Losing a house and being forced to leave it was one of the most difficult challenges that Dalal's family had to face. After leaving everything behind escaping from the war in Raqqa city, they have been displaced since 2014 to Hama, then Homs, and finally to Aleppo.

Dalal,50 years old, is the mother of four young children who are still studying. Her husband had a grocery store in Raqqa, but he lost it when they left and later couldn't work because of his illness. Dalal worked as a teacher at the Art School, specializing in sewing and detailing from 1993 until 2013, and at the beginning of the war and after the displacement to Aleppo, she continued her work here.

We hear a lot about a mother's sacrifice for her family to secure their needs, and Dalal is one of those mothers who work from morning until late evening to secure an income for her family, being the only provider. One of the consequences of displacement that affected her children is quitting their old colleges and starting over. 

the low income and especially for her big family prompted her to consider starting her own business with all the experience she has. She applied to hope center, took a rented workshop to put her sewing machines, this project will be an important chance for this lady to become self-dependent and for the young children to have a stable life at last.

Maturity is not about age, it is about the ability to handle responsibilities even at a very young age. George was only 10 years old when his father was martyred by the harsh war in Syria, which caused George trauma, and took him years to recuperate.

He was too young to hold the family responsibility, including his mother and three sisters. He had to leave school and learn a profession so he could support his elder sister, who works at a clothes shop, and provide some income for livelihood.

George's family lives in a rented house with minimal furniture. They are struggling financially with only a small amount of money from the church in addition to the sister's salary. So, he took courses in barbering, and at the same time, he was helping his cousin in a lathing workshop.

He started practicing at his friend's barbershop, giving his friends shaves and haircuts. George was very interested in this job, he truly wanted to own a shop, but the expensive prices and hard life conditions were against him. George's uncle suggested helping him with a shop rent, and his mother encouraged him to apply for the micro-projects program.

With this support, George's dream will come true, and he will have the needed equipment to start a career and open the barbershop he had always hoped to have.

Adel is a 33-year-old man, who spent almost the third of his life serving in the military; ten years of war in the front lines of battles were enough to exhaust this young man who survived by a miracle and returned to his beloved family.

Before the crisis started, Adel used to work in a clothes shop, Later, he tried to help his mother who is a hairdresser, trying to gain some experience in this profession. He thought that in two years he would finish his service, while the war prolonged for many years wearing out all the people who had to struggle for their survival. 

Adel's family flee to Damascus escaping the shells, and to be near him. Just after he was discharged, they came back to Aleppo, but he couldn't find any job with his limited work experience and that was a huge problem due to the expensive livelihood, so he worked as a private driver with a small salary.

Adel and his mother are the only providers for the family. She encouraged him to seek out the micro-project program in the Hope Center, so he applied for a taxi.

Now he can be financially independent with a stable income, especially since he got engaged and is planning to create a family of his own.

Young people have to work hard to build their future by looking for good opportunities, but unfortunately, because of the war most of them like Jamil didn’t find a chance, especially after 10 years of serving in the military.

Jamil is a motivated and energetic young man who lives with his family. His father is a tailor and his sister works as an employee in a bank. After more than 10 years, he was discharged from the military with no experience or a job.

His previous used to work in electric maintenance for two years before he went to the military, but he lost the skills for this craft. 

“It is hard to not have a job at this time and age, and trying to secure a job opportunity is even more difficult. I have been struggling to find one.”.

By applying to Micro-Projects, Jamil is blessed to have a taxi, it isn’t about a car, it's about a good opportunity in his life to start a career, especially after being a driver during his service in the military for 9 years, hopefully, he can start a better chapter in his life and be able to help his family in the future. 

The war had many calamities; death, poverty, immigration, but the hardest was the vague destiny of the kidnapped people. Hasmik had to deal with the most painful loss when her eldest son Levon was kidnapped in 2012.

"I will never forget that day, it changed our lives forever", she said.

