Abdullah Hatem, a hardworking 31-year-old with an entrepreneurial mindset, started his journey from a young age. He worked alongside his father, who owned a car mechanic workshop, but Abdullah did not envision himself working in the same field. Instead, he developed a keen interest in the art of garment printing. In 2012, he embarked on his journey and worked towards starting his own project and owning a workshop.

Abdullah's determination and hard work allowed him to save every penny he earned, aiming to purchase his very own shop. Initially, he rented a small space, but through persistent efforts, he eventually managed to buy his own workshop. However, the outbreak of war disrupted his business, causing a significant decline in his income. Additionally, he faced the challenge of acquiring the necessary printing equipment.

Abdullah made investments with a friend in an attempt to increase his income, but unfortunately, it did not yield favorable returns. Faced with these setbacks, he found himself in need of a helping hand to provide the push he required. With the assistance of Hope Center and access to essential equipment and materials, he aimed to boost the productivity and quality of his project. He found solace and guidance, which restored hope and determination to overcome all hardships.

Kevork is a 53-year-old skilled mechanic with over 30 years of experience in car maintenance and mechanics. He used to work in his workshop, which he owned since 2005. However, when the war started, his house in Aleppo was damaged by the ongoing shelling. As a result, he was forced to make the difficult decision of selling the equipment he had acquired through years of hard work and moving to Lebanon with his family.

From 2015 onwards, he resided in Lebanon along with his wife and his two sons. In 2018, he returned to Aleppo. Relying on his years of experience, he was determined to support his family.

Despite the challenges he faced, living with his parents, he remained committed to provide for his loved ones. With the assistance of the Hope Center, Kevork was able to obtain all the essential equipment he needed. With his revived business and experience, he was able to rebuild his thriving business.

Bassil Mssedy, a dedicated father in his 50s, worked as a blacksmith for 15 years in the industrial city of Aleppo. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the war made him jobless. The industrial area, once thriving, now lay in ruins.

Bassil and his wife used to reside in a rented house in Al Midan, an area that was heavily bombarded during the war. Tragedy struck one fateful day when a missile destroyed their home. Miraculously, they had left the house just an hour prior, escaping unharmed. Although relieved that their lives were spared, their house suffered significant damage, so they had to move in with their parents in 2014.

Despite their challenging circumstance and unemployment, Bassil managed to secure a position as a church keeper, working part-time. However, his income was barely sufficient to support his family. His wife worked at the airport to help her husband. Unfortunately, she also battled diabetes, adding further strain to their finances due to medical expenses.

Ensuring their basic needs became a daily challenge, as putting food on the table proved to be a constant struggle. They heavily relied on food baskets and cash aids to make ends meet. 

In the depths of despair, Bassil was filled with hope when he received assistance from the Hope Center. With the new taxi he received, he was able to increase his resilience and income, which brought stability to his life.

George Tabbakh is a skilled CNC machinist with 15 years of experience. He began his career in 1997 until 2002 when he decided to start his own business and invest in a metal lathing machine. George has always had a passion for personal development and enjoys immersing himself in new learning experiences. Aware of the potential of 3D printing and mechanical drawing, he attended numerous workshops and courses to enhance his skills with software like SolidWorks.

In 2008, George purchased his own 3D printer. Things were going well until the outbreak of war significantly impacted his business. Faced with financial challenges and a scarcity of jobs, George was forced to sell his equipment. However, in 2015, he resolved to rebuild his career and opened a new shop with the hope of reestablishing his work.

George encountered a multitude of difficulties and challenges. Despite working tirelessly to increase his income, the majority of his earnings were consumed by electricity bills, leaving little to provide for his family of three. His work particularly suffered from the absence of a CNC machine. Whenever a customer requested a small sample, George had to rely on others who owned such machines, often waiting for a month just to receive a sample due to the machine's scarcity in the city.

George and his wife made the conscious decision to stay in Aleppo, despite numerous opportunities to relocate. His wife also contributes to the family's income, supporting her husband through these challenging times. While they have hopes for better prospects in Syria, they are concerned about the low salaries and inflation.

With the support of hope centers, George finally obtained the necessary equipment for his job. The availability of the CNC machine has been a game-changer for his business, allowing him to produce samples quickly and efficiently. George remains dedicated to his craft, determined to make the most of this newfound opportunity to improve his financial situation and provide for his family.

Vahe Tashjian is a 56-year-old mechanic with 23 years of experience. In his younger years, he worked in Kuwait, but he later moved to Aleppo, where he found employment in various companies. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, the companies closed down, leaving him jobless. 

