Choosing a career is an extremely important decision that impacts an individual’s entire future. The father of George was a major influence on his children’s development and career choices.

George used to work with his father in tailoring, he learned the profession at a young age and gained lots of experience in it until it became his main job, starting from 1994 till 2001. Later on, he opened his own workshops in several locations during the last 15 years.

After his father passed away, George had to take his role as the provider for his widowed mother, trying to do the best for her because she depended on him after she lost her husband and supporter.

Even after traveling to Lebanon in 2016 for four years to escape the war, he didn't give up on his responsibilities towards his loved ones, he worked in a sewing workshop there and sent back money to the family. For George being a business owner rather than an employee would be a drastic shift in every aspect, that's why he worked hard to achieve that level of independence even though he still needed a lot of equipment. George says:  

“The new machines will help me a lot, it will save me so much time and physical effort and allow me to work with various materials, I’m blessed to apply my micro-project and get these new machines”.

His long years in the business have helped him gain a lot of customers and great experience that he will utilize in this new chapter of his career.

It’s never easy to leave everything we have ever known for so long. However, sometimes, moving on is necessary to survive. When Fares left his home in 2014 because of the war, he lost everything; all the belongings and the family’s memories and fled abruptly with family carrying only the clothes they were wearing to a friend’s house for some time.

Fares worked in publishing and design since 2002. First, he practiced in a local printing house and as his experience grew, he managed to work independently. He was happy and content with the life he was planning with his wife and their dreams would come true while their family was growing too. Being displaced was a hard hit for Fares, he had to sacrifice his business investment to buy his apartment the very same one that he lost during the war. But the young man still had hope and resilience, in 2018, he transformed his parent's basement into a modest office with the minimum equipment to make a living out of it. 

In that basement Fares started with only a computer and lots of talent, selling book cover designs, posters and advertisement material. But to establish a proper business he needed much more requirements, for example printing his designs himself will increase his profit margin hugely, however, purchasing the necessary printers and plotters would need a large capital.

No matter how hard the road was, Fares never gave up, on the contrary, he kept doing what he loves to maintain a successful career. When Fares applied to the Micro Projects Program, he had an important goal in his mind; improving his family’s living situation to be able to restore his house and we partnered with him in his journey of success.

 In 2013, Sarkis, a newly married man, moved to Tartus with his mother and wife, trying to escape from the shells that fell randomly everywhere. They stayed there at their relative's house, then returned to their home in Aleppo when the situation started to get safer.

He has had this jewelry-designer career since 2005. He used to work on his own computer from homemaking the designs, in addition, he used to work in a metal molding workshop. He always wanted to develop his business, by purchasing a 3D printer that could help him design several kinds of jewelry using different metals such as copper, silver and gold.

But as this kind of printer is very expensive, Sarkis rented one to work on, even though it is an old-fashioned one.

He still hopes to own a new edition of it, but his only chance to achieve this dream is to apply to the Hope Center, to purchase the newer version of the 3d printer and increase his income and develop his own business.

With this support from the Hope Center, Sarkis believes that he will be able to improve himself, especially that he is the only provider of the family. It would make a huge difference regarding his financial status as well as his business' growth.

Being forced to flee your own home is a life-changing experience; Hanna escaped with his family to another area to live in a rented house. Hanna said: "When we fled from our home, which was located in the Sheikh Maqsoud area, we left all the furniture and our belongings, we lost everything and the house was damaged as a result of the shelling”.

The 31-year-old young man was in charge of his family at an early age, he took care of his uncle and aunt who suffers from mental problems, he left his education to support his family with livelihood expenses. Hanna began working as a waiter in several restaurants in 2006, he gained good experience in addition to his job as a barman for two years until 2017, but due to the bad economic situation, he couldn’t pay the rent for their house and he decided to move to Tartous and work there for 3 years.

Hanna came back to Aleppo and worked in a restaurant, but with the increasing financial obligations of his mother's medical treatments, he searched for something more efficient to make ends meet, like opening a project of his own.

Since rents are fairly affordable in Sheikh Maksoud, the idea of opening a small coffee shop there was swerling in Hanna's mind. coffee grounding machines and some snacks will be a good way to start over as a business owner.

Now with the sufficient funding, Hanna will be able to help his mother with the treatment costs, and improve his family's situation. 

No matter how old we are, losing a parent is never easy, the loss and grief could hit hard and for some people like jack, it leaves them facing new responsibilities in life including taking care of his sister, who was fighting her own battle against cancer that ended tragically after a long fatal struggle.

