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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elias Zerz, is a skilled electric technician. He learned the tricks of the trade from his father, who unfortunately passed away in 2014. Elias gained over 17 years of valuable experience working alongside his father. Now he works in the shop which his father had established back in 1983, specialized in various electrical services. After the loss of his father, Elias faced many challenges, but with unwavering determination and sheer hard work, he managed to open new doors of opportunity.

Seeking to enhance his skills and elevate his work, Elias realized that he needed to upgrade his tools and equipment, a venture that proved to be quite costly. His proficiency lies in home electricity wiring. He currently shares a home with his mother and brother, who is also studying to become an electrician. 

One obstacle that continues to hinder his progress is the outdated equipment he currently has. As the sole provider for his family, Elias primarily relies on his own efforts, occasionally receiving assistance from his brother. Elias is always eager to utilize the latest technology and tools in his work, such as an electricity generator. This would greatly benefit him, especially when he travels to rural parts of Aleppo where access to electricity is non-existent. With a reliable generator by his side, Elias would be able to work at a faster pace and fulfill the electrical needs of those remote areas.

After receiving approval from the Hope Center, the aid has alleviated numerous challenges and provided a much-needed boost to Elias's determination. This support enables him to continue striving for excellence in his craft and fulfill the responsibilities he shoulders for his family and the communities he serves.

George Shahda is a hardworking craftsman and a father to two adorable children. His work revolves around a unique concept in the domain of event planning and decorations. George used to have a shop in Homs where he began his initial work, but he had to sell his father's workshop to move to Aleppo for university. During the war, he relocated to Lebanon, where he continued working in event planning and decoration.

George strongly believes that with creativity and hard work, anything is possible. Despite the impact of the war on Aleppo's economy, George refuses to be limited. His specialization lies in crafting decorations, such as display stands, backdrops, and table decorations. He works with a variety of materials, including wood, paper, mirrors, foam, and resin, with wood being his primary choice.

For three years in Syria, George initially relied on carpenters for required work, but he eventually realized that he preferred to handle everything on his own. Thanks to the Hope Center, George was able to save time and become more self-dependent, which will help him improve his income and secure a better life for his lovely family.

Antoine, an optician specialized in eyewear lens making, has garnered extensive experience over the years. He is an incredibly optimistic man, brimming with energy and enthusiasm. His work holds immense significance for him, as he takes great pride in delivering his work with utmost precision, striving to ensure that it is free from any errors. Since 2000, he has been operating his shop, situated in a mid-density area. While the location might not attract a high volume of foot traffic, Antoine's reputation has managed to draw in customers. Prior to opening his own shop, Antoine had worked at a renowned eyewear company called "Abd el Samad" in Aleppo, where he honed his skills.

Like every Syrian, Antoine experienced loss during the war years. His wife, a retired teacher, resides with him and their son, Fadi. Their older son and daughter had left the country and traveled abroad. Antoine's aspiration was for Fadi to learn the optician profession, passing down his knowledge and experience to his son. By doing so, he hoped to encourage Fadi to stay in the country, establish a stable income for himself, and contribute to its growth.

In 2014, a tragic incident occurred that disrupted Antoine's plans. While attempting to start the machines by running an electricity generator, an accidental electrical mishap caused a fire that destroyed his entire shop. The situation was terrifying, leaving a deep scar in Antoine's memory that he still carries to this day. As Antoine grows older, he finds himself confined to his house, grappling with a sense of purposelessness that has taken a toll on his mental well-being. However, despite all the misfortunes, Antoine's optimism shines through. His infectious smile continues to fill the room, even in the aftermath of such hardships. 

With the support Antoine has received, he has finally found his rightful place, indulging in the very thing he loves and, above all, ensuring the well-being of his family while guiding his son. In moments when hardships weigh heavily on our shoulders, recovery and resilience pave the way forward. It is for this very reason that Antoine believed in these principles and got the appropriate support to help him overcome any obstacle thrown his way.