This terrible experience was enough to make any person give up, but her motherly heart always tells her that one day she will meet her beloved son again.

Levon's wife took Hasmik's two grandkids and moved out of the family house. To forget her adversity, Hasmik focused on her career as a professional tailor, she worked in this domain from an early age. But the machine she used was an old-fashioned manual one, which takes a long time to sew and finish each piece with the required quality.

As the war escalated, Hasmik became the only provider for the family after her husband's retirement. To improve her work and increase her productivity, she decided to apply to the Hope Center, hoping to be supported with a new sewing machine that can help her improve her business.

Hasmik's tears were very honest and precious when she got her project approval. With these heartfelt words, she expressed her joy "My dream came true with your support, I hope my happiness would be completed when I meet my son or know anything about him".

"Each time I try to establish my life, something bad happens," Fadi said. He lost his mother when he was still a kid, and his father passed away two years ago, he had to borrow some money because he couldn't afford the funeral expenses.

Fadi worked hard to manage his financials but unfortunately, he had an accident that caused him two skull fractures, thus he spent much money on the treatment costs. He was serving in the army when his father passed away so he didn't get the chance to spend the last days with him, later, Fadi settled in Aleppo where he worked and lived in a small apartment, sleeping on an old couch, away from the city center, he chose this place because of its affordable rent, and its location near his workplace, so he can save the transportation expenses.

Fadi has to work all day long, trying to ensure his livelihood and send some money to his siblings at Zaidal "their village", so after his working hours, he borrows his friend's taxi and drives it until late hours at night.

He applied to the micro project to help him with purchasing a taxi so he can have a stable job and save the renting fees.

This aid made Fadi very emotional, "This is the first time I own something, all thanks to your support".

Rami is a married man who served in the army for about nine years. He was driving during his military service when a bomb exploded next to him and caused many injuries including damage to his vocal cords, and he started stuttering ever since.

Rami belongs to a humble family that has suffered financially for ages; his paralyzed father couldn't work due to his disability, so Rami's mother cleaned houses to provide the family livelihood. Rami started working at a young age as an office boy in a studio, then when he turned 18, he joined the army. 

Rami had to work as a porter to secure an income for the family, especially after getting married. Unfortunately, this work caused him severe back pain, so he quit and started working long hours in a restaurant.

The livelihood conditions are getting harder to adapt to; the father's medicines are expensive, and his mother needs to rest and quit her tiring work. That's why Rami looked forward to buying a mini pick-up to work on and increase his income, without having to quit his night shift at the restaurant. 

Rami applied to the Micro Project program hoping that his plan would come true, this vehicle will secure him a stable source of livelihood for the whole family. 

There is no doubt that war left many hard stories to read, no one ever wants to lose their home and be displaced to another city, but sadly, many were forced to since 2012.

Sevag and his family were from those people; They lived in Qamishli city before the war began, but the loss of their home during the crisis was heartbreaking, their lives turned upside down when they were obliged to leave everything behind and move to Aleppo.

Despite all the hardships, Sevag didn’t give up and still had hope. He worked in several places as an accountant, sales representative, and in the field of embroidery with the help of his father’s friend, he learned this career in a garment printing workshop for two years in addition to making the designs for the clothes. His father quit his job in interior design because of the difficulty of transportation to Qamishli, and his sister works as an employee with the church to secure her living expenses.

After gaining great experience, Sevag's relatives helped him to start his own workshop and now, he has lots of customers, but he still needs some important equipment for the designing process. 

With the Micro Projects funding, Sevag can help his parents and secure his independent future by making good profits from the clothes prints business. 

Low-income families struggle from the negative effects attached to the stigma of being poor, this doesn’t solely affect the family as a whole, but it affects every single member as well. 

