Nidal’s military service lasted nearly nine years, then after being discharged from military, he faced the harshness of life as well as the vague future.

Immediately after his service, he worked in his brother’s sewing workshop, but being new in this domain made his journey harder.

All of Nidal’s family members work in their own specialization, which motivates him to have his own business and to care of his family’s livelihood expenses.

The opportunity of having his own taxi planted a seed of hope in his soul, he applied and got accepted which made him extremely happy.

After the long years of sacrifice he made, Nidal now is thankful for the chance that he got from Hope Center, which made him the boss of himself, and the idea of ensuring a better income for him and his family made him more confident than ever. 

Melkon started working when he was in his early twenties with plans in his head to create a secure future for him and his mother.

From a young age he worked in two different domains to learn more skills and gain experience; his first job was in a mechanic workshop and in a short notice he started working on a lathing machine to increase his income, by time he became gifted in both jobs.

When the war hit the city of Aleppo, Melkon thought about a plan to save his career and he decided on traveling, in 2011 he left Syria looking for a better opportunities to make money and help his family.

Melkon worked in Lebanon nearly 11 years in both of the domains, in 2022 he decided to come back, start a family and settle in Aleppo now, he is a newly-married young man and they live together with his mother hoping that someday they will be able to buy their own house.

Supporting Melkon with the important equipment will have a positive effect on his work and he’ll be able to create a secure future for his child and provide his family’s needs and livelihood expenses.

Fredy served in the army for two years and after his discharge he was recalled for reserve military service, which lasted nearly seven years.

After that he thought of working in the aluminum manufacturing domain, but the lack of experience and costumers together with his financial circumstances weren’t encouraging for him.

Fredy is a newly married man and they are blessed with a daughter, but due to the economic crises they are living with his wife’s family. He is currently spending from his savings plus he is the only one responsible for all of his family’s expenses.

Fredy is aiming to work and be able to move out to their own apartment, provide a happy and secure future for his family.

After he heard about Hope Center, he was grateful for the opportunity to start working independently on his taxi and improve his income. 

Archelous lives with her husband and son in their modest house located in Al-Midan area; they were able to buy it many years before the war through the help of her family and a small loan from the bank that was repaid, in addition to selling the gold that she owned.

She used to work as a teacher in the Faculty of Science at the University of Aleppo, in addition to working as a nurse in hospitals and between houses, but because of her advanced age and the decline in her health status, she resigned and worked in selling Homemade food supplies, which she had been practicing since 1989.

Being the only breadwinner for the house, as her husband suffers from hearing and sight impairment, and he cannot work well in any profession. Her son works in a warehouse selling car parts, with a small salary that is not enough to cover his own expenses. 

The family used to own a house and agricultural land in Al-Yaqoubia village, but they were displaced from it and it was no longer possible to benefit from the agricultural lands that they had there.

Today, with the help of donors, Archelous was able to purchase the equipment that help her in her work and facilitates the preparation process in order to sell Homemade food supplies quickly and with higher efficiency, in addition to the ability to introduce new items that provide her with additional money to meet the difficulties of daily life.

"Holding a great responsibility at a young age is a huge challenge” .

in 2014 Hovsep’s family fled to Lebanon after selling their house and all their possessions to escape the harshness of the war and search for a better life.

When Hovsep was young, he loved all professions related to car repairing, especially since his father was a famous mechanic, so he benefited from this passion in Lebanon and learned a new profession, which is car spraying.

He worked there for 6 years until he gained a lot of experience, However, when the war hit Lebanon in 2020, it led directly to the deterioration of the economic situation in the country. Therefore, they decided to return to Aleppo.. Shortly after their return, Hovsep rented a small shop with a partner.

Unfortunately, the father suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed, and he became in need of special care, which forced the mother to work in a sewing workshop to help with the household expenses. After two years of working in Aleppo, Hovsep’s partner traveled abroad after selling the shop’s equipment, which was a shock for Hovsep, who did not give up and began borrowing the required equipment from his neighbors.

Today, thanks to the micro projects program, he owns the entire shop’s equipment and he became independent at work.