Jan lives with his parents in their modest house. The father is an employee working at Al-Kalima Hospital, and the mother is a housewife so he is the only provider of income for the family

Jan’s family has been through a lot in the past 10 years; during the war his father got hit by a shrapnel in his waist and a shell hit their building’s roof but, thankfully their house was only slightly damaged. Then his mother got severely infected by the coronavirus and after her treatment she was no longer able to open the shop.

Jan’s career begun as an electrician, he worked in this domain for more than four years but his income started to drop due to the harsh economic conditions that were impacting the city thus he was forced to change his profession. 

He decided to become a videographer and started learning the profession by working with several videographer, and now he can work on more than four types of cameras.

After he has been funded, Jan is ready to start fresh after having his own computer and camera. 

Ebrahim’s life hasn’t been easy at any time, gaining money has always been hard; he had to change his job several times because of the poor economic and living conditions. Ebrahim is the only breadwinner for the family, he lives with his wife, son and daughter in the family’s house.

During the war, the family was displaced for four years to Latakia until the area settled and as a result of the earthquake, their house was damaged and they were evacuated

He started his professional career as a furniture sprayer and worked there for two years, then went to military service for other two years, from 1991 to 1996 he worked in a grain factory, after which he worked for a year in furniture spraying, After that for 18 years he worked in the field of spare parts. 

During the family stay in Lattakia, he worked in a plastic siphons factory, and after their return to Aleppo in 2019, he returned to work in the field of spare parts and returned to his main profession; furniture sprayer as a worker; but because of the shop owner’s travel he remained unemployed. lately, he has been working in a factory in the Sheikh al-Najjar area.

Ebrahim has had enough of being a worker during his life and now, after he got the approval from Hope Center, he utilized his empty house which was affected by the earthquake for his work, now he can provide a better income and livelihood for his loved ones.

Patricia's dream is to display her paintings in an exhibition

Patricia’s painting journey began as a hobby to fill her leisure time, however it didn’t take her long to be discovered and recognized by her circle and her teachers have always been her supporters.

Patricia lives in a modest house with her mother (a housewife) and her father who is a worker in a printing press in the Sheikh Najjar area with being the only source of the house’s income. Before the war he used to own a printing press unfortunately the equipment was completely lost and stolen.

She participated in many exhibitions, including an exhibition in Damascus, which had the greatest impact on the request of her paintings by clients, but she did not want to sell because of her desire to create her own exhibition and start working through it. She's planning to homeschool her students; she's got some students ready for the summer.

The Micro Project program allowed her to improve her work by providing the required tools and materials, now Patricia will use her skill to make good income and teach basic painting mechanisms to the interested and talented students. 

Amal lives with her mother and sister. Her father (who is separated from the mother) is not responsible for them.

In 2013, they were displaced from their home more than once because of the war and the high rental prices. Her sister, is currently an employee and her mother is a housewife.

Amal started her career by working for several companies, then she took a nail art course and after that she started working at a Beauty Center for 3 years and left work there due to long working hours and little salary. Then she went to work for three months doing manicures.

After working in several centers, she resigned and allocated her room for work and bought a simple kit. Lately, the shortage of the needed tools has become a major obstacle. So, she started working with gelish, eyebrow tattooing and skin cleansing. She has clients and became well known.

Amal wants to open her own workshop at home and through the Micro-project, she will be able to provide a good income for her family.

“Working from young age helped me gain experience and become a successful craftsman” 

Garo is a single man who lives with his parents and his brother who helps him provide for the household.

Garo started working in a goldsmith workshop back when he was only fifteen years old and he liked this profession and decided to continue in it. In 2010 Garo and his brother took over their father’s workshop to increase their income and gain independence, gradually they equipped the workshop with all the necessities but they were missing one of the most essential machines in their line of work, which led them to need other workshops in order to complete their work, but this dependency cost them a lot of money that’s what made them seriously think of a fast and secure way to provide that machine.

Thanks to Hope Center, now Garo and his brother have the needed machine which helped them reduce their expenses to the bare minimum and now they save a lot of money which enables them to fulfill their family’s needs and daily expenses.

“Life is full of difficulties, but these difficulties are strengthening me” that’s what Majda said, when she summarized her life.

Majda is 58, she lives alone. She has been working in the field of sewing in so many professional workshops from young age and her journey have started from being a worker for several years all the way to opening her own business. Due to her health condition (knee joint problems) she needs is flexible working schedule.