Jack, who is now 38 years old, has always been close to his family, not only supporting them in difficult times but also sharing with them their interests in sports especially swimming, and like many in his family of athletics, it was something that made them bond. Jack was working as a swimming coach and giving professional swimming lessons, but unfortunately, when he became the sole provider his income was not sufficient anymore and he had to find an additional job, and this is how he transferred his passion from swimming into baking.

Jack became a pastry chef in 2014, then as time passed by he started expanding his experiences. Eventually, when the situation changed and his employers traveled, he decided that it is time for him to become independent and start his own pastry production from home as a first step.

The economic crisis made things very difficult, jack's brother that lives abroad was trying to help from time to time, but Jack wanted to rely on himself and make a decent living from his pastry project. With the presence of many customers to distribute his products, his work will flourish. All he needs are the equipment such as ovens, mixers, and utensils to produce a variety of delicious sweets and pastries.

His seven-year-long experience will be a great base for starting his project from home, and who knows maybe in the future Jack will have his own pastry shop.

“Although you are in your own country, you feel like a displaced person, when you have to leave your house and city”.

With these words the 35 years old Lucy described her family’s struggle, when she, her husband, and her three lovely kids found themselves forced to leave their city of Al-Raqqa and seek refuge in Aleppo, leaving behind their home, work, school, and their memories.

Since they arrived, They have been living at a friend’s house, and Lucy’s husband has been working at a metal molding workshop, while Lucy was working as an accountant for five years, but unfortunately, her employer emigrated and the office closed. 

Due to the hard financial situation, Lucy had to find another job to support her husband with their livelihood, and secure the children's needs.

So, she attended several make up and nail care courses, and started working at home with little equipment she could afford their costs, now she has some customers, but she still needs some other kit, so she can expand her work and advance her experience.

With the support of the Hope Center, Lucy can now work in the beauty domain and provide an additional income next to her husband.

What makes Nabil’s story unique is his innovation, resourcefulness, eco-friendly approach to what may seem a normal and typical process. 

Nabil has been producing cloth’s, bags and shoes related metal accessories for so long now, that he mastered the profession and if it wasn’t for the war, his business was expanding quickly, but good things wouldn’t last in the shadows of the crucial war. In a blink of an eye Nabil’s workshop was confiscated and his tools were stolen and Nabil found himself losing everything.

The start over was not easy at all, Nabil had to sell fuel for a living and when he saved enough, he partnered with a clothes' workshop with high hopes to recover from the hard hit he was exposed to due to war.

To overcome every obstacle, the father of two is innovating solutions for each problem, he altered some of the machinery he bought second hand to give him a wider variety of range of functions, he also designed his molds to save extra bucks, but the most out of the box thinking of his manifested through the recycling of used fuel tanks that would otherwise be thrown away. The metal tanks enter a long process of chemical cleaning, melting and reshaping and finally when they are ready for usage Nabil uses his skills to transform them into different accessories and grommets. 

After all the efforts and creativity Nabil has put in his business, he deserved our support to help him buy an essential part of his process, the molding of the products. They are expensive and Nabil was not able to purchase them without the support. 

Today Nabil is sure of his future more than ever, nothing can stop in his way of prosperity and excellence.    

Nerses’s journey of agony and turmoil started in 2011 when he and his family, fled their homes and lives in Al-Raqqa, carrying only the clothes they were wearing. The city of Latakia became their refuge, it was safer than their hometown which had been bombed and targeted with every kind of bombshells. Due to those bombshells Nerses heard the devastating news, his house and workshop in Al-Raqqa were demolished completely leaving no hope for nerses to go back to his previous life. 

Facing the harsh reality, started with settling in Latakia and finding a livelihood there. All that Nerses had at this point was his decade long experience, no tools no money, no machinery or acquaintances but that was enough to start.

Nerses soon started working in a local car body repair workshop splitting his profits with the owner.

Years passed by, and when Nerses’s life was finally stable, he met his life partner; an Aleppian woman and together they decided to make Aleppo their last stop and settle in.

Although it is hard to start over from scratch, but for Nerses it’s never been impossible. He did it once in Latakia nine years ago and he is so determined to do it again in Aleppo, but this time he has our support.

The loan will be his way of obtaining the essential tools and gadgets for his workshop to take off and the rest is up to his skills and good reputation in the field. 