Antonio is a 32-years-old man, who lives in his mother’s house, since he was young he worked hard to face the financial burdens of his family and secure a decent living for his wife who is still studying at the University of Fine Arts, and his elderly mother. He had a job in an exchange company in 2010 for two years, then he had to serve in the military for more than 9 years.

After being discharged, Antonio had no idea what to do with his future. He rented a taxi to work on because he was the only provider for his family. Then he started working in a bank as an employee, but due to his low income, he still needed a second job to be able to face the harsh economic condition. During the war, the family's house was damaged and they had to repair it. 

"My current job is providing a very little and unstable income. That’s why I need this taxi to have a good source of livelihood for my family.” Antonio is looking forward for the next chapter of his life. 

“losing my dad just two months before I was born and growing up without him is one of the most challenging things I have to face every day, especially that I was named after him”. 

Joseph faced the difficulties of life with his small family, he started working with his brother who owns a sewing workshop for about 7 years, but the workflow during the years of war dropped a lot that's why he started searching for a part-time job.

Joseph's life changed when he decided to start over by traveling to Lebanon to find better opportunities. He worked there as an accountant in a restaurant to secure his expenses, and after two years he returned to Aleppo with an ambition to restart the sewing workshop with his brother after they had to sell all the machines. 

Giving Joseph the chance to have his own workspace for tailoring and cotton clothes production will make a positive impact on his life, as it will help him be independent once again, increase his income, and consequently enhance the lifestyle of his family.

Many people struggled with the remnants of the harsh war that the country witnessed, Fadi was one of those who were directly affected by those battles. He lost ten years of his life serving in the military, in addition to many physical injuries.

Before the war started, he worked as a blacksmith for two years, gained modest experience in that craft, before he had to serve in the military until he was discharged with injuries in his back that prevented him from going back to his old profession. Fadi recently finished his service and began to recover from his injuries; it became difficult for him to work in a job that would be physically demanding, which prompted him to become a taxi driver so he can secure his family's livelihood and needs.

The war -despite its cruelty- couldn't stop Fadi's determination to work and be productive. Today, the father of two sons (one is a newborn) and his wife face the daily life struggles to survive in the difficult conditions of the country.

The taxi will give this young couple new hope, and a stable source of income for a dignified living.

Sevag was well known for his unique jewelry designs, especially that silversmiths involved working with very small pieces of metal and shaping them in intricate ways which require high skills and the ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands.

In his youth, Sevag started his own Silver crafting shop after practicing this craft for more than 14 years. But when the war began, Sevag took his family and went to Lebanon searching for a better work opportunity. He completed his work career there with a partner for 7 years, gaining new experience, while most silversmiths specialize in making limited pieces, he specialized in diamonds. Sevag's work was going well, Unfortunately, the economic conditions in Lebanon deteriorated in a fast track, so he had to return with his family to Aleppo.

Now, the family lives along lwith Sevag's mother and sister in the same house and he is the only provider for them. The workshop is currently empty because he sold the equipment before he traveled to Lebanon and gave some tools to his friends. 

The lovely family were living off their old savings, but with the support of Micro Projects, Sevag was able to purchase all the machines and tools needed to regain his beloved business and start his work in an independent shop.

Fania's life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Bassam, fell ill, leaving him unable to provide for their family. With a studying son to support, her mother-in-law, and her husband's health deteriorating, Fania knew she had to act fast. 

Determined to secure a future for her family, she seized the opportunity presented by their small shop. With hope, She applied for assistance from the Micro Projects Program, seeking support to stock shelves, buy a refrigerator, and purchase goods to transform the shop into a mini-market and dairy shop, envisioning a lifeline for her family.

Her shop flourished and Bassam will find solace in being able to contribute as much as possible. 

Through her microproject and the support of the program, Fania not only sustained her family's livelihood, but also inspired others with her resilience in the face of hardships.

Elias Al-Ghabra is one of the minorities who are still interested in preserving the family profession as he began working in the field of manufacturing convection ovens with his father at a young age in a rental workshop in Jaramana and continued in the filed alongside his study.

