On a January morning in 2013, Aya’s life was changed dramatically; her husband Eyad was shot by a sniper while working in an ice cream shop in Bab Al-Faraj area. Aya never had the chance to say goodbye to her beloved partner, she suddenly found herself as a 19-years-old widow with two children; Mohamad was 2 years old, and her youngest (who was named after his father) Eyad was only two months old. 

Although she felt heartbroken, shocked and afraid from the vague future she has to face, but in those difficult days, there was no time to grief. She left the city to stay with her in-laws in Al-Dana village. Eventually when she returned to Aleppo, she found herself facing another loss, this time it was her house in Bustan Al-Qasr that became out of reach. Without even a roof to seek shelter under, Aya took her two sons and found refuge at her parents’ house. Aya’s family had their own share of agony too, her sister was also widowed and living with her children in the family house with her mother and brother and his children, when Aya joined them after losing her home.

Not long after, the whole family was displaced when their house got destroyed by the missile attacks near Jisr Al-Hajj area. However, not every place they rented was safe, in fact Aya and her two kids were injured many times in the head due to the shells’ shrapnel, fortunately, none of them had any permanent damages.

When Aya’s life changed from being a housewife to a single mother and provider for herself and for her two boys in times of cruel war, she had to do something, it occurred to her that she can learn sewing and tailoring, she was a fast learner and engaged in work but after a while she felt overwhelmed, since this job was paying her in a minimum wage and taking her away from her kids for long hours… That’s why Aya turned to hairdressing and makeup, the thing that she always was good at. And to be near her kids, she decided to work from home, their current home has a room she could dedicate for her work to maintain her customers privacy, but at the same time to be around her children when needed.

The only obstacle was the lack of tools and material which nowadays cost a fortune. With a little help Aya will get all the material she needs to meet her customers’ requests, and at the same time create a new source of income to help secure a better life for her children.     

Perseverance is something that often comes in one’s personality, it surfaces in the darkest moments of the broken and overwhelmed person, Nina Beidoun has it both in her heart and her mind.

Nina, the 48-years-old woman chose to be in the tailoring and fashion design domain, from a young age it was her passion. She pursued her dream and entered a famous and specialized fashion designing institute in Lebanon, and graduated to return home and fulfill her dreams.

What Nina chose as her career wasn’t far from her family business, her brother used to own a cloth manufacturing factory in Al-Sheikh Najjar, which gave Nina the perfect space to design, tailor, and master her profession. However, Nina went beyond that and started teaching fashion design in a local institute and as well as giving private lessons. 

She was at the peak of her professional life when the war started in 2012, everything went down the drain so suddenly. Al-Sheikh Najjar became under the armed groups control. They lost their factory which was a hard hit for the family, but it wasn’t the only unfortunate incident, Nina’s house was hit by mortar shells twice, and she had to repair it by herself, while her parents were in their hometown (Al-Jdaydeh village) near Idleb, where they are also suffering from the armed groups confiscating properties and kidnapping civilians, in fact her father was kidnapped several times in order to force him leave his house and land, but it only made the old man even more determined to stay and fight for his existence.

Today, Nina works from her own house, and instead of doing unique “haute couture” pieces or collaborate with fashion designers like she used to, she is barely making a living from daily clients and occasional orders; like making uniforms for medical scrubs. The problem is in the shortage of the sewing machines that Nina owns, in addition to the lack of a convenient place to welcome the clients is a huge obstacle in Nina’s way. 

To overcome those hardships, she needs a stitching and sewing machines, in addition to a pressed ironing machine and some relevant equipment to improve her work. Nina believes that having these tools and dedicating a room in her house to become her work place, and a place for client’s fit rehearsals, all this would make a huge difference in her career and income.

When you are a single mother living on your own in these difficult times your struggle become much harder. Mary Melkon knows all about the struggle to be self-independent and keep going no matter what. She is a 34-years-old mother to a teenage boy; Arshag.

