breadwinner for a pregnant wife and a two-year-old toddler. 

However, their situation was getting more complicated every single day and Fadi was completely unable to do anything; his wife Rima who was studying at the university had to leave her studies and search for a source of income to support her family but unfortunately, all of her efforts were in vain. 

He went through a long journey that included medications and physical therapy, thankfully, his condition gradually got better and the head of the family was enthusiastic to work again and compensate for the great loss. 

Fadi couldn't resume his profession and needed another source of livelihood, he didn’t have the financial ability to implement his own project, so he worked as an employee for a mobile phone store. 

He consulted his doctor regarding the possibility of working as a driver and applied to the Micro Projects Program. Based on his former experience, his wide relations will help in providing work opportunities and allow him to guarantee a good life for the people he loves. 

Nehmeh and his wife Latifa have 6 children, 2 sons, and 4 daughters, and the family has been living on the bounties of their almond land. 

All of the daughters got married and moved to establish their own lives, while the elderly parents are now living with their son Johnny (39 years old) who's a married man and a father of two, and their son Jihad (34 years old) who, unfortunately, suffers from a health condition that prevents him from working and he requires a special care and permanent medications.

Nehmeh and Johnny work together to cover the family's needs, which are growing every single day. They own a tractor that they used to plow and water their land, however, its tires became very old, and driving it was dangerous. The father and his son were forced to only plant a small part of their land as a result and lost a big amount of their income; their almond crops started to deteriorate and the lack of plowing and watering was the main problem.

Helping Nehmeh to benefit from the tractor again will ensure better agricultural conditions for his land and allow him and Johnny to guarantee a dignified life for their big family. 

Milad is a young man who lost six years of his life serving in the army; he was discharged back in 2016 and found that life wasn’t the same as it used to be before the war.

He works as an employee besides being a farmer; after his service, Milad resumed working with his brother in their father's land of almond and olive trees but the two brothers faced many challenges that stood in their way, especially since they both were soldiers for a long time. 

However, the main challenge was not being able to make use of their father's tractor due to its old tires and they had to pay high costs each time they needed to low or water their trees. 

Today, Milad is responsible for a family and he is the only provider for his wife Pascal, and their one-year-old boy Ibrahim.

Helping him to replace the old tires and use the tractor will revive their only source of livelihood and allow Milad and his brother to guarantee a better livelihood for their families.

Miray couldn’t just sit and watch when the economic situation was getting worse, and she chose to help her father in providing for their small family.

She is a chemistry student at the university of Homs, living with her parents; her father is a retired employee and her mother doesn't work. When the father's pension was no longer sufficient to provide a good life, Miray stood by him and started learning about nail care in order to secure an additional source of income during the hard circumstances. 

Miray worked for a salon to gain more experience and then attended a specialized course, which encouraged her to work by herself. In July 2022, she bought some materials and a UV device then worked between clients' houses due to the lack of electricity as she couldn’t afford to buy a battery. 

Ladies in Fairouza loved her work and Miray decided to rent a shop and start her own project; to achieve that, she applied to the Micro Projects Program where she found the support to launch her pilot project.

Today, Miray is an independent working young lady who can continue her studies without overburdening her father with the high educational costs. 

Hani is a skilled carpenter with more than 35 years of experience, he is married and a father of two and he lives with his family in Homs city. 

The ambitious craftsman was preparing a workshop in the industrial area when the war irrupted and tipped the balance of the whole country. Hani lost some of the machinery in addition to the raw materials; thankfully, he didn’t move all the machines he had, which saved him from a greater loss, and he continued working in the old workshop with the help of his son.

However, the severe lack of electricity affected the productivity in the workshop and deprived Hani of improving his income. 

For a workshop with heavy machines, having an electric generator with high capacity was essential, that’s why Hani found the Micro Projects Program to be the only solution to support his work. 

Hani had the determination to continue and didn’t give up when the circumstances were against him, now he has the generator, which restored the pace of work and ensured the sustainability of the family's source of livelihood. 

Mirna is a mother of an only child called Adib (15 years old), her husband Bashar works in a coffee shop and together the parents do their best to ensure him a good life. 

She worked as a school teacher since 2008, but when her salary became insufficient under the tough economic circumstances, Mirna decided to find another way to provide better support for her family and in 2016, she started learning about hair styling in a salon near her house. 

During the vicious war, Bashar's shop was severely damaged twice by the shells and the only option that the family had to compensate the great loss, was selling their home and using the money to repair the shop, their main source of their livelihood. 