Vahe has always dreamt of owning his own workshop, but his previous attempts were unsuccessful due to the need for financial resources, in 2022, he briefly went to Dubai but got very ill. In less than a year, Vahe returned to Aleppo with great hopes and determination to establish his livelihood. Given his extensive experience, he no longer wanted to work as an employee. 

Luckily, through a friend, he managed to secure a temporary workshop without having to pay rent. As Vahe took his first steps in this new workspace, the recent earthquake impacting the already struggling job market and resulted in a severe decline in customers. This situation left him with no choice but to take matters into his own hands. In order to cut costs, he had to let go of his workers and do the hard physical work himself, which put strain on his health.

 After receiving approval for his project, Vahe felt a sense of relief. He could now bring back his dedicated workers and once again immerse himself in the job he loved. No longer needing to rely on borrowed equipment from others, Vahe was finally able to invest in his own tools and resources. He could provide for his family and generate a more substantial income.

Aziz is a determined young man, recently married to Rasha and waiting for their first born child.

He worked as a driver since 2009 and continued working in this job during his ten-years military service in Damascus, Rasha works as a nurse in a hospital and they live in a modest rented house. 

During his service aziz was injured in the leg then he was discharged and he started looking for a job to secure his life and future. His parents decided to travel and leave the country but Aziz decided to stay and he started looking for a job to secure his life; he started working night shifts at a beverage shop in a local neighborhood but the salary was low and the job included many troubles so he kept his faith and determined to search for a solution to enhance his situation. 

After getting married, Aziz responsibilities got bigger and he found the micro program as the best opportunity to get back to his original career as a driver, with the support he got the taxi and he can now improve his income and provide a good life for his wife and awaited child. 

Antoine had a good life before the war working as a hairdresser with great skill and many customers, in 2013 he was called for military service and had to serve for nine long years in Aleppo's suburbs which affected his health greatly as he was subject to many injuries from explosions.

Antoine suffered from a neurological condition that caused trembling in his hands and he no longer was able to continue in his original career of hairstyling, even grabbing the scissors became the most difficult task for him.

However, he didn't surrender and was determined to find a way to secure his livelihood especially that he is the breadwinner of the household that he shares with his parents and he looks after them; the family had to sell their house in Midan area after the brother was called to service so they can afford the increasing livelihood expenses.

He started working in a blacksmithing workshop but the income was insufficient and it demanded a lot of physical effort. With the support of the Micro Projects program, Antoine got a taxi that would help him make a better living and at the same time it is the most suitable job for his health condition, hopefully it will be the start of a better days to come for him and his loved ones. 

Haytham's journey in the world of tailoring began in 1988, Aleppo, During the war Haytham faced a great loss when his workshop in Shekh Maksoud was completely destroyed and all of his sewing machines and tools were stolen. He used to work alongside his brother for a short period of time, but circumstances led them to separate and focus on their individual projects. Haytham received his share of the profits, which he had planned for his own project, but instead, his wife got very sick so he had to use the money for her surgery. Unfortunately, destiny had a cruel twist in store for him as his beloved wife passed away after a heart surgery in 2014, leaving him devastated and alone.

In Haytham's time of despair, a friend suggested that he rent a workshop. Thankfully, the owners were understanding and charged him a minimal amount of rent, which was a relief considering the financial burden Haytham was already facing. However, there were additional expenses that Haytham had to bear, especially the high monthly private electricity bills. Most of his hard-earned income seemed to disappear into these bills, leaving him with little income to support himself.

Recently, Haytham received devastating news that the owners of the workshop were planning to sell the workshop, without even considering the impact it would have on him and on his son George. Determined not to let this happen, Haytham made the decision to upgrade the workshop in an attempt to prevent the owners from selling it. He planned to replace the outdated sewing machines with new ones that consumed only less electricity. This upgrade would not only modernize his workshop but also significantly reduce the electricity consumption.

With over 35 years of experience, Haytham has mastered the art of creating a wide variety of cotton-wear clothing, to both men and women, including pajamas and robes. As for his personal life, he and his son George live in a rented house. However, Haytham strives to provide the best life possible for his son and wishes to ensure a stable and successful future for him. Haytham's determination and drive are truly admirable. Growing up as an orphan, he experienced hardships at a very young age; however, his determination and passion for his craft have always been the driving forces in his life. Today, with the new machines and support from the Hope Center that Haytham has received, he has overcome challenges and secured a better future for himself and his beloved son, George.

Antoine is 28 years old, married and a father of a 1 year old lovely boy, he has served in the military for almost the last ten years of his life which has robbed him of any opportunity to pursue a career and build a future for his family.

with no experience and a very harsh economic situation of the country, Antoine put a lot of thinking of his next step in life, he looked for any job that would help him provide a decent life for his wife and newborn son, he started working in a soap factory but the salary is very low and not sufficient to make ends meet. 