The main field of work is manufacturing thermal ovens based on gas after the electric ovens stopped being demanded due to the terrible electricity situation in the country, their work increased and they also started to receive ovens maintenance orders. 

In 2010 Elias was called for military service and the war began shortly after he joined, so he was transferred to serve in Al-Hasakah Governorate until 2019, during which he went through difficult circumstances and faced many dangers. However, on his vacations, he used to return home and help his father in the workshop.

However, as a result of the significant increase in prices in addition to his mother’s battle with cancer and her treatment in Al-Biruni Hospital, their business deteriorated and the expenses became higher than the income forcing them to sell some of the equipment to cover the mother’s treatment expenses.

After Elias was discharged from service in 2019, he returned to work with his father, but the remaining equipment and materials were not enough to strengthen the work and have a proper income to cover the living expenses.

With the help of Hope Center, Elias was supported to purchase new machines to enable this intrepid young man to expand his work which will positively impact his living circumstances and help preserve the family's profession.

Alaa is a talented young man in his twenties, he lives with his parents and sister in Jaramana after being displaced from their home in Harasta due to the armed conflict in the area at the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

Alaa was always passionate about photography so he trained at a young age at a Clacket studio to learn more about this career, then he got employed at the communication department at SSSD as a photographer until 2018 trying to find better income to match the increasing costs of living.

Soon after, he started working at an event planning office as a photographer and videographer, but at the same time he was dreaming of having his own equipment that would enable him to establish private work and develop his career.

With the help of Hope Center, Alaa was supported to purchase a camera which was a dream coming true for him as he is able now to have his own photography session, and at the same time add his own signature which will empower his name in the field and open the chance of developing his work and improving his living conditions.

In the heart of a bustling area nestled a home where dreams brewed and aspirations soared. Dhyaa Al-Btros, his wife, and his family members lived within its walls, each floor holds a part of his close-knit family.

Since 2004, he delved into the field of confectionery, honing his skills by working at various pastry shops. In 2008 he was called for military service until 2010. Upon discharge, he returned to his roots in Khabab, opening a pastry shop until 2014 when adversity struck, so he relocated his shop to the Al-Dukhanieh area in Damascus, but the situation wasn't any better there as violent incidents and armed conflict took place in the area which resulted in the loss of his shop.

Undeterred, he adopted a novel approach, distributing goods via electric bicycles until 2019 when he was called again for the reserve service for three years before resuming the distribution of goods and biscuits, using his brother's electric bicycle.

Presently, Dhyaa toils in the morning as a warehouse worker, and by dusk, continues his work on a bicycle, aspiring to have a pick-up truck for efficient distribution, which would improve his income and release him from the hard morning work. 

considering this tapestry of trials and challenges, Dhyaa was supported by the Micro project program to purchase his own pick-up truck hoping to empower his unwavering spirit in the face of adversity, improve his living conditions, and preserve his dignity.

Meneam Salloum's life was marked by hardships but with his strong determination he was able to rise above all the challenges he faced.

he is living in Al-Abbasein with his retired father and two brothers, and together they faced numerous setbacks from losing his mother to grappling with unstable security conditions during the crisis, but he never let circumstances define him. 

Before the war started, he was working at his own shoe-making workshop in Jobar, but after few months of the war, the area was subjected to numerous incidents and his workshop was burgled making him lose everything he worked for in the previous years.

unfortunately, when Meneam decided to move his work to his living area in Al-Abbasein, he was sniped in the flank which put him in bed for several months until he recovered.

after that incident, Meneam decided to quit his profession and started working at cars office and then as a taxi driver, and later becoming a salesperson at shoes store, trying his best to afford the livelihood demands for his family and preserve their dignity.

Despite all financial strains that Meneam and his family faced, Yet he refused to succumb to despair, so he applied for the pick-up project at the Micro Project center.

