Nadia and her husband, Ghassan, live with their two sons in Qattinah village. Life took a hard turn when the war forced Nadia to close her beloved grocery shop in 2012, a small business she had run passionately since 2004. Since then, they have relied solely on Ghassan’s modest pension, which has proven inadequate for their growing needs.

Determined to support her family, she decided to reopen a shop, despite the challenges. She applied to the Micro Projects Program with a plan to use a room from their house and transform it into a mini-market. When her project was approved, hope sparked anew in their lives.

Now, the couple run the mini-market together. This microproject not only provides the necessary income but also brings the family closer as they work side by side.

Bushra and George, a dedicated couple living in a rented apartment in Fairouza village with their baby girl Sophia, found a new beginning through the Micro Projects Program. George, working at a local pastry shop, was joined by Bushra, who had paused her pastry career to focus on their family. 

Recognizing their need for a stable income, Bushra applied to the program. Today, they run their own pastry shop together, blending their skills and passion. This family project not only provides financial stability but also strengthens their bond, offering a beter life for little Sophia.

Mousa, a communications engineer from Qattinah village, works in the communications department office of Homs and he is also a farmer of potatoes, beans, and vegetables. 

Alone since his parents passed and his siblings married, he faced mounting costs to maintain his land. With each plowing costing dearly in tractor rentals, his limited resources strained. Unable to afford a mini-cultivator, a lifeline to reduce expenses, his harvests suffered.

Fortunately, support arrived. A mini-cultivator and weed cutter were provided by the Micro Projects Program, alleviating financial burdens and safeguarding his land.

Suheil, a dedicated farmer from Qattinah village, shoulders the responsibility of providing for his wife, two sons, and two daughters. Farming is his sole livelihood. During the war, a shell destroyed his irrigation system, leaving his land damaged. Suheil and his brother cultivate 8 dunums of land, growing olive trees and vegetables. 

Despite their resilience in re-buying the irrigation system and installing a water pump, maintaining the land remains financially draining. The soaring costs of plant treatment and fertilizers pose a significant challenge. To secure a stable future for his family, Suheil applied to the Micro Projects Program. 

With the support, he purchased the essential plant treatments and fertilizers needed to ensure a healthy crop yield. This support is crucial for him, as it promises a bountiful harvest and the sustenance of his family. Suheil remains hopeful for a brighter, more secure future for his loved ones.

Reem from Qattinah village, is a mother of two sons who works at the local municipal center. Despite her employment, the challenges of the current circumstances and her husband’s mandatory military service compelled her to seek additional income.

With a spark of creativity and a love for animals, she embarked on a unique venture as she began purchasing chicken bones at low prices and used her kitchen tools to prepare nutritious meals for pets. This idea came from her experience running a small "pet hotel" in the village, where she cared for dogs and provided them with food, realizing the potential, she started manufacturing the pet food herself and selling it to local shops.

Driven by her vision, Reem applied to the Micro Projects Program, seeking fund for specialized tools and equipment, including a meat mincer and a freezer. These additions will enable her to enhance her production capabilities and store her products efficiently.

Her story is an example of hard work and innovation, transforming a small idea into a thriving project that benefits her community and her beloved pets.

Thaer’s work life began in his village of Basir, where he worked the land and drove trucks for various employers, doing his best to provide for his family. This was not an easy task, as his life was marked by numerous challenges related to his children's health.  

His eldest son, Wajed, had to undergo surgery for varicose veins. The middle son, Zein, had a malignant tumor removed from his eye and requires annual check-ups. The youngest, Majed, has undergone multiple surgeries and needs ongoing special care.  

As a result, Thaer had to move with his family to Damascus to better address his children's health needs, especially Majed, whose condition required him to attend a special school.

Since moving to Damascus, Thaer has worked as a taxi driver, earning only a quarter of the daily profits while the rest went to the taxi owner. He also worked on a pick-up truck and took on electrical work, despite not being well-versed in the field, simply to make ends meet. His wife, Yara, also started working, and together they strive to provide for their children and cover the high medical expenses.

Thaer's financial and emotional burden was immense, and he often felt helpless. Determined to improve his situation, he applied for support from the Micro Projects Center, aiming to obtain his own taxi for a steady income and more stability.  

Fortunately, Thaer's request was approved, and he received support to purchase a taxi. This development has significantly improved his financial and mental state, giving him hope and a sense of relief. With this newfound stability, Thaer can now better support his family's needs and look forward to a more secure future.

Eleia Al-Khouri, 38, is married to Tareiz Zakhem, and they live with their newborn daughter, his mother, and sister in a small modest house in Jaramana. 

