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-Cultivator


Life taught Maurice how to take responsibility for a family at a very young age after his father passed away. Since then, his mother Suzan who is a teacher did everything she could to compensate for her four children's great loss, and the whole family was depending on her salary for a living. 

Maurice is a 22-year-old veterinary student who lives with his mother, brother, and two sisters in a simple house in Ozeir village. He took upon himself the responsibility...


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Plumbing Equipment


This story isn't much different from all the other devastating stories caused by the cruel war in Syria! Like many Syrian families, this family was displaced from their home at Al-Hamidia neighborhood with the start of the war until the situation became more stable in the Old city of Homs when Rami's family decided to go home, during that time his family had already grown with two beautiful children; Hussam (8 years old) and Patricia (7 years old).

Rami worked as...


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Homemade Candles


Hanaa is a married woman and a mother of three; two sons and a daughter. Her husband has been suffering for eleven years from heart disease and went through many surgeries which put huge financial burdens on the family.

In 1992, she opened a sewing supplies shop to help her husband but after the war, life became harder and the economic crisis affected small businesses so heavily. Since Hanaa was young she had many hobbies like making handmade items and candles,...


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Mini-Market


Kamal inherited his father’s shop which was opened 40 years ago, this shop has always been known for meeting all the needs of any family with wide variation in food commodities and cleaning products. Kamal lives with his wife, his daughter and his son and he is the sole provider for the family.

The devastating war on Syria caused a sharp increase in prices and low purchasing power, the business was affected badly and it became harder to buy new goods....


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Mini-Market


Katia’s life turned upside down when her husband, the only provider for the family was diagnosed with brain cancer. Katia is a mother of three; two daughters and a son, this family was living peacefully at their house in Homs until 2011, the year that their life was changed forever.

This family was displaced from their home but their real suffering began when the head of the family started his battle with cancer. In 2014, the city of Homs became safe...


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Mobile Phones Store


Wissam (35 years old) who works in a mobile phones store is the sole provider for his father and mother. He started learning about this domain in 2013 when he was working in someone's else store, he worked there for 3 years and when he mastered this profession he was able to open his own store in 2016, he rented a store in a good location in a densely populated area, and indeed, this store helped him to stand on...


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Mini-market and Dairy shop


As a young man, war affected Elia’s plans for his future and nothing encouraged him to start a project during the siege and clashes in his home city, all these difficulties left him hesitant and lost, which forced him to leave his country in 2012 to start a new job in Lebanon and worked there for four years.

Finally, when things got better and life started recovering again in the city of Homs, Elia decided to come back, he settled down...


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Mini-Market


War has divided many Syrian families and Elias’s family was one of them. Elias is a married man and a father of three sons; his elder son was martyred in the war while the other son left the country seeking a better life. 

Today, Elias is living with his wife and his son Rami who chose to stay with them, Elias used to work in a small shop he opened in 2004, this shop has always been his only source of...


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Mobile Phones Store


Fadi lives with his wife Yara and their son George, he used to work at his own shop since 2012, which is located in a crowded area at the intersection of two important streets.

War and its subsequent circumstances like the economic crisis and the high costs of living led him to a very difficult situation as he was unable to provide the shop with more merchandises and supplies making it half-empty, his business was affected badly and his income became insufficient for his family’s basic needs. 

Fadi needs to improve his business by supplying his shop with more goods and mobile phone accessories that will ofcourse help him to revive his only source of livelihood especially that he has a great reputation in the area.

Cotton Clothes and Linens Shop


Shaza used to work as a hairdresser for 23 years, she is a single woman who lives with her old mother whom she is responsible for.

The nature of this job requires standing for long hours which caused Shaza many health problems and forced her to quit and think of another way to make a living. In 2019, she rented a shop, her shop was the only shop in Al-Hamidia neighborhood after the war and everything went well for the first few...


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Scented Frankincense


Ruba has many dreams just like all the other girls of her age, one of her dreams was having a peaceful life with her family at their lovely home! Unfortunately, the brutality of war destroyed everything she looked forward to and also with them her family's only home.

The family had to hide from the falling shells in the shelter for a period of time, but the suffering didn't stop there and the family lost some of their loved ones, Ruba's...


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Frozen Vegetables


Wael used to work as a chef in many restaurants since 1991, one day his health suddenly deteriorated and the left side of his body became completely paralyzed. He needed a long time to recover gradually, being the sole provider for his family of six; three children, his wife and his mother, he opened a vegetable and fruit shop to support his family. 

Unfortunately, the income he got from this shop was very low and not enough to support his family,...


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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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