Her earnings were slightly decreased after she prioritized her health over her work and decided to work part time, because she needs rest which is nearly impossible if she stayed as a worker.

Like many other strong women, who know nothing but relying on themselves. She found the solution in opening her own business at home. She will take work from the workshop she used to work with and some acquaintances.

Today, thanks to the funding from the donors, Majda bought the essential sewing machines that saves her time and effort.

Sarkis lives with his wife and his mother; his wife is an employee at a school but soon she will take maternity leave because she is pregnant, his mother is a caregiver for an elderly woman.

Sarkis’s profession is car tuning, he started as a worker back when he was in his early twenties in the Bustan Al-Basha area and stayed in the area until it became unsafe and he had to find another job in a safer region, after a long search he found a job where he is working now.

During the war the family house was damaged by bomb shrapnel and the parish helped them restore it, unfortunately after the earthquake their house got damaged again and they left it and stayed in a church hall. When they returned home, they had to face yet another shock as the house was robbed.

The responsibility of becoming a father is huge therefore Sarkis decided to rent a workplace because he wants to gain independence and take care of his family’s everyday expenses and his newborn baby’s needs.

Sawsan, a wife and mother of two, faced the challenges of her husband's tiring profession in stone cladding, which took a toll on his health. Despite the hardships, he persevered, as there seemed to be no alternative. Witnessing his struggles, Sawsan decided to take matters into her own hands to support their family.

However, fate had other plans when she suffered a stroke, leaving her unable to work or exert herself. Determined to find a solution, she wanted to open a cosmetic shop as the lifeline that could sustain her family. Recognizing the potential of her idea, she applied to the Micro Projects Program for assistance.

With the program's support, Sawsan successfully opened her cosmetic shop, transforming it into a source of livelihood. This endeavor not only provides for her family's immediate needs, but also promises a better and more stable future. 

Adnan, a retired electronic engineer living in Fairouza village, faced financial challenges after retirement, relying solely on a modest pension to support his family. Undeterred, he turned to his lifelong passion for electronic devices maintenance, a skill he cultivated since 1995. However, his work was hindered by the severe lack of electricity in his area and the absence of a suitable chair for his tasks.

Adnan, being the sole provider for his eighth-grade son, improved his work when a solar power system was installed. This transformative solution allowed him to overcome the interruptions caused by power outages, ensuring a stable environment for his electronic repair work. With all the necessary tools at his disposal, he can now pursue his profession without constraints, securing a reliable source of income to support his family.

In Fairouza village, Nassouh and his wife Fahima work side by side, jointly managing a mini-market they established in 2020 to provide for their family. Their younger son seeks better opportunities in Lebanon, while the eldest, resides with them in the village. 

The mini-market offers a variety of food commodities and dairy products. Recently, their thriving business encountered a challenge when the refrigerator stopped due to an unreliable energy supply. The inadequate power led to the spoilage of numerous dairy products, causing financial strain. Determined to address this issue, Nassouh took the initiative and applied to the Micro Projects Program for a solar power system. 

This innovative solution promises to ensure a consistent and uninterrupted energy supply for their shop, also securing a more stable income for their mini-market and family.

Salim's life took a drastic turn with the outbreak of war in 2011. A skilled car mechanic with a thriving workshop in the industrial area of Homs, he owned a house in Al-Sabeel neighborhood and a car. However, when conflict forced Salim, his wife, and their three children to seek refuge in Al-Arman neighborhood, his stable life crumbled.

Jobless and facing the harsh reality of war, he resorted to selling his car for survival. As chaos intensified, their house in Al-Sabeel and Salim's workshop fell victim to theft. In 2012, the family relocated to a village near Homs, where he, desperate to make ends meet, took on various jobs but the hope of reclaiming their lost life decreased, forcing Salim to borrow money from a relative.

He purchased second-hand equipment and worked in the village until 2021. Rising rental costs in the village led the family back to Homs, where he borrowed once more to repair the house and workshop. Amidst these challenges, a disc disease struck him, necessitating surgery and deepening his financial burdens. Forced to sell his workshop to settle debts, he acquired a small shop in Al-Hamidia neighborhood.