In 2018, Mirna worked independently at home offering beauty services and using some simple tools; over time, the ladies of her neighborhood loved her work, and in 2020, she rented a place and moved her business to the salon.

The hardworking lady tried to improve her project, especially since her clients increased, so she bought some additional equipment from a second-hand store and attended a tattoo course. Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford the tattoo requirements and the electric generator so she borrowed her husband's generator, which hindered both their work. 

Now, Mirna has all she needs to run a successful business and secure a decent income for her lovely family. 

Fadi is a single man who lives with his family in a rented apartment and he is responsible for his two sisters and niece. 

He used to work in floor grinding and polishing, which he learned from his father and worked in this profession for a very long time in different countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Algeria.

During the war, his machines and equipment were all stolen in addition, the family's house was heavily damaged. After Fadi lost his work, he worked with his brother in floor-tiling to cover his family's needs and hoped that he might be able to compensate one day for the machines, however, the economic circumstances were very harsh and stood in his way. 

Although the cruel war deprived Fadi of the profession he loves, a new hope was born in this man's life when he had a second chance thanks to the Micro Projects Program.

Although the country is witnessing one of its hardest economic crises in history, there is still space for hope and new beginnings! 
Edwar and Marah got married in 2021, the young couple prepared their house together with love and support hoping for a happy life.

Edwar is a photo-videographer, he began to work with a well-known company that is specialized in event arrangements back in 2009, his salary was good and things were going well until the war erupted. His family was displaced from their home in Al-Hamidia for two years, then his company closed its doors in 2015 due to the unstable security situation.

He searched for an alternative solution and found a work opportunity in Lebanon, where he stayed for three years and then returned because of the deteriorating situation there. He didn’t give up despite all the challenges and looked for another chance, which was in a studio in rural Homs.

After his marriage, Edwar decided that it was time to start thinking of his own project, he applied for a livelihood support program and was supported with a photographic camera, but it wasn’t enough by itself to have independent business because he was still in need for a video camera.

Having this equipment will improve his income and help him and Marah focus on their future as a new family. 

Wael from Maskanah village is a married man and a father of four girls; he lives with his family in addition to his parents and brother, and they all work together in their land, which is planted with grapevines and peach trees. 

The family of nine lives on the bounties of this land that's considered the main source of income besides working in other fields to guarantee a decent life during the difficult economic situation of the country. Wael is a blacksmith, his wife and brother are both employees and the three of them support each other to cover the growing needs of their big family.

Wael wanted to improve the production of the land and ensure a better income, especially since the land is equipped with enough water supply and only lacked agricultural equipment that would save them the increasing plowing costs, that’s why the enthusiastic farmer chose the mini-cultivator, which is very essential for such a project.

Fady Yazjy, 47 years, is married and has two kids; George born in 2006, and Mary-belle born in 2011.

Fady and his family used to live in Alkabbas area in Damascus, but during the crisis, the area was surrounded by armed groups and hit daily by dozens of mortar shells which caused huge damage to the family's house, so they had to flee to another area without being able to take any of their belongings or furniture out of the house. 

Unfortunately, after that incident, their stable life turned to insecurity and constant moving between many rented houses living in the worst conditions under the terrible financial situation. However, Fady and his family had to overcome all of those struggles and continue their life hoping things will improve in the future.

During that period Fady was working as an employee at a Tobacco company, but he was discharged in 2018 and became jobless, then he worked in the Cathedral of Lady of El Nayah in Damascus as a receptionist and maintenance worker but his salary wasn’t enough to meet living expenses or his children’s education costs. 

Fady was also responsible for his elderly parents which put him in a difficult situation. He had no time to feel despair because he was the only supporter of his family and parents, he kept working day and night trying to secure the most necessary requirements. 

“Having faith in God is the best hope and assurance that everything will be okay, as long as he is there for us even in the most difficult times”

Fady’s faith wasn't disappointed, as he got supported to buy his own Pickup Truck which will provide him with a sustainable source of income and reflect a big improvement over the whole family’s circumstances.

Not everyone has the opportunity to determine their own lifestyle, some are forced since birth to deal with a hardship and spend a lifetime just trying to overcome it, such as Naji Gerious; who was born with a benign Tumor on the face, ever since that day his struggling journey began to live and look normal like any other person.

After graduating from the computer institute, Naji learned the shoemaking profession and for seven years he worked as a cobbler in a workshop while at the same period, he had to go through three difficult surgeries which unfortunately weren't successful. But he wasn’t discouraged and kept searching for a solution to his situation until he got the chance of paid medical treatment in Germany; in 1998, Naji traveled there and spent a long treatment journey of twelve years, during which he went through nine critical surgeries, but in the end, it was worth all the pain and Naji recovered. 