Hagob lived with his mother and his sister until the war came and took everything from him; their lives turned upside down like many Syrian families.

“We had tools and equipment in our workshop in Bustan Al Basha that were stolen during war. The workshop was also damaged and has recently been restored.”

Rehabilitating the workshop consumed all of their savings, and they were left with no source of income. Although their workplace is renovated, they still needed to buy the essential machinery to start the work.

Hagob started this career back in 2008 and now he does not own any tools, but rather works in another car body shop with a low salary, he decided to reopen his father's workshop.

He said: “My father taught me his profession in auto body repair workshop and everything related to this field that can help me in the future.”

All he needs is the support to get the equipment to start working again, with the help provided by Hope Center, he will be able to achieve a better income and then hopefully things will turn out for the better.

Like many other professions, sellers are going through some changes nowadays. Karahkin is the father of two kids Carine and Hagob,41 years old, and lives with his family. His wife works but with a low salary.

He said: “I’ve been in the selling business for 14 years. I'm driving my friend's pickup truck. I've always dreamed of having my own pickup truck, it’s so much easier when I drive to the shops and load goods”.

Karahkin and his family were safe throughout the war and were not injured, so they were grateful. Due to the high cost of living and the pick-up truck's high rents, he suffers from many financial obligations. One of the most important things that help him in his work and increase his income is buying a car, and thus he can save his money and his work will be easier.

His job requires transportation for the shipping and services and this car will allow karahkin to make a good living on his own.

One of the most difficult decisions taken by the Rezkallah's family was when they decided to sell their house to face the difficult living and economic conditions.

Although all family members work, all their salaries combined are no longer enough to cover the rising livelihood costs.

His father works as an employee in a mall, his mother is a clothing saleswoman, and his little sister is still studying. This young man is trying to help his family with expenses, and his work in Mobile software requires more development which is necessary because technology is constantly changing.

This ambitious young man, 22 years old, started working as a salesman in a mobile store in 2018. After two months, he decided to learn a new interest and enter computer and software maintenance to increase his income.

What distinguishes Rezkallah is the pursuit of self-development, and through his work for four years in this domain, Rezkallah became known for his skills, and the mobile shops near him began to provide him with work as well, despite his young age.

Now, Rezkallah has all he needs to run a successful business and secure a decent income for his family. 

Gunshot wounds to the head survivors need long-term rehabilitation and may or may not be able to get back to pre-injury functional status. This young man, Shiraz,30 years old, was thankful because he escaped death. 

He lives with his family, the mother doesn’t work, and his sister is an employee. Shiraz spent nine years serving in the military, and he was wounded twice, the first was in his head and the other in his shoulder.

He is no longer able to continue his work with his brother in the dynamo due to his health condition. Because of the high cost of living and the urgent need to increase his income, Shiraz decided to work in the culasse business, and to look for another job opportunity after his shift.

For him, working on a taxi is very suitable, and his income will improve. Among many other jobs, the taxi has the most convenient schedule which suits Shiraz perfectly, and at the same time, it has a good profit rate that will increase the family’s income.

George, 35 years old, lives with his family of 7 people. His parents do not work, and his sister works as a teacher in a kindergarten, and her three children live with them. He is the only provider for his big family.

George's father previously worked as a carpenter; manufacturing bird cages. He learned it from his father and worked with him from 2014 for more than five years.

George had the opportunity to go to Lebanon in 2019 and work in the field of sweets for two years, but due to the poor economic conditions, George’s salary was no longer sufficient, so he decided to return to Aleppo and work in his father’s workshop.

To be able to come back to his main work, he sold his car after it was hit by a shell in order to buy the necessary tools that he needed the most because the father’s equipment was too old and needed lots of repairs.

After years of sacrificing for the sake of his family, it is time for him to get the support he needs, which will improve George's working conditions and ensure him a better income.

My parents raised me with love and cared for me. Now it is my turn to care for them.

Eugenie, is 34 years old, a married women who works in nails care and as a makeup artist to support her parents financially specifically her father; during the war he got shrapnel in his foot and thus cannot work in addition, helping her husband who works as a seller of car parts with a low income.