The earthquake had a huge impact on this family, they lived in fear and were affected by the damages, the church helped them and continues to deliver a small monthly aid, unfortunately the situation is deteriorating with the inflation and the increasing living costs. 

Antoine found hope in the Micro Projects program when he applied for a taxi as it doesn't require a former experience and at the same time he can work long hours and make a better income to improve the livelihood of his loved ones. 

Salem Kadah, a 40-year-old tailor, chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become a tailor himself. Before the war, he worked alongside his father. However, after his father passed away in 2003, Salem forged his own path and began working in jeans production, distributing products to high-end brands. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of war, his business was disrupted, which forced him to look for alternative sources of income.

In 2016-2017, Salem attempted to revive jeans production but faced significant challenges due to low-profit margins. Consequently, he shifted his focus to tailoring and repairing clothes, utilizing his father's shop. Unfortunately, outdated sewing machines consumed substantial amounts of electricity, the cost of electricity bills was eating into his already modest income.

Despite the difficult circumstances during the war when work opportunities were scarce, Salem always found a way to make ends meet and worked tirelessly; however, minimal income broke his thrive.

Today, with the support he received and his unwavering dedication, Salem now feels confident that his hardships will no longer go to waste on excessive bills. His wife also works and supports him, while together, they provide for their family. Salem seeks to upgrade his workshop, aiming to increase his income by expanding production rather than solely relying on clothes repair.

Upgrading his machinery will undoubtedly lower electricity consumption and save time and effort. Today with the support of Hope Center Salem's 20 years of experience and hard work have not been in vain. With renewed hope, he aspires to resume his job and provide good living for his family.

Mardiros a young barber with seven years of experience, he lives with his mother and bears the sole responsibility of being the family's breadwinner. As a talent in his craft, Mardiros was longing for the security and independence that came with owning his own barbershop. However, the lack of supportive environment and economic challenges of the country left him hesitant to take the leap. He meticulously calculated every aspect, and despite numerous attempts, he remained doubtful as it posed a significant risk.

Having endured the frustration of earning minimum salaries while working for others, Mardiros knew he needed his own equipment to establish his resilience. Mardiros had an idea to minimize the cost of rent, Mardiros's current barbershop decided to offer him the opportunity to rent a chair in their salon for his own customers. This arrangement enabled him to reduce rental expenses while still generating a steady source of income.

With the approval from the Hope Center, Mardiros received an incredible boost in confidence and support. Finally, he could embark on his journey towards independence. The burst of hope and opportunity provided by the Hope Center gave Mardiros the courage to chase his dreams, ensuring a brighter future for himself and his family. 

Nancy Samaan, an ambitious young girl from Tartous, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and later relocated with her family to Aleppo. Nancy always had a clear vision of her passion for graphic design and poured her heart and soul into her work.

At a young age, in 2018, Nancy started her career as a graphic designer. However, she soon realized that her previous job didn't provide the opportunities she needed to improve her skills and profession. Determined to grow, she embarked on a new job that allowed her to explore photography, expanding her abilities and opening up diverse avenues in graphic design. She delved into areas like social media content creation and product advertisement.

After gaining five years of experience in the field, Nancy desired to work independently, driven by her longing for financial independence. She planned to achieve her goals step by step and began by building an impressive portfolio of her work, which earned her positive feedback from customers who admired her talent and expressed a desire to collaborate. Nancy leveraged social media platforms to showcase her work and gain recognition in the job market. With unwavering confidence and fearlessness, Nancy's ultimate dream career was to become an interior designer.

However, the unavailability of a laptop became the only obstacle hindering her success; One day, while working from home, Nancy's laptop suddenly stopped functioning due to a surge in electricity, resulting in the loss of all her files and documents.

Standing as Nancy's number one supporter, her mother is immensely proud of her daughter's determination and unwavering belief in her abilities. With the support she received from the CHC team, Nancy regained her confidence with her new laptop and took the first step towards realizing her dream and unleashing her boundless creativity to pursue a fulfilling career.

Not everyone has Firas’s courage. Despite all the difficulties he faces every day, his disability never stopped him from doing his best to support his family. Firas was born deaf; since he was young, he used to depend on himself and has always been an effective individual in his community, his wife Lilian is deaf too; they met each other in the church as they used to participate in all the local activities, and later they got married and started a beautiful family. He lives with his wife, his six-year-old son Ibrahim and his baby daughter Mary and he is their sole provider. 

He worked as an employee for 22 years, but his increasing responsibilities made his financial burdens overwhelming. During the economic crisis, his income became insufficient and barely enough for the essential needs, Firas and Lilian found that it is necessary to have an additional source of income, which would ensure them better living.

