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.


650

Aleppo

605

Homs

230

Damascus

Graphic Clothes Printing


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,...


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Car Maintenance


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...


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Taxi


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...


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CNC Carving Machine


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...


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Car Mechanics Workshop


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...


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Taxi


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...


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Taxi


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...


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Tailoring Workshop


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,...


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Taxi


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...


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Sewing Machines


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...


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Barbershop


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...


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Photography and design


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,...


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Wall Painting & Furniture Spraying


Hassan, a dedicated family man, had always been the backbone of his household. As the sole provider, he had been working tirelessly in the field of wall painting and furniture spraying since 1986, ensuring that his wife and two sons had a roof over their heads and food on the table.

The war brought immense hardship to his family. Their home was tragically burned to the ground, leaving them with nothing but shattered memories. Despite the devastating setback, Hassan was determined...


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Potato and Vegetables Land


Edwar, a hardworking farmer, has always dedicated his life to cultivating the land inherited from his father in the village of Qattinah. His love for farming goes hand in hand with his deep commitment to providing for his family. Married to his supportive wife, Laila, and blessed with three university-going children, two daughters, and a son, Edwar's main goal is to ensure their well-being.

However, their journey has not been without hardships. In 2013, during the devastating war, his wheat land...


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Pharmacy


Rana, a talented graduate from the faculty of pharmacy 2018, embarked on her entrepreneurial journey by opening her first pharmacy in 2019, which was located in a village near Homs.

In 2021, her life took a beautiful turn when she married Hussam, a diligent bank employee. They decided to start their life together in Fairouza village. However, the couple faced financial constraints that prevented them from opening a pharmacy in their new location due to to the challenging economic circumstances.

Determined to...


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Wheat Seeds & Water Pump


Tammam is a farmer from Al-Dwair village who is still trying to fix what the brutal war had left behind. 

He is a married man and a father of two, he works as an employee besides farming being the family's sole breadwinner. 

When Al-Dwair village was attacked by the armed groups, Tammam took his family and escaped to the city of Homs leaving everything. Unfortunately, the loss was huge; their house was severely damaged while all of the trees on their land...


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Almond, Olive, and Potatoes Land


Elias, a dedicated family man from the village of Qattinah, faced the challenges of providing for his loved ones while working as a government employee and cultivating his land. Married to Nisreen and blessed with two children, Jan and Julia, Elias worked tirelessly to make ends meet.

His modest salary and farming endeavors in almonds, olives, fruit trees, and potatoes sustained his family. However, the toil of manually plowing the land and relying on borrowed water from his neighbor's well hindered...


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Mini-Cultivator


Ehssan, a farmer and devoted family man, found himself facing challenges in his village of Qattinah. Married and with three children to support, he relied on his income as a physics and chemistry teacher, which unfortunately provided him with only a meager salary since 1999.

In 2013, tragedy struck when his beloved wife began experiencing severe vision problems. Over the course of four years, she underwent several eye surgeries, but, devastatingly, she eventually lost her sight. This life-altering event added an...


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Fruit and Beans Land


Waleed, a hardworking farmer from the village of Qattinah, faced some challenges in providing for his family. Besides cultivating his land, he worked as an employee to ensure an additional income for his household. His family consisted of his wife, Reem, a dedicated school teacher, his son, Antoun, who was in the eighth grade, and his daughter, Sarah, who was in the fifth grade.

His land was his pride and joy. He diligently cultivated various crops, including beans, fruit trees, and...


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Vegetables, Almond, and Wheat Land


Samih, a retired government employee and lifelong farmer from the village of Qattinah, is a devoted husband and father of two children. Living under one roof with his wife, children, and elderly mother-in-law, he has always worked tirelessly to provide for his family.

During the war, his once-prosperous land suffered greatly. The warehouses were destroyed, and all the trees were mercilessly cut down. Despite these setbacks, he remained resilient and determined to rebuild his farm.

With two plots of land situated just...


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Potatoes, Vegetables, and Wheat Land


Rakan is a farmer from Qattinah village, who has faced a lot of challenges throughout his life. As the only son in his family, he has taken on the responsibility of providing for his parents and sister. From a young age, he embraced the life of a farmer, toiling tirelessly on the land.

However, his life took a devastating turn when their house, situated on the outskirts of the village, fell victim to the ravages of war. With their home destroyed,...


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Plumbing Supplies Shop


Life had thrown several challenges in Rami's way, but he never lost hope. Living with his parents and sister, he worked diligently alongside his father in their plumbing requirements shop, a small business he joined in 2020.

However, their journey hadn't been without its share of hardships. In 2013, when conflict erupted in their city, their house found itself in the midst of the clashes. Forced to flee for their safety, the family had to leave their beloved home behind and...


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Mini-Cultivator & Water Pump


When Kaleem finished studying at the electrical institute back in 2010, he decided to finish his mandatory service, which was supposed to last for two years. However, the vicious war started after only one year, and Kaleem was kept due to the unstable situation and wasn’t discharged until 2019!

At the same period, his home village Al-Dwair was attacked by armed groups; his family was displaced for six years and lost their house, livestock, and the agricultural equipment they had. 

Today, after...


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Mini-Market


Laura's life took a turn after the displacement from Homs city. Struggling to make ends meet, she found solace in her small family; her husband Elias and their daughter Layal. Despite Elias's health issues, they managed to open a mini-market together. She tirelessly tried to make a balance between her job as an employee at a shoe store and the mini-market, hoping to secure a better future for Layal.

Determined to improve her business, Laura applied to the Micro Projects Program...


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Barbershop


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...


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Perfume and Cosmetics Shop


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...


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Laser Machine


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...


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Mini-Van


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...


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Wood Cutting Factory


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...


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Pick-up Truck


“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...


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Pick-up Truck


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...


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Electric Keyboard


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...


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Blacksmith Workshop


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...


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Stationery Shop


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...


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Shoe-making Workshop


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...


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Sewing Workshop


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...


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