In timers of crisis, families bond together, support each other to overcome the darkest times. When the war began, most families were displaced from their homes, many stayed at their relative’s homes escaping from shells, just like  Enad who took his pregnant wife and daughter Mira and moved from their rented apartment into their relatives'.

To be able to support his family, Enad deviated a little from his university major in Commercial Institute, and headed towards mobile retail and maintenance in 2008. Enad gained lots of experience in mobile maintenance, specially after attending several trainings in China and UAE.

Through the years, not only he became skilled in his work, but also the former business student successfully was able to run his business and a well-known name for his self raised business.

What Enad lacked was the possibility to keep his business up to date. With the rapidly developing technology, he has to stay at the top of this game by upgrading his gadgets and stay distinguished from its competitors. 

Using the tools, he bought with the support from the Micro Project, he will provide maintenance services to the clients and make his way in this profitable business with steady steps towards success.

in His life and career, Salem always saw a remodel in his father. and that reflected on his life from an early age as he Starting his career at young age, he helped his father who used to drive a forklift truck and learned from him how the machine worked to later become an employee for the same business owner for many years.

Salem started officially working in 1993, earning 25% for each transportation payment, and during the war and the deteriorating economic situation and the high prices, he was struggling to survive, especially that the neighborhood where he lived was damaged due to the shells, and an organization had to help him do the repairs. their financial situation was tight and the even his wife started taking orders and cooking food at home to help support her husband. 

years passed by and the business owner passed away, but it wasn't until the owner's family decided to sell this forklift that Salem's livelihood was jeopardized.

 And since Salem has gained enough experience and has many customers, private companies and factories he didn't want to give up all of that just because he didn't own a forklift and couldn't purchase one of his own due to its high price.

Salem needed help, his appplication for a project was his last chance for keeping his livelihood, for this forklift truck driver not a lot of options were left fto keep his job, unless someone help him buy his own truck.

Through the support he had, he was able to save his career by purchasing the same forklift he used to work on for years. 

Samir, 43 years old, has two beautiful daughters, Yara and Miriam.

 Since he started his career in gold crafting, he has been trying to be distinguished for his good work. After earning two-years of experience, in 2002, his ambition has driven him to travel to Abu Dhabi, to expand his knowledge and skills.

Upon his return, he decided to use this experience and initiate his own business in his workshop jointly with his brother, so the two brothers started working together until the beginning of the war. Unfortunately, the emigration of most of his customers prompted him to close his workshop after the work deteriorated and became weak.

He didn't know what his next step would be, so he decided to reopen his workshop but as a supermarket this time because it was the perfect job at that time, hoping to one day return to his main career.

Due to the hard economic situation, the market's income wasn't enough to support two families at the same time, even his wife's teaching job did not make much of a difference. 

In 2018 Samir couldn't take it no more, he decided to resume his goldsmithing career but due to the lack of demand for gold and the fact that his equipment were all gone, he had no choice but to work in a silver crafting workshop.

After three years, when his employers workshop was about to close, Samir was searching for a glimpse of hope, he tried to come out of it stronger, he simply didn't want to give up and as one door closed for Samir a new opportunity has risen with the micro-project support.

With the aid of the Hope Center, and the help of his friend who lent him his workshop for free, Samir was able to establish his own workshop and make his way through life with all the Hope and determination.

Pain is part of life, Suffering is an option. When suffering happens, it forces us to confront life in a different way. We have to learn how to adapt to difficulties so the most stressful parts of our lives are no longer the most significant parts of our lives.

this are wise words Jirayr lives by every day. He is an ambitious young man, who adapted to all the circumstances he faced and turned them into opportunities.

Living on the verge of poverty, even Jirayr's mother couldn't afford living a quiet life of retirement, but rather she has to work as a cleaner in a hospital, and prepare meal and groceries from home for Jirayr to distribute.

Jirayr started working when he was only thirteen, he was a blue-color worker in a rubber molding workshop until he became 20, when he had to join the military service for two years. Later he got back to the same profession and stayed in this domain till now as a worker.

Life became so hard, and as his mother is getting older she will eventually retire, and Jirayr will be the lonely provider for this family, and with his modest salary he knows that it will be struggle.

So, he applied to the Hope Center, hoping to use his great experience to initiate his own business, become an owner of an independent rubber molding workshop, it won't only enhance his livelihood and income but also will allow his  mother to finally retire after all the years of hard work.  

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.