Naji returned to Syria in 2010 full of faith and enthusiasm, ready to start a new chapter of his life. His brother helped him to open his own shoemaking workshop and Naji finally began to achieve his dream which sadly didn’t last for long; as with the beginning of the war in Syria, this profession was no longer profitable and Naji's financial situation dropped down quickly forcing him to sell his equipment in order to afford his living expenses.

Supporting Naji with the needed equipment in addition to the important tools and materials will allow him to have his workshop back again and have a secure living source. 

“No matter what has happened to me in the past or what difficulties I am living now, God will always be on my side guiding me through life for the best” Naji Gerious

"The hardest moment in life is when your daughters ask for a simple thing, but you are unable to afford it." with these painful words, Salimeh told her story.

Salimeh Al-Mailaa, 35 years old, got married at a young age escaping her difficult childhood to face a harder reality of being responsible for a house and two little daughters. However, she accepted the situation and started working to help her husband in securing the living expenses. Despite her weak body structure, she was persistent in cleaning work for more than 10 years, to pay the house rent, which was rising year after year, and to pay off the debts of the high costs of living during wartime. 

Salimeh and her husband worked very hard to secure the basic house demands for their daughters who are now at a critical period in their studies, but the income was very little in comparison to the livelihood costs. However, Salimeh was more determined to strive for other opportunities to support her family during the tough circumstances.

Through the Micro initiation, Salimeh found the opportunity she was looking for; where she and her husband can put their efforts together in their own mini-market business which would preserve their dignity, achieve stability, and secure their future.

"We put our hope in this project and put the plans to run it successfully, but we believe in God's will whom we owe all the credit in our life."

George Al-Naqiri had a good job and a decent life, provided his children with all their requirements, but the wheel of life turned on him and he lost his house and factory of detergents manufacture, thus, his financial situation deteriorated rapidly. 

However, these losses did not weaken his determination, so he gathered his savings, borrowed some money from his relatives, and rented a small shop for accessories.

Unfortunately, the situation became dangerous with the outbreak of war in 2011, which reflected negatively on George's work, as his goods were not so much in demand anymore because people's main needs were food and medicine. At the same time, the shop area was exposed to heavy shelling, so he was forced to shut it down, sheltering in his home, hoping that the war would end with the least possible damages.

The economic situation became even worse after the war ended, especially with the Corona pandemic, which made it impossible for George to make any improvements to his work that would enhance his living conditions.

George was getting older and had to think again about securing his living expenses and securing his family's future in the middle of the harsh circumstances. Despite everything he has been through over the past decade, he kept his optimistic smile, which reflects positivity on everyone he meets.

Indeed, his hope wasn't disappointed; through the micro-project program, his shop was supported with sufficient goods that will constitute a qualitative leap in his business and will lead to the improvement of his livelihood.

The life journey of each person is unique in itself, unlike any other, it is impossible to imagine how some people can wake up every day and go on with their normal lives, go to work and laugh while they have great sorrow within their souls.

Since his childhood, Alaa took the responsibility of looking after his parents; he had to quit his study and learn the blacksmithing profession. In 1994, Alaa and his brother started working in a blacksmithing workshop, they were fighting together with the difficult living circumstances and taking care of their parents at the same time.

Unfortunately, his brother died from an explosion of a diesel tank while he was welding it, which was very devastating for Alaa who lost his friend and partner suddenly and was left alone facing life struggles.

However, he bravely took the responsibility of keeping a decent life for his family, which was very hard during the deteriorating situation of the whole country. Alaa was trying his best and worked for late hours trying to save his workshop and his job from breaking down but all his attempts fell short, especially because of the terrible electricity condition.

Alaa kept his faith in God and was always certain that someday, somehow, God will save his life and that what happened indeed. This strong, hardworking man was supported with an electric generator and a welding machine that will increase productivity and profits and help him to secure better living. 

Samir Shalash used to have a private restaurant in the Al-Tal area in the countryside of Damascus, and his work took all of his time; it was a profitable business, as it was very popular in the area, and people came from many regions.