Receiving funding for his project marked a new chapter—one filled with possibilities. It wasn't merely about starting a business; it symbolized resilience, hope, and the triumph of the human strong will over calamities.

Rafy Al-Sahwy, born in 1982 and residing in Al-Dwalaa, faced numerous challenges in life. With his parents deceased and siblings married, he lived with his brother, striving to make ends meet. His journey through different jobs—from being a taxi driver to a private chauffeur and later distributing charcoal by bicycle—reflects his resilience amidst hardships.

The war and his father's illness forced Rafy to abandon his farming work at the village and return to live with his family in Damascus. Despite various setbacks, he ventured into charcoal distribution, utilizing a meager capital. However, soaring prices abruptly halted his work, leaving him with loss.

For Rafy, the taxi project he applied for, symbolized hope and stability in turbulent times, and having support to purchase his own taxi potentially rescued him from the brink of financial ruin.

It wasn't merely about financial gains for him; it was about reclaiming control over his life and promising a brighter tomorrow.

Jean Baghdady, born in 1997, lives with his family in Jaramana. His father, Antoun, works diligently as a maintenance worker at Saint Paul Monastery trying to put food on the table at the end of the day.

Jean's journey through work has been diverse; from volunteering at the UN in 2017 to becoming a photographer's assistant from 2018 until the present day, he has explored various professional avenues. Additionally, he has been employed as a receptionist at Alberto Monastery since 2021. Despite his workload, Jean managed to pursue accounting and marketing courses in 2019.

He commenced his career as a photographer in 2019, honing his skills and preparing to be an independent photographer full of ambitions to start his business alongside collaborating with other professionals, trying to gain as much experience as possible.

While their household and furnishings are modest, Jean's family supports him as he navigates his career path. Receiving support from Hope Center, marks a turning point for Jean, offering him the opportunity to expand his own business, enhance his skills, and elevate his income.

For Jean, this support isn't just financial aid—it's his life dream, propelling him towards independence and self-improvement to secure a better future for himself and his family.

A talented and determined man is the least that can be said to describe Samwel Skeif. He is in his fifties yet, he still has the will and strength to keep learning and investing in himself. He started at a very young age to support his parents with living demands and so he worked as a tailor assistant, but he was clever and skilled enough to learn the profession and start his own sewing workshop which he ran for years until the conditions worsened; his job was affected badly forcing him to sell the machines in order to afford his family’s living expenses then he started to work in drawing and manufacturing sewing templates for different factories. 

Learning has always been a passion for Samwel, and even though he couldn’t finish his schooling education, he didn’t hesitate to enroll in several life skills courses such as fashion design training - TOT courses - speed reading courses - body language courses - and neuro programming.

Samwel got hired as a trainer at a development institution for design and sewing courses and he was so excited to transfer his knowledge and talents to others.

However, with the increasing costs of living, he wasn't able to provide his family with a decent living and he was thriving to have his own sewing workshop with the idea of turning part of it into a training center for sewing and designing courses.

Today, after being supported to start his own project, Samwel is so grateful to have this opportunity that will enable him to fulfill his passion for work and teaching and at the same time increase his income and improve his living conditions. 

At the age of fifteen, Eva Alshehadeh started to work at a hairdressing salon to support her family, since then, she started to learn everything related to this career including hairdressing, makeup, and nail care which gave her good experience in the field. Her father was deceased and she was the supporter of her mother and siblings so she was doing her best to afford the living demands, challenging all the difficulties of work and her health condition as she was suffering from sideropenia which caused her several symptoms and continuous feeling of tiredness.

In 2019, with the help of the church, Eva underwent Glandectomy surgery and her health condition started to improve, unlike her financial condition as the salon she was working at was closed and she found herself jobless.

Eva didn’t accept being dependent on aids especially since she became the only supporter of her mother so she started to work at customers' houses, using her old inappropriate tools, and touring from one house to another to have an income and cover the basic living needs of her family.