Unable to return to his former profession due to health constraints, he ventured into metal and copper welding. In pursuit of stability, he applied to the Micro Projects Program, hoping for support in rebuilding his life. With optimism in his heart, Salim aimed to provide for his family through the newfound opportunity of his small shop in Al-Hamidia.

Rami, a dedicated father and the sole provider for his wife and four children, has been working as a floor tiler since the turn of the millennium. Over the years, his trusty equipment had worn out, and he faced the challenge of frequent electricity shortages, which hampered his productivity in this electricity-dependent profession.

The cost of replacing his equipment and investing in a generator was unaffordable for him, given his responsibility for a large family. Amid the harsh economic conditions of his country, saving up for these necessities seemed like an impossible dream.

However, a ray of hope emerged when Rami's friends introduced him to the Micro Projects Program. He saw this opportunity as a lifeline to renew his equipment and secure his family's livelihood. With hope, he applied to the program, believing that it could be the key to ensuring a dignified life for his beloved wife and children. 

Nidal, a skillful craftsman with over two decades of experience in floor tiling and stone cladding, had always been the backbone of his family in Homs. His wife, daughter, son, and his son's young family relied on his skills for their livelihood.

However, as time went by, his tools and equipment began to show their age. Renewing them became increasingly challenging, with maintenance costs increasing. His work often suffered from the frequent blackouts in the region, causing delays and frustrations. To keep his work afloat, he had to rent an electric generator, which put a significant strain on his finances.

His son had a humble job with a modest income, but the burden of supporting the entire family weighed heavily on Nidal's shoulders. That's when he decided to seek help from the Micro Projects Program. With the assistance, he was able to renew his equipment, breathe new life into his business, and purchase a reliable electric generator.

The improved equipment not only enhanced his productivity but also brought stability to his family's life, Nidal can continue to provide for his loved ones, ensuring a comfortable life for his wife, daughter, son's family, especially, his precious one-year-old granddaughter.

Yolla, a mother of three in Qattinah village, is married to Rasem, a retired employee. The couple and their two unemployed sons, George and Jack, depended on her dairy shop for living. Tragically, the family had already endured the loss of their eldest son, Johnny.

In 2016, she initiated the dairy shop using rented refrigerators, a venture born out of necessity. Over time, these refrigerators became worn-out, maintenance costs soared, and replacement seemed financially impossible. The situation became challenging as she not only prepared and sold dairy products but also handmade food to make ends meet.

Yolla turned to the Micro Projects Program for support, hoping to save her family's only means of survival. With the assistance provided, she successfully revived her project, ensuring a stable future for her family. 

Dalia, a resident of Qattinah village, became the backbone of her family when her husband's health issues forced him out of work. With a modest salary, she bravely took on the responsibility of providing for their family of four. In 2019, she took a bold step by opening a shoe store, hoping to secure a stable living.

However, economic challenges and tough circumstances hindered her ability to restock the store with goods. Her husband made a difficult decision to travel to Lebanon in search of better opportunities for their family. 

Determined not to give up, she sought assistance from the Micro Projects Program, with the support received, she revitalized her shoe store, ensuring a continuous source of income for her husband, two young children, and herself.

Now, Dalia manages the shoe store, empowered by the Micro Projects Program to secure a better life for her loved ones.

Josephine Al-Helal is a divorced woman in her thirties, she has an adorable daughter called Natalia and they live with her parents and siblings in Jaramana.

In many cases, divorce can be a tragedy, but Josephine didn’t accept letting her daughter go through any hard times or be deprived of anything because of her divorce. In contrast, she tried her best to provide her with love and care and endured living in a small house with her parents surround her daughter by a close-knit family atmosphere.

However, Josephine’s family was not in good financial condition and they were barely able to afford their living expenses as her father became too old to work and her siblings were struggling to afford their living so Josephine had to work hard and be responsible for her daughter and support her family at the same time.

In 2021 she started to work at a stationary shop, but soon her skills developed and the shop owner trusted her to run the place depending on her good communication skills and her ability to manage the purchasing and selling procedures.