When she got divorced in 2007, Mary moved out with her son to her parents’ house in her hometown, the city of Deir Al-Zour, where she found comfort and support.

Mary’s brother was a well-known hairdresser that owned a hair salon there, Mary started helping in her brother’s salon and slowly she developed an interest in the beauty industry, she started doing makeup and manicures by herself for some clients and actually became good at it. Things were going good until the war started in 2011, Deir Al-Zour became under the full control of the armed groups and almost all Christians living there were displaced, among them were Mary and her family, they all fled back to Aleppo, Mary’s brother rented a salon for them both to work in, and indeed they became well known. but since Aleppo wasn’t safe and things became dangerous, her brother decided to immigrate to Sweden and start a life for himself there. After he left the family was torn apart, they couldn’t afford rent so Mary and her son stayed in a friends’ tiny office in Al-Midan area, while her mother and sister went to Latakia seeking some safety.

Since then, Mary has worked on-and-off between salons, she even worked between houses, but it was frustrating and hard, her son recently began working for a barber’s shop to help his mother with the house income. Mary was trying to do her best to secure a good life for her family, she bought a tattoo machine and started working on it, but because of the high costs of the materials like the inks, she couldn’t afford to repurchase the makeup products she needs to continue her work.

With the help of this grant, she will be able to continue in the makeup business, and at the same time master her work on the tattoo machine; the thing that will reflect significantly on her income.

An invincible smile and weary chapped hands are evidence of what Aziza faced of cruel reality in order to take care of her big family. 

Her tiny body and delicate features make it hard to imagine how strong she really is. The war cost her more than she could afford, from its early start in 2012, when armed groups entered Al-haidarya area and her family of 13 were all displaced. The family was homeless for a while, her husband who was working in a masonry workshop, decided to leave Aleppo with his family. Their journey away from Aleppo city was not completed safely. On the rocky road to Manbij city, a fatal car accident had put an end to two of Aziza’s sons, and Aziza herself was injured badly. At first, they didn’t tell the poor mother about her sons’ death, her own health was a concern, but eventually she learned the devastating news. 

Her recovery journey wasn’t easy either, it took her a whole year to be walking again, leaving her nine children, her husband and in-laws depending on financial aids and food supplies from charities. The reason Aziza is the back bone of the family is that her husband’s leg was amputated after being injured by the falling mortar shells. 

However, Aziza’s Tiny shoulders can carry a burden of a tribe, and her loving heart can give unconditionally. This 41-years-old woman had the determination to work inside and outside her home just to provide for her family who are in severe needs after coming back to their destroyed house in Al-Haidarya. 

Taking advantage of an old talent she once had when she was thirteen years old, when she learned sewing from her mother, Aziza today without any tools or equipment, fights daily so she can put some bread on the table for her children.

Sometimes when hardships and agony overwhelms a person, a reached out hand seems an unimaginable dream to believe , in fact that’s what Aziza expressed when she heard about the help she is getting, joyful tears burst out of her hopeful eyes and filled the room with gratitude to God who didn’t forgot about her, “I will work and feed my children” Aziza enthusiastically said ”I can’t believe that I can work again, and I will be able to buy winter clothes for my kids, buy them mattresses to sleep on… what can I say, my ambition can reach the sky, maybe after a while I can expand and teach girls sewing to help others like I was helped today.”    

Seven years ago, George Khachadorian chose to enter the food business, and he’s been enjoying it ever since.

The war caused all the foreign importing companies to close, and George who used to work in a cosmetics’ company was suddenly left jobless. However, having good skills in the kitchen and interest in culinary arts encouraged him to go in that direction, later he worked in many restaurants.

But the last place he worked in closed, so he started working from home and occasionally helping a friend in his shop in Telephone-Hawaae area. The war was going endlessly, especially in Al-Midan area where George’s house was located, the whole area was heavily bombed to a degree that George and his mother were forced to move to a much safer place.