After applying at the Micro project center, Eva feels delighted because she was supported to establish her own makeup and nailcare center which will be the means to have an independent source of living and improve her living conditions.

Although she is still 22, Valentina was overloaded with life calamities and had to hold the responsibility of her family and her younger sisters in addition to taking care of her sick and heartbroken mother.

Valentina was living in safety and security with her family while her mother and father were doing their best to provide the best living circumstances for their girls. 

In 2013, this reality changed into a nightmare as their father was a victim of snipping while he was driving his car to work and the criminals took his body and the car. His family didn’t just have to handle his death news but also they had to pay an amount of money to have his body and do a decent funeral for him.

After that incident, the mother’s health deteriorated so she quit her job to take care of her daughters while Valentina started to work during her study time to support her family.

She started doing makeup and nail care for her relatives and friends then in 2018 she enrolled in several courses to enhance her skills then she started to work in different beauty salons trying her best to afford the livelihood of her family.

With time passing, Valentina discovered that her work was so tiring, and with no proper income, she quit and started to work for a percentage of profits waiting for a chance to have her project.

With great faith, Valentina applied at the micro-project center for support and despite her young age, this strong-willed lady was supported with all the tools and materials necessary to start her project because after all those hard years she deserved to be independent and have a decent source of income to help her family.

With more than 40 years of experience, Riadh Al-zawahra, a loving husband and father of two daughters Nour and Niveen, was still working as a tailor at a sewing workshop in Jaramana.

He started to learn the career at the age of ten, the same age he started to work and support his family then when he became experienced enough, he implemented all the steps of sewing and many workshops dealt with him.

During his life, Riahd was able to establish a lovely family and support his daughters to finish their education and work but due to the difficult years of war and the deteriorating economic condition, he wasn’t able to establish his own workshop.

“ All i wish after those hard-working years is to settle down, be my own boss, and have the ability to increase my income”.

Riadh applied at the Micro projects center, and considering his long experience and need to improve his living conditions, his request was approved as he got the required support to establish his own sewing workshop with all hope that this project would be a turning point in his future life and will give him the independency he longed for.

Being a mother of three young kids never prevented Raheel from working and supporting her family to pass through the years of war, while still trying hard to support her husband during the deteriorating conditions.

Raheel is a determined lady who started working as a seamstress at a young age and even after she got married she kept working at her sewing workshop in Damascus, until 2014 when the security situation became critical so she moved with her family to live in Jaramana.

Despite all the dangers and the daily shelling over Jaramana, Raheel and her husband kept working together to secure the best living for their kids. Together, they started a small shop for sewing and renting dresses where she worked in designing and making the dresses and her husband supported her in dealing with customers and the finishing.

However, with time passing, the electricity condition worsened and the shop income was no longer enough to put food on the table, while her machines became too old to use for professional sewing. So her husband decided to work two jobs in order to meet the living demands but his salary was still not enough due to the high costs of living.

Now, after supporting Raheel with new sewing machines and an electricity resource, she restored the ability to increase her work and get a decent income good enough to secure her and her family with good living. 

From a very modest but close-knit family who works to live, Beshara Al-mhanna was raised to become a hardworking man who started working at a young age to support his family.

He used to work in delivering vegetables on the village-city road but during wartime, the road became insecure and he decided to move to Damascus to study and work there. Beshara was a big-sized young man and as a result, he was exempted from military service so he kept working as a driver on different vehicles delivering any order to afford his living and support his family in the village.

Beshara was good at what he did but the high car rent wasn't sufficient to cover the increasing costs of living so he applied to the Micro-project program for the pick-up truck project planning to use the truck to deliver furniture and goods.

Considering his health condition, and determination to work, Beshara was supported to have the project he sought and he is now working his best to have more orders so that he can improve his financial condition and secure his family with a decent living.