Although she was happy at her work, at the end of the month she was just an employee having a low salary that was not enough to meet the basic needs of her and her daughter.

Today, after being supported by Hope Center to have her own stationary shop, Josephine is working tirelessly for its success, with great faith and determination to secure a stable and decent future and provide her daughter with the best living.

Maria Essa, 36, has always been a self-made woman who worked at an early age to achieve her independence, and even after she got married, she kept working and supporting her husband in the face of difficult conditions.

Maria is married to Jalal Hlaleh who works as a taxi driver and they have two sons, Fadi born in 2012, and Samer born in 2014.  She started working in the nail care field in 2008 and moved between several beauty salons looking for better income and when the situation worsened, she started going to customers' houses to increase her income.

Her husband was working on his own taxi but during the wartime, his work became unprofitable and Maria’s work was barely covering the basic living needs which forced him to sell the car in order to handle the increasing costs of living.

When Maria realized that their financial condition was going down, she decided to go and work in Saydnaya during the summertime trying her best to support her family but with the poor equipment she had, she was unable to expand her work and earn good income.

Maria applied for a nail beauty kit because she was working between several areas and didn’t want to limit herself to working in a specific center and with the help of Micro Projects program, she was supported to have a nail care kit that will provide her with the tools and materials she needs to improve her income and help supporting her family.

Samer Thabet is 50 years old, married, and has two daughters Janet and Mariette. Samer and his family were living in stable conditions because he had a successful career. He worked in distributing medical products and equipment for fourteen years and established a good knowledge of customers and traders which secured a proper living for his family.

However, during the first years of the crisis, medical factories started to close one after another, and people traveled abroad in addition to the lack of imported materials which made Samer’s career no longer profitable like before. 

Despite his long experience in the field, Samer didn’t hesitate to quit his job and look for another one because he had a family to feed and he refused to make them live in poverty or deprivation.

In 2014, he started working at a Plastic products store as a salesperson and did his job with devotion and determination in order to provide his family with the best living available but in the past few years the economic situation deteriorated badly and Samer became unable to afford the basic living demands and started looking for a way to establish his own project to improve his income.

With the help of Hope-Center, Samer was supported to have his own Plastic store based on his long experience in the field and strong personality. Hopefully, this project will be a turning point in his professional life, and will positively impact his income and his family’s livelihood.

Youssef had always been a hard-working man. He learned the value of perseverance from a young age when he had to help his mother take care of his younger siblings. Despite the challenges, Youssef had always dreamed of giving his family a comfortable life.

Youssef landed a job in Lebanon, meanwhile, he studied engineering, He worked tirelessly for eight years to make ends meet and support his family back in Damascus. 

However, things took a turn for the worse in 2019 when the company Youssef worked for closed down. He had no choice but to return home to Damascus and look for work. With the money he saved for years, he bought simple equipment and landed a job at a goldsmith's workshop, initially working on a laser machine. With time and experience, Youssef's skills grew, and he became a valuable member of the workshop team, then he managed to get married and start a family.

the house he was renting was no longer affordable as the landlord increased the rent. Determined not to put his family on the streets, Youssef and his wife sold their gold, pooled their savings, and borrow some to complete building their own house. 

Then, things took a positive turn when Youssef received funding from a micro-project in Damascus. With the funding, he purchased a new laser machine, enabling him to expand his business and diversify his products. Youssef's talent and hard work have allowed him to turn his passion for crafts and design into a successful business that supports his family and helps cover his mother's healthcare.

Today, Youssef is a proud son, husband, and father of two beautiful children. He looks forward to the future, knowing that anything is possible with determination and hard work.

Suffering is an inseparable companion of war, especially for those who were injured and became incapacitated and unable to practice their life normally like in the case of Ebrahim Aldawod. After turning 18, Ebrahim was called for military service and stayed until  2011 when the war took place so he was kept as a reserve soldier for the next four years. however, in 2015 Ebrahim was exposed to a car accident during his service and was hurt badly which caused a disability, and had medical discharge from the service as a result.

Ebrahim was working tirelessly to provide his two adorable girls with the best living available but after the injury, he became unable to practice his old profession in sanitary maintenance like so he started to share his work with other workers to help him but that led to a decrease in his income which reflected on his financial situation.