At the beginning of 2021, they opened a small shop with some money they managed to save over the years, however, their start was very simple and the shop lacked many demanded products, the thing that made them lose many clients. 

Supplying this shop with all the needed supplies will cover the clients’ needs of these products, especially that it is located in a popular neighborhood and Firas knows exactly what people want in proportion to their modest financial abilities. This project is his only hope to guarantee his family a dignified life and it will give him the chance to provide a better income for them without needing any help. 

Firas worked as a wall painter since 1992, he is the sole breadwinner for his family of four; his wife Rasha, his daughter Yara (11 years old) and his son Mokhles (10 years old). 

During the war, Firas lost his only source of livelihood after all of his equipment was stolen, and his only way to support his family was to work in Lebanon. What made him even more determined was his daughter’s health condition, and her need for constant medical supervision and daily medications as she has Epilepsy, which caused her speech impairment.

Firas’s business in Lebanon went very well; he managed to buy new equipment and to cover his family’s needs but unfortunately, good things don't last long! He went for a short visit to Syria to see his family and couldn’t return back as COVID-19 started to spread and stopped all the activities of life. 

After a long career, he found himself without a job, Firas didn’t give up and worked by borrowing the essential equipment from a friend, however, working that way was very difficult and made him lose many clients for not having the needed equipment at the right time, his income became barely enough for food and his financial burdens increased.

All that Firas hopes for now is to be able to afford his daughter’s treatment costs and ensure his family a dignified life. Having the required equipment will help Firas in compensating for the hard circumstances they had to experience because of the cruel war. 

Ghassan is a married man and a father of three; two boys and a girl. He used to work as a driver and worked on many different vehicles throughout his long career since 2001, but the cruel war came along and brought with it painful incidents for the family. In 2014, a shell hit their home destroying a huge part of it while Ghassan’s wife was in there, she was injured by a shrapnel, her injury was dangerous and as a result, she lost her kidney and needed a very long time to recover. Unfortunately, in that same incident, Ghassan lost his only source of livelihood as he was parking his minibus near the house and it was completely burned. 

Starting from scratch was never easy on a man of his age, he had to work on someone else’s car being the sole breadwinner. Working that way was impractical; he was sharing a big amount of his profits with the car owner which made his income insufficient for the basic daily needs. 

Having a mini pick-up truck will allow Ghassan to compensate for a part of his loss, and give him the chance to provide a decent life for his family.

Sana studied dentistry and graduated from the University of Homs in 2020, she lives with her father Nazih, a retired engineer, her mother Ahlam, a doctor and her sister Ghazal who studies medicine. 

Her family had a big role in motivating her to continue her studying; especially her mother who was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer and lost her clinic during the war, which affected her health badly, these difficult circumstances encouraged Sana to study harder and do her best just to make her mother happy again. 

The treatment costs were a huge burden and forced the family to spend most of their savings, which made it impossible for Sana after graduation to start her life project. All the hardships she experienced were never enough reason to stop but on the contrary, she decided to chase her dream and fight for it till the end. 

When she knew that her project was approved, Sana brought some joy to her family with the great news! this new project revived hope in their hearts despite all the tragedies, and helped them to overcome the bad times they went through. 

Issam is a blacksmith; he lives with his wife and their son in a rented apartment. 

In 2012, he lost his only source of livelihood due to the vicious war; all of his equipment was stolen from the workshop, which he opened back in 1994 and since then, he had no other way but to work among small construction sites, borrowing the needed equipment because he couldn’t afford opening a workshop by himself. For a man of his age with the long experience he has, working that way was very difficult, also,  not having the main equipment deprived him of many job offers. 

His wife Amira who has always stood by him in all the ups and downs of life, decided to work in a sewing workshop just to alleviate part of his financial burdens during the hard economic circumstances. All Issam hoped for is to have his own equipment that would allow him to secure a decent income for his family. 

Now that he got the needed support and bought all the essential equipment, Issam rented a workshop and finally became able to work independently. This project revived a new hope in this family’s life as it would definitely help them live in better conditions. 

Bassam lives with his wife Rima after their two sons traveled abroad in a search of a better life. He used to work as a floor tiler; his start in this profession was in 1977 until the brutal war came and forced him to stop working. Being the sole breadwinner, Bassam couldn’t stay without a job and worked on his private car to secure a source of livelihood. Over time, he found this job profitable and ensured his family a dignified life so he decided to sell his car and buy a taxi. 

Unfortunately, by the start of 2020, he had sudden heart problems and needed three urgent surgeries, and later, he had diabetes, which made his situation even worse. His wife and sons spent all of their savings and they had no other choice but to sell the car, in order to pay the hospital costs and cover their increasing needs during Bassam’s illness period until his health gradually improved, and he was obliged to work again as a floor tiler despite his critical health condition.