George rented a house for him and his mother to stay in, it was a hard, but wise decision. Shortly after they move, they learned that their building in Al-Midan was destroyed completely… However, being jobless was a big challenge in those hard times, George had to get help from his brother and rely on the church aid to survive. 

One of George’s friends offered him a place in Al-Hamidieh to work in, which encouraged George to think of starting his own project. However, the location is suitable for a workshop but not suitable to be a selling shop, and that leaves him ought to collaborate with other shops to sell his bakery. George is in need for some tools and equipment to restart with the job that he loves.   

It is the best to work in what you love and be good at it.

Ebrahim Hazzouri shares his home with seven other members; his wife Walaa, their four children; two boys and two girls, his mother and his single sister.

Since he was a young boy back in 1997, Ebrahim worked in making handbags, he used to go to work after school hours, before he dropped out in the sixth grade and devoted himself to work so he can help his family especially that his father passed away and left five children without any income, which has put big pressure on the livelihood situation.

The family originally lived in Hanano area, when the war started this area was left without any water or electricity, they left to Tartous but he couldn’t find any job there so they moved again to Damascus and settled for five years, the rent was very high and it was dangerous because of the mortar bombs. One day in 2016, a shell fell and injured Walaa and the children; eventually they were okay but they still have some scars from that horrifying day. 

Ebrahim moved back to Aleppo with his family, they found their house ruined from the inside and everything was broken. They all live now in Maysaloon area, Ebrahim’s brother was recruited in the military service so he became the only provider for the family.

Ebrahim currently works in a workshop, he makes handbags from synthetic leather, he wants to get machinery so he can have a bigger percentage from the profit and the income will improve gradually. It is the profession that he is skilled in and he wishes to continue with the support of this initiative that will help him progress and get his life together again.

Since 2005, the 63-years-old Huda Tallise has been working in tailoring. First, she had started to work for someone, but with the start of war her employer immigrated like many Syrians, she found herself looking for a job just to be able to survive.

She managed to find work in a clothes manufacturing workshop, and despite the low salary, the long hours of work, and even being tiresome for her age she had to take it, because otherwise there will be no source of income for her and for her brother Andre who is completely dependent on her.

Huda and Andre live together in their family house in Jabriyeh area, their neighborhood suffered a lot during the seven years of armed conflict in Aleppo, many mortar shells had fallen in their street, luckily Huda and her brother were unharmed by them, but their house was affected with some damages from the near explosions. 

Huda is overwhelmed by the burdens of life, and the mounting life costs of daily living, she is the only provider, and she’s getting older by each day. Hence her job in workshops is not suitable for her age anymore. With the grant she wants to purchase a stitching and sewing machine, to work from home. Her long years in the business has helped her gain a lot of acquaintances and great experience that she is willing to utilize in this new chapter of her career. 

Ezz Aldin is the father of three children, living happily in Salah Aldin area in Aleppo city until the war happened.

Since he was young, Ezz Aldin worked with his uncles in repairing and maintenance of photocopy machines, he learned and became skillful in this business.

During the war in 2016, the armed groups entered the area of their residence, fearing for his pregnant wife at the time and their two children, he left everything and moved out. After a year and a half of living with their parents, they came back to find an empty house, robbed from everything, but still he considers himself lucky that his house is standing still without structural damage. 

Ezz Aldin took his family back to their house after refurnishing it as much as possible in these difficult economic circumstances.  

His business also took a hard hit because of the bans on importing during the war, Ezz Aldin and his uncle couldn’t import new machinery or the parts necessary to presume their business, at least not without paying high shipping costs. Being the sole provider for his now family of five makes him feel frustrated and overwhelmed with the whole situation.

All that Ezz Aldin needs today to restart his business in the same field, is a little support to purchase the machines and equipment that could allow him to improve his life.