He tried to find another career but due to his health condition, he didn't find any suitable job. Yet, Ebrahim didn’t let desperation enter his heart and was searching for any opportunity to improve his condition without needing to seek any aid from others.

With the help of Hope Center, Ebrahim was supported to purchase his own pick-up car that he will use in transferring goods and products between markets without having to make any physical effort.

This project will provide Ebrahim with a sustainable source of income to compensate for his injury consequences and preserve his dignity. 

Karina Issa graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry full of ambition, dreaming to become a successful dentist and have her own clinic. 

She did her training period with a doctor in Safita village where she also performed for rural service. Then in 2017, she got married to Kinan Dagher and moved to live with him in Dwalaa area in Damascus and they had their lovely daughter Anita. 

During that period Karina volunteered at St. Joseph dispensary and served the community and the poor in the area with passion and love for two years then their financial condition started to decline, so she and her husband decided to try living and working in the village looking for better circumstances, but the situation there was no better than Damascus especially due to the lack of jobs opportunities and low salaries so they returned to Damascus broken.

Her husband worked as an accountant at a mobile store trying his best to secure the livelihood demands for his family but Karina had one desire in her mind, which is having her own clinic.

such an aim was far from her reality due to its high costs and she had no solution but to wait and pray.

With the help of the Micro-project program, Karina gained the opportunity she was looking for, as she was supported with the dental chair and other equipment to start her own dental clinic which formed a turning point in her career life and will, for sure, form an improvement step in her living condition.

For most of his life, Abd Al-Ahad struggled against difficult circumstances and the lack of job opportunities in the country especially since he was working as a government employee for a modest salary and wasn't able to find an additional job during the years of war as it was challenging for anyone to find a good income source. 

Abd Al-Ahad had no choice but to stay in his job as a private driver at the Directorate of Livestock in the industrial city of Adraa in order to afford his livelihood demands but in 2014, the area was controlled by the armed groups and it became very risky to enter which made Abd Al-Ahad lose his only source of living.

However, he didn’t surrender so he started to work as a mobile salesman delivering goods and dairy products to shops in the countryside of Damascus in addition to working as a private driver for many people.

All he was seeking for is a decent living for his family but no matter how hard he worked, his income did not match the expenses, and his financial condition worsened during the ongoing economic crisis which led him to ask for support from his relatives.

Abd Al-Ahad was in persistent need of having his own project to improve his income so after applying to the Micro project program in Damascus, he was supported to purchase his own vehicle hoping that this project would form a new chapter of his life to help him afford the living demands of his family and preserve his dignity.

Rimon Eid is 31 years old, married to Joelle Smara, and has a newborn daughter named Stephanie

Rimon began his professional career at an early age when he learned the plumbing career and started working in partnership with his cousin. He quickly became a professional in this career and had his own customers.

Like any ambitious young man in his prime, Rimon was seeking to improve his financial situation and increase his income, so in 2009 he traveled to Lebanon in search of better job opportunities. Indeed, he worked there in the plumbing workshop field, in addition to many freelance jobs, where he spent most of his day at work trying to save as much as he could to establish his own family, but unfortunately, the situation in Lebanon began to worsen, affecting Rimon’s work, and he had no choice but to return to Syria and seek another work opportunity. indeed, he was lucky to have a three-year contract in Ghana, during which he was able to work and save the military service allowance.

In 2018, the contract ended so he returned to Syria and paid the allowance, and wanted to establish his own business, but his mother’s illness prevented him from doing so, as he spent the rest of his savings on her treatment.

Before applying to the Hope Center, Rimon was working at several workshops, and his financial situation was very bad because his income was barely enough to secure the daily food for his family, but now, after the fund, he has his own plumbing equipment that will enable him to become independent and improve his income significantly, and this will reflect positively on his living situation.

“After all the hardships I had been through, I was about to lose hope, but now I feel like life finally smiled at me”

This is how Tony Al-Ahmar expressed his feelings after being supported with the taxi project.