It’s very challenging for Bassam's health to continue working in this tiring profession and having a taxi is more suitable for his health. This project is like a second chance for Bassam after all the suffering he went through and it will allow him to provide a stable income. 

As the youngest son in his family, Suheil did his best and worked in different fields just to help supporting his family after his father’s death. the 26 years old young man lives with his mother who is an employee, his brother who has just finished his ten years of military service and his grandmother while his other brother is serving in the army.

In 2016, he traveled to Lebanon seeking better opportunities; first, he worked in a mini-market then in the field of goods distribution for three years until COVID-19 started to spread and that was when he decided to return home. In Homs, Suheil didn’t give up and used the money he saved to open a mini-market with a relative, but this partnership was a huge burden, and splitting the profits between them was not practical during the difficult economic circumstances, all that forced Suheil to find another job. 

At the beginning of 2021, he tried working on a mini pick-up truck and this job was profitable but splitting the profits again deprived him of a huge amount of his income. 

He found that having his own mini pick-up truck would ensure him and his family a decent living especially that he created wide relations with many traders who would provide him with job offers. 

This initiative helped him to have the stability and independence he needs, specially that it is time for him to focus on his future after years of hard work.

After working in the UAE for 13 years as a salesman, Wassim had to go back home after the devastating news of his brother death, to stay with his parents and his sister Hanan who works in a cotton clothes shop to help in providing for the family.

Since he returned home, Wassim worked as an employee with a modest salary and that was not enough to secure a well living during the severe inflation. He aspired to utilize his previous experience, by opening a cosmetics and accessories shop where his sister could also help him, But unfortunately, their limited financial resources prevented implementing the project.

The sales field has always been Wassim’s only experience, helping him to start his own business will allow him to support his family and will ensure him and his sister the stability they need to settle down and start thinking about their future. 

Manal is an ambitious young lady, graduated recently as a dentist from the university of Homs, her father who is the only provider for the family is a retired employee and his pension is barely enough for the family’s daily needs. All these circumstances encouraged her brothers to travel abroad seeking better job opportunities in order to help their father, her family’s limited financial resources were a huge obstacle, which prevented her from starting her life project. Manal had always dreamed of opening her own clinic, and making her family proud of her was her main motive and support. 

She used to go to church every Sunday where she found between its walls peace and comfort for her heart. Manal remembers her graduation day with many conflicted feelings, she went to church and she was happy but at the same time, she was carrying with her all the heavy concerns about an unknown future. All she had in mind was one question “what should I do next?” this question left her absent-minded and she couldn’t pray. She decided to leave but something made her stay, she tried to sit and calm down, few minutes later the priest had an announcement about the Micro Projects Program. Manal was unable to hide her happiness and the priest encouraged her to visit the center and apply. 

This initiative helped her to make her first steps towards the future. She chose to open a clinic in Maskanah village (near Homs) as there are no dental clinics there. Now Manal is ready to receive her patients and finally, found the hope she was looking for.

Since he was young, Akram used to help his grandfather in the family’s shoe-store, the shop that has been in the family for generations. After his grandfather, Akram's father used to run the place and Akram was helping with the finances and accounting but when the father was no longer able to work the handed the business over to Akram in 2015 and since then, Akram managed to maintain a successful family business, which actually was one of the famous shoe selling stores in the area and the only source of livelihood for Akram's family which by that time was consisting of his wife Mariam who worked as a teacher and their one-year-old daughter Nour. 

Unfortunately, in 2020, Akram had to close his shop due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the factories he used to deal with stopped producing as usual, and these challenging times were followed by severe inflation that affected all sides of life.

These factors prevented Akram from buying enough goods and the shop became half-empty for the first time, his income dropped sharply while the family’s financial burdens started to increase. 

Akram applied to the Micro Projects Program hoping to revive his family’s shop, and with his long experience, he was certain that if he got the needed support, he would be able to restore the balance he lost and save his business. 

Now, his project started to thrive again and Akram will do his best to compensate for all the hard circumstances he had to go through with his family. 

In 2017, Issam was no longer able to continue in his main profession as a floor tiler due to his health condition. With some money he had, he rented a simple shop and opened a mini-market near his house. He took advantage of being in a well populated neighborhood surrounded by schools, which made his shop known in the area. Issam is the only provider for his family of six; his wife, his three daughters and son in addition to his old mother. 

After the spread of COVID-19, his shop lacked a lot of the essential food commodities and he couldn’t compensate for this shortage due to the high prices and the severe economic crisis which increased his financial burdens. 