During wartime, Elias volunteered at the Social Defense from 2011 to 2016 in order to protect his neighborhood and worked as a driver for several employers in addition to working as a taxi driver from 2018 to 2021.

However, in 2012, his brother was serving military service in Homs when he was injured badly and suffered from paralysis in his leg as a result, making him unable to do any physical effort including work, due to this incident and after the decease of his father, Eleia became the primary provider for his mother, sister, and his family so he was doing his best to make ends meet. 

In 2021, he was employed at a detergent company as a driver alongside his war-injured brother, and both worked together in distributing products to markets but the meager salary they were taking affected their financial conditions so he started taking additional work, such as moving furniture, to provide for his family but the burden of debt and the reliance on assistance from relatives weigh heavily on him, making it difficult to secure even the basic necessities for his family. 

Despite the hardships, Eleia’s prayers were answered when the Hope Center provided him with the support needed to purchase a vehicle for distributing goods. This assistance marked a turning point in his life. For the first time, Eleia felt a sense of ownership and dignity. With renewed enthusiasm and commitment, he embarked on this new chapter, determined to improve his conditions and secure a better living for his family.

Raghad Makhoul's life had been a series of challenges, his father's absence loomed large over their modest household, while Raghad's mother, burdened by ailments, lived in the village and relied on medications to ease her pains.

Raghad has also gotten his share of war as during his military service that started in 2011, he found himself serving in the heart of chaos as Aleppo became under siege for many months. 

However, despite he survived that adversity, a fateful injury in 2014 caused his cornea irreparable damage and surgeons worked tirelessly to graft a new cornea onto his eye. It was a long and painful road to recovery, one that stretched until 2016, leaving Raghad physically and emotionally drained.

After his discharge, Raghad returned to Tartous and worked with his father in seaside restaurants but fate shocked him with another loss when his father succumbed to illness in 2022. With responsibilities weighing heavy on his shoulders, Raghad returned to Damascus, taking up any job available and trying his best to make ends meet.

Raghad found himself behind the wheel of a taxi, touring streets day and night to provide for himself and send whatever little he could spare to his mother and brother in the village, but he ended up working just to cover the high rent cost of the taxi.

With the help of Micro Project program, Raghad was supported to purchase a taxi and have stability in his income with all hope that this project will secure a decent living for himself and his family.

Amer's life took unexpected turns as he grew older and struggled to make ends meet for a family of nine; with seven children ranging from the oldest born in 2012 to the youngest born in 2021, the household expenses were solely dependent on Amer's income.

Before the war, Amer worked as a driver at a local factory, but as the conflict escalated and job opportunities dwindled, he was forced to explore alternative means of earning a livelihood. In 2012, he opened a grocery shop which became his source of income until 2021 when he was compelled to shut it down due to soaring rent prices, plunging the family into further financial distress.

Amer's wife, Georget, used to work as a cleaner at a Monastery but had to leave the job because of the responsibilities of caring for their growing family. 

Unfortunately, their situation became dire, with the family barely managing to afford one meal a day, supplemented by food donations from the local church three times a week.

Feeling the weight of his responsibilities as a husband and father, Amer sought a solution to lift his family out of poverty so he applied for the pick-up project at the Micro project center with the idea of transporting groceries and goods in addition to fulfilling delivery orders which was his only hope to provide a stable income for his family.

The approval of his project marked a turning point in Amer's life. For the first time, he felt a sense of independence and empowerment, knowing that he could now work to secure the needs of his family and was determined to improve his family's living conditions.

Rezq Allah Al-Hareth is part of a close-knit family, living in an old, modest house in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood. His family consists of his elderly mother and his sisters, Georgette and Maha. He also has a brother residing in their village and another working in Lebanon, while his father is deceased.

In 2009, Rezq Allah traveled to Lebanon to work in furniture making, splitting his time between Syria and Lebanon until 2011 when the economic situation in Lebanon forced him to return to Syria. Upon his return, the Syrian crisis began, and Rezq Allah's family suffered significant losses, including their house in the village, which was destroyed during the war forcing them all to relocate to Damascus.

In 2013, Rezq Allah began working at a second-hand furniture store, a job he held until 2016 when he was called to serve in the military. After his discharge in 2023, he had to start over from scratch, freelancing and taking any available job to support his family. The combined income of Rezq Allah and his siblings barely covered their daily expenses, making it difficult for him to achieve his dream of starting his own family.

Determined to secure a better future, Rezq Allah applied for support from the Micro Projects Center, hoping to get assistance for a taxi project. The support he received from the Hope Center provided him with the opportunity to purchase a taxi, promising a steadier and more substantial income. This new project has given Rezq Allah great hope for a stable future, allowing him to better provide for his family.