Tony Al-Ahmar is 35 years old, married to Jina Abboud and they have an adorable baby called Rudolf. Before the crisis, Tony worked as a catering officer in various restaurants and he was doing his best to save money and build up a decent future.

By the beginning of the Syrian war, he was called for military service in the intense conflict zone which made him face death several times, in addition to watching many of his friends die in front of his eyes without being able to save them.

In 2013, Tony was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and due to his medical condition, he was medically discharged from the service as he had to go through two difficult years of intensive treatment until he recovered.

Tony was grateful to God that he survived both the service and cancer and wanted to start a new chapter of his life so he went back to work in restaurants tirelessly to compensate the previous years and to establish his own business.

Indeed, after five years of hard work, Tony started his own café’ in Jaramana and was full of enthusiasm because he finally had his own business but his happiness didn’t last long; two months after the opening, the Corona pandemic swept the world causing social and economic deterioration which reflected badly on Tony’s work and he lost most of his savings as a result.

Tony was newly married and was about to have his first baby so he didn’t hesitate to start a new career in order to provide his family with a decent living, he rented a taxi and started to work two shifts a day for this endeavor but the income was barely enough to pay the taxi’s rent and Tony was in desperate need of support.

Now, after the fund, Tony is driving the streets delighted that he has his own taxi that will enable him to restore his independence and provide a good living for his lovely family.

Fady Darweesh is 28 years old, newly married to Salwa and they live in a rented flat in Kashkoul. He was raised in a modest family and had to start working at an early age to handle his own expenses and help with the house demands. He was 18 when he started to work as a house painter, spending most of the day from one workshop to another trying his best to afford the livelihood costs.

In 2014, Fady was called for military service where he stayed for seven years until his discharge in 2021. He tried to return to his old profession but due to the bad conditions and increasing prices, it wasn’t profitable as before and he had to look for another job.

Fady found out that the most suitable thing for him was working as a taxi driver especially since he had no work experience, so with great determination, Fady turned to the Micro project center applying for the taxi project.

Now, Fady is grateful to have this opportunity that will help him start a new chapter in his life to start his own family and improve his living conditions

Caroline is a 27 single woman who lives with her parents and her brother Fady in Kashkoul, Damascus suburb, she was raised in a united family and learned that all the family members should work to support each other through the good and the bad.

Caroline‘s father worked in tiling for most of the day and her brother Fady started working as a hairdresser but they both couldn’t afford the house demands so Caroline had to work as a secretary in the morning and as a nail beauty artist in the afternoon to support her family.

She loved the beauty profession and became passionate about it but she was unable to have her own salon and was going to customers’ houses to do her work; It was so tiring for her which made her father feel guilty for his children because they had to work hard to support him through these deteriorating conditions.

Caroline’s father had a small shop in the market and was preparing it with the hope that one day Caroline and Fady could transfer this shop into a beauty center where they could work together; Fadi as a hairdresser and Caroline as a nail beauty specialist so they could have their own work.

With the help of the Hope Center, his dream was achieved as Caroline and Fady were supported with the hairdressing tools and equipment in addition to the nail beauty kit to support this united family to establish their own career in order to improve their living and secure a decent future.

In the blink of an eye, Rashid turned from a dreamer teenager into a man burdened with worries and responsibilities. Rashid was the only brother to four sisters and was living happily with his family in good financial condition and many spaces were open in his way.

All of that vanished at the age of sixteen when his father got sick and needed long intensive treatment that forced them to sell the house, and the car and spend all the savings for this purpose which unfortunately ended with his father's death.

Rashid found himself suddenly the breadwinner of the house and had no time to grieve, he had to work and secure the daily living for his family so he left school and started to work whatever he got in order to make a living.

Rashid started working in restaurants and then in Auto-body painting and in 2020, he started working as a mobile salesman for a percentage which was a tiring career with low income because he didn’t have a vehicle to move around in markets.

Rashid was a devoted man who strived to provide his mother with her medicine and living demands but he was powerless in the face of the current life obstacles.

With great determination, Rashid turned to the Micro-project center applying for the mini-van project and was supported to have this opportunity to purchase his own mini-van which will expand his area of work and give him the opportunity to improve his income and secure a decent living for his family.