This project is Issam’s only way to support his family of seven and the only thing he can do after the health problem he suffered from his previous exhausting job.

Providing his mini-market with the required goods will improve his situation and alleviate his heavy burdens, and he will be able to cover all of the clients’ needs. 

When the economic crisis started to get harder, the income Ghada’s husband used to provide from his business as a wall painter became barely enough to cover their essential needs especially that they live in a rented apartment, all these circumstances encouraged her to open a mini-market and support her family. 

Ghada who is a mother of two started her own project in 2020 with simple capabilities; her beginning was very good as her mini-market was the only one in the area and she managed to meet all the clients’ needs. 

Unfortunately, few months later, COVID-19 started to spread in Syria, this pandemic had a negative impact on all the economic activities and Ghada’s business had its share. The huge inflation made it nearly impossible to supply the shop with more goods, and she couldn’t compensate for this shortage. 

This project is like a safety net for this family and their way to ensure a source of income for their children by relying on it in the future. Giving Ghada the chance to strengthen her shop will help her and her family to settle down and improve their living situation. 

When someone has been through terrible trauma and they’re starting a new life from scratch, it’s not easy for them to recover especially if they were living in a post-war period like the case of Yazan Sayegh.

He is 25 and lives with his parents and sister in Kashkoul. Yazan was 18 when the family received the news of his brother’s death during his military service in Aleppo. Such news was devastating for the whole family especially Yazan who had to stay steady for his parents whose health was affected badly as a result.

Yazan found himself at the age of 18, responsible for his family, and had to work in order to afford the living demands. He started to work as a barber and learned about the profession but despite all his hard work, it was hard for him to save any money and establish his own work due to the increasing prices which made him struggle to afford the basic livelihood for his family. Yazan started to think of traveling abroad in order to make a decent career and living but he didn't want to leave his parents alone especially since they lost their first son.

Out of its endeavor to preserve the Christian families in the county, Hope Center supported Yazan in purchasing all the tools and equipment needed to have his own barber shop to provide him with a sustainable source of income to overcome his obstacles and improve his living hoping that this project will help in keeping him in the country beside his beloved family.

Mariam always believed that there is no limit to what she could accomplish despite all the difficulties she had been through

She is 40 years old, divorced, and originally from Tartous but lives alone in a small room in Damascus. Mariam got married at a young age but after seven years she got divorced and returned with her kids to live at her parents' house in Tartous. She didn’t hesitate to continue her education and was enrolled at the trade and economics university and started to work at the same time to afford her living.

Her brother passed away in 2013 leaving her, her parents, and four sisters heartbroken, Things changed a lot after his death as her parents’ psychological condition was affected badly and Maryam had to increase her income to support them.

She decided to move to Damascus in order to find better job opportunities seeking for better income to support herself and her family in Tartous. Mariam tried many jobs but she wasn’t lucky. she was good at trading so she started to work in online marketing because she wasn’t able to afford her own shop but it wasn’t profitable enough to afford a proper living. 

Through the help of Hope-center, Mariam was supported to have her own perfume and cosmetics shop which she considered the life chance that would improve her living conditions and help her to secure a decent life. 

Maram Mahfoud 31, is an independent, hardworking woman, who was always strong enough to stand alone in the face of difficult circumstances.

She lives with her parents in an old room in Bab Sharqi. Her father used to work at a sanitary maintenance workshop but after getting old, his health didn’t allow him to keep working which affected their financial conditions. Despite her young age, Maram decided to start working and support her parents so she enrolled in a make-up course at the church and started to work in this field then in 2017 her friend bought a Laser cutting machine and asked Maram to help him. She quickly learned to work on the machine, trained on its programs, and became excellent at running the work alone. However, her salary was low in comparison with the hard work she was doing so in her spare time she kept working in make-up in order to increase her income and afford the living expenses.

Maram wanted to rely on herself and have her own project because she believed in achieving her goals through determination and perseverance so she applied at the Micro-project office asking for support.

Now, after the fund, Maram is so grateful to have her own laser workshop and started to do marketing to enhance her work full of faith that she will succeed in this project and her living situation will be improved.

Johnny Fallouh is 33 years old, he is newly married and soon to be a father. In 2006, he started his career as a pastry chef and was passionate about this job but in 2011 he was called to join the military service and thought that it would be for two years and then he would go back to continue his normal life and the work he loves.

Unfortunately, his service coincided with the beginning of the war in Syria, it extended to 10 years under difficult conditions and at critical times as he served in Al-Hasaka city which was one of the most severe war locations. 

However, in 2021 Johnny was discharged and went back home, but the postwar period was not easy and he couldn’t return to his old job as a Chef because it was no longer enough to meet the household demands. 