She said: “When I grew up, I would like to be a nail artist because I am very creative and have an artistic touch.” And we can see her success by the number of clients she has.

She started working in this field more than 10 years ago in a salon for a period of 6 years, and because of the low salary, and in order to gain her independence she decided to work from her home. In order to increase her income, she learned how to make eyebrow tattoos because of their high demand. She started buying her own equipment over time, and set aside a room to receive her clients in.

Because of the frequent use of the tools that she has, they are now outdated and worn out.

Now, after getting the required equipment and tools through this initiative, Eugenie will have the chance to increase her income and enhance her family’s living situation. 

Mouhib 45 years old lives with his two children and his mother, as he had to move to live in his parents' house since the beginning of the war, after the destruction of the Sheikh Maqsoud area.

He started working in the profession of blacksmith when he was young. He learned this profession through one of the workshops near his house, after he gained some experience, he was able to rent a workshop for 10 years, later he bought his own workshop in the ​​Sheikh Maqsoud area and worked in it for three years until it became impossible to enter that area.

After losing his job, and to secure an income for the family, he learned the profession of repairing diesel generators of shops and houses with simple tools that he used to borrow from his friends, and he became well known.

In 2019, after the hostilities ended, Mouhib went to see his shop and discovered that it had been completely looted and needed restoration. Fortunately, the local church helped him in the restoration process, and he set out to work again with greater determination. Currently, thanks to the donors, Mouhib was able to return to blacksmith. He settled in his shop again, hoping to secure a better future for his children.

Hanna is the only provider for his wife, their two children, Maya and Fadi, as well as his elderly mother.

He has more than 35 years of experience as a floor tiler, which he has gained through hard work between Homs' urban center and its rural outposts.

Hanna had most of the essential equipment, but he needed some additional tools to improve his work since he was forced to stop working for four years during the war and spent all the family's savings to cover their needs. Later, he couldn’t afford to buy them, taking into consideration the economic situation in the country and the financial obligations of living that are growing continuously.

Hanna's productivity will increase now that he has everything he needs, especially the electric generator, in addition to the electric bike, which will allow him to save on the daily expenses he used to pay for transportation costs.

Samer fought cancer bravely after a painful battle in 2019 and resumed working in his profession as a floor tiler. He lives with his wife Ragheda who is, unfortunately, suffering from cancer too, in addition to their two sons Asaad (18 years old) and Ronny (14 years old). 

In 2012, Samer lost all of his equipment and in order to provide for his family, he started to buy used tools each time he had the chance, but they became worn out over years and negatively affected his work, however, what made things harder for him was not having an electric generator that is necessary for his work. At the same time, he couldn't afford to buy new equipment being the sole breadwinner for his family.

Samer applied for new equipment and an electric generator to improve his business productivity, which will enhance his income and allow him to ensure a better life for his family. 

Elias is a young man who was compelled by the cruelties of life to abandon his childhood and school to support his family when his father was diagnosed with a psychological disease.

The 11-year-old boy was forced to find a way to support his parents and sister; his mother used to be a seamstress, but she was sadly diagnosed with cancer, which stopped her from working, since her profession was tiring and she underwent a critical surgery.

Elias found that the best solution was to learn his uncle's profession; he stayed for 2 years in a village near Homs where his uncle lived and worked with him in his car repairing workshop.

Being the only son, he returned to the city of Homs to take care of his family, which counts on him; Elias had one goal that he focused on throughout the years, which was ensuring his family a decent income. 

He moved between many workshops and traveled to Lebanon to acquire the needed skills, which helped him a lot, but again, he couldn’t leave his family for a long time.

The difficult financial situation was the obstacle that stopped him from launching his own project; he worked for a workshop in Fairouza village, and his sister Mary left her university to work and support him. The Micro Projects Program was a great chance to take his first step, which will allow him to support his family. 

Elias's heart was full of hope that this project would be the light in his family's life and the way to improve their living conditions.

Antoinette played the roles of both a father and a mother for her children and carried the entire burdens by herself.

Her husband died after 11 years of suffering from cancer and kidney failure; she is the mother of two children, a boy named Rami, who is 14 years old, and a girl named Naya, who is 15.

She worked as a cleaner on a