He never imagined he would lose everything so suddenly; after the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2011,  Al-Tal area turned into a center of battles and violence, which led to massive destruction of buildings, and many lives were lost. Samir’s restaurant turned into rubbles overnight without being able to save anything from it.

those losses were very devastating, Samir did not only lose a place or equipment, he lost his lifetime job, which was his only source of income for a livelihood, but he didn’t surrender; he collected all his savings and rented a small shop in Al Dwalaa area to sell vegetables and fruits. This small business allowed him to survive during the most difficult conditions of war. A stifling economic crisis forced itself into the post-war years, which greatly affected work.

Samir shifted to selling coffee and nuts but was unable to expand his project for better income, especially after the Corona pandemic that struck the country and caused a huge rise in prices, then his health situation worsened and he had to go through a heart-stent placement operation which consumed all of his savings. 

All of these hardships can easily make a person collapses, but not Samir, who was always ready to take the opportunity and start over through the Micro Projects Program, where he was supported with goods that would secure him a greater income and hopefully better sustainability.

Life is tough, but so are we... we were given this life because we are strong enough to live it.

Rita is 46 years old, married to Saher Wakim, with a son (Eyad) who studies civil engineering and a daughter (Maya) who studies commerce and economics.

The family lived in Al-Qusayr in the countryside of Homs where they had their own house and a three-floors clothing store full of merchandise. Their business was very prosperous which enabled them to have a good living, little did they know that they were on the cusp of a drastic change in their lives.

Unfortunately, the town of Al-Qusayr was one of the first places that the war struck and affected; the losses were horrible and many innocents have died during the clashes, the residents cared only about survival without taking any of their belongings or even clothes.

Rita and her husband were one those people who wanted to save their children and flee to a safe place. In 2011, they fled their hometown and settled in Jaramana, the countryside of Damascus where they were informed that their house was destroyed and turned into rubbles, their store was looted and all the goods were stolen. They were depressed but thankful for their lives at the same time, after all of those violent incidents.

Despite all they went through, Rita's faith was strong and she encouraged her husband and children to start from scratch in a new house, a new city.

With some savings, they rented a small shop in Jaramana for kids’ clothes. the income was enough to cover the basic daily needs and their children’s education, but not enough to improve the work or buy more goods so Rita shifted into undergarments which were more demanded. After the corona pandemic, prices increased rapidly and her project was about to collapse.

However, giving up was not an option, as soon as she heard about our Micro Projects, Rita applied and was supported with the necessary goods to ensure the stability of income for the whole family. 

It has been 9 years now, but I still remember the day we fled our hometown, Yabroud, in the countryside of Damascus; I used to live there along with my wife and my two daughters Maria and Carol.

My daughter Carol was born with a mental disability and needed a lot of care and attention so I had to stay close and I transformed a room of our house into a small shop where I started to sell drinks. My income was good enough to secure a good life, but this all changed after 2011. Yabroud was sieged by armed groups and we lived in terror under violence and harsh livelihood conditions. 

Soon after, I began to receive daily and direct threats because of my work, they asked me to leave the town, or I will be executed. I was so concerned about the safety of my family so I decided to take them and flee out of the town leaving everything behind. 

In 2013, our journey of displacement and misery began; we headed to Jaramana where we rented a house for three years and lived in a state of loss and depression, hoping that someday we could go back to our previous life.

After we spent all of our savings, we were convinced that we may never return home, so I had to create my own opportunity, I started to work as a bike peddler selling plastic materials. I used to tour from street to street and face all the challenges and difficulties to secure a living for my daughters. However, it wasn’t easy for me to pay the house rent, my daughter’s medication, and the daily needs, but I kept trying until I reached a point of overwhelming that I lost hope. 

I prayed to God and his great mercy, and I received the answer after applying to the Micro-project program as I was supported with the needed goods that will enable me to once again have my own shop, restore my independency, have a sustainable income, and provide my family with dignified livelihood. 

Despite how lonely you feel facing your struggles, you have to wake up every morning with a smile on your face and new hope in your heart because many are counting on you.

In his twenties, and at the time he was supposed to be starting his life Journey, Jean had to go through many hardships. He was working at his store for kitchen supplies when the war began in Syria, he became unable to improve his project because his goods were no longer in demand due to the deteriorating economic situation in the country; as the people’s main concerns were their safety and security in addition to their daily food.

Jean's financial situation became critical, he couldn’t meet the house expenses so he had to work as a guard at a school in Damascus, but his salary was very little despite the long hours, so he quit in 2016 and moved between different fields but none of them were profitable enough to keep a balance between the income and the daily life expenses.

Jean was desperate for a decent work opportunity, he needed a helping hand to pull him through, and the hands of God lead him to the Micro-project program where he was supported with the needed goods for his kitchen supplies store and make a positive impact on his life.

"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.