Johnny had no choice but to find another career so he started working as a salesman, he also got married and wanted to establish a family which was difficult especially since his wife got pregnant and they are waiting now for their first baby.

Supporting this newly established family was always one of the Hope-Center goals. Johnny was supported with the mini-van in order to improve his work and income, help preserve his dignity and fulfill his responsibility towards his wife and newborn baby.

With a deep wound in his heart, Jan Samaan was struggling each day to continue his life journey and improve his condition.

Jan was worked as a carpenter since 1990 as he established a carpentry workshop in partnership with his friend specializing in the field of kitchens and bedrooms. Together they worked hard to improve their business.

However, during the war, the carpentry work decreased and their income became not enough for both of them so his friend decided to end the partnership and work on his own which forced Jan to take his machines and equipment and start his own workshop in Dwalaa trying to preserve his career from declining.

During that period, Jan got married to Shereen Deeb and they had their first baby Joseph in 2016.

Soon after his son’s birth, he was diagnosed with abdominal cancer at a critical level making Jan feels as if his world was about to collapse. He started to focus on treating his son which was a difficult period in their life and cost a lot but Jan didn’t hesitate to spend all his savings for that purpose then he sold his workshop machines to handle the high cost of his son’s treatment. Unfortunately, all of those endeavors didn’t save his son and he passed away in 2020 the same year that Jan and his wife had their daughter Marita whose birth played a major role in getting her parents out of their state of grief.

With Marits's birth, Jan decided to travel to Sudan seeking to find better job opportunities to compensate for his losses but he wasn’t that lucky so he went back to Syria working in several workshops trying his best to secure a proper living for his family.

Bypassing all his circumstances, Jan decided to apply to the Micro-project asking for support and that what he gained as he was supported with the carpentry machines and necessary equipment that will enable him of having his own workshop so he could revive his profession and secure a decent living for his family.

“All the incidents we went through during the years of war were no harder than holding my son bleeding and seeing him fighting death to survive”

This is how Samer explained his tragedies during the Syrian war.

Samer Deeb is 49 years old, married to Roula Memary, and has two sons Elias born in 2004 and Gabi born in 2006. He lives with his family and sick mother at a modest flat in Dwalaa area.

Before the crisis, Samer was working as a waiter and then became a hall supervisor in different restaurants in Bab Touma until the year 2020 when his health started to deteriorate and he became unable to stand for long hours so he started to work as a salesperson, driving a pickup car and delivering vegetables and goods to shops and markets.

Samer’s financial condition was very bad, especially after the incident his son Gabi went through, as in the year 2013, Gabi was shot in the head while they were on their way to the village, he was transferred to Tartous Hospital where he remained under operations for six fateful hours until the surgeons were able to rescue him.

Although Gabi survived, he suffered many psychological effects and asthma, which took him many years to recover and continue his study. 

On the other hand, his second son Elias finished his baccalaureate exam and started to work as a hairdresser trainee trying as much as possible to reduce his expenses and support his father.

Samer was in desperate need of a new chance in his life and through the micro-projects, he was able to get it. 

Today after being funded with the pick-up, he started to restore his independence and dignity and he is willing to work as long hours as he could to provide his family with proper living conditions.

Firas had to face enormous difficulties in his life as he was responsible for his sick mother and disabled sister in addition to the household demands so he started working as a mini-bus driver at a young age seeking direct income to afford the living expenses.

He was working on Darayya-Damascus transportation line but after the start of the war, it became very dangerous to work there then the area was closed due to the armed conflict making Firas lose his job. 

Firas didn’t hesitate to work in a different fields because he was the breadwinner of the house and can’t stay jobless so he started working as a salesperson with a percentage of profit.

During that period Firas got married to Riham Asfour and had their kids Tatiana and Carlos. Together, Firas and his wife were working to secure the basic living needs for their kids and his wife was also helping in taking care of Firas’s mother and sister while he was doing his best to work hard and handle the increasing costs of living.

Firas realized that improving his income was uneasy because he was working for other employers and he needed his own project so he applied for the Pick-up truck project depending on his sufficient experience and wide knowledge of the market and customers.

this project will enable him from buying products and goods which will reflect positively on his income and help in improving his living conditions. 

As a talented musician, George's career started in 2006, he was playing his favorite instrument “the Electric Keyboard” in various locations performing beautiful musical sets.

George had a great passion for music and wanted to deliver his music love to everyone believing that this is an important message in his life, so he took classes at many schools and started teaching music to children until 2014 when the situation deteriorated badly and the teaching income was very low compared to the increased living expenses.

As a result, George had to focus more on his work as a musician in order to be able to afford the living needs of his family but although he was a musician for a long time, George has never had the ability to purchase his own instrument and had to rent an electric keyboard every time he has a job.

He also had to pay half of his wage to the instrument owner in addition to being restricted in choosing times and places of work.

Thanks to Hope Center, George was supported to buy his own Electric Keyboard which added great value to his career as he is able now to take any job opportunity without having to share his income with anyone and that will definitely improve his financial condition and secure a better livelihood.

Samaan is 35, unmarried, and lives with his parents and his grandmother. He has three brothers; Alaa and Jalal are married and live separately while Bashar is in military service which made Samaan the breadwinner of the house and responsible for his parents and his sick granny.

Before the war, his family lived in the village of Al-Adeedah, his father was a blacksmith so after turning 15, he started to help him at the workshop and learned the profession, in 2008 he was called for military service and when the crises started in Syria he was obliged to stay as a reserved soldier until his discharge in 2019.

Those 10 years prevented Samaan from making any steps in his life or building anything for the future but he kept on practicing his profession whenever he had time during his service.

However, after being discharged from the service,he returned to his village and started working at several workshops but due to the lack of opportunities there he decided to move with his family and live in Damascus; Soon after, he got to know many contractors and started working with them, especially in setting the solar power bases but most of them didn’t give Samaan fair wages because he doesn’t have his own equipment which make it very difficult to get good income.

With the help of Hope Center, Samaan got the proper fund to establish his own blacksmithing workshop with all the tools and machines required to improve his work and enable him to increase his income and have better living conditions.

As a determined man, age was never an obstacle in Youssef’s life.

He was a hard-working employee for more than 23 years at a governmental institution then he retired and started to do freelance work, seeking one target in his life which is providing his kids with a safe and comfortable environment.

During the crises, the situation started to decline and his income became unstable so he decided to collect his savings and start a small stationary shop in the neighborhood to ensure a sustainable income.

However, this wise decision helped Youssef during the years of war to preserve his dignity and afford the living demands of his family, he wanted to improve his work by adding a printer and other tools but he couldn't because three years ago, his daughter Katia was diagnosed of having Multiple sclerosis which was devastating news for Youssef and his family.

Youssef tried to empower himself for the sake of his daughter to support her during her treatment journey but the pain attacks she suffered from were very tiring for him and his health also deteriorated.

However, that tough period affected Youssef’s work, as he spent most of his income on his daughter’s treatment which made his stationary shop poor in goods and equipment.

With the help of Hope Center, Youssef was supported to purchase a new printer and some equipment to improve his stationary work and secure a better income for his family.

Nabil Farhat, a shoemaker for more than 25 years, is originally from Lebanon, came to Syria in the late eighties, learned the profession of shoemaking, and decided to continue his life in this beloved country.

He got married and had three kids and was very known in his field as many factories were dealing with him due to his meticulous professional work and kind attitude with customers, he considered Syria as his homeland and was feeling grateful to this country who gave him all the good things in his life.

Even after the war, Nabil refused to go back to his country Lebanon and challenged all the difficult conditions and the lack of security and stayed in Syria with great faith that things will get better.

During the crisis, Nabil worked at several factories and workshops trying to secure the basic living needs for his family and supported his kids to continue their education, and was looking forward to teaching his son the profession of shoemaking.

However, in the past couple of years, the work market declined and the demand for well-made shoes decreased due to the high costs of production which made Nabil decide to start a home-based workshop using an old sewing machine and worked at his own expense but he faced many challenges from the lack of electricity to the frequent machine malfunctions that affected his craft and became unable to meet the customers’ demands.

Nabil was so passionate about his profession and was seeking a way to revive it so he sought help from Hope Center and was supported to purchase different kinds of sewing machines in addition to the batteries that will provide him with electricity in order to increase his production and help in bringing him back to the market with a competitive shoes’ quality which will improve his work and living condition.

Rabee has always been an expert at sewing, he had even owned his own workshop since 2003 in a small village, where he lived with his wife and three kids.

However, trouble came knocking at his door when an armed group attacked the area. Rabee and his family had to flee for their lives, leaving behind their rented small house and all their belongings, including his beloved sewing workshop.

Rabee had to start from scratch and find a way to provide for his family. He decided to move to Damascus, where he heard that it was a safer place to live. He went from one workshop to another, working as a laborer, to put food on the table and find a safe place to live, But he didn't give up on his dream of owning a sewing workshop again.

With the help of the micro project in Damascus, Rabee got all the tools and equipment he needed to start his own workshop again. He was grateful for the opportunity to recover his lost livelihood and finally earn a living for his family.

Rabee is now able to provide a better life for his family, thanks to his hard work and determination. He would never forget the hardships he and his family had faced, but he is proud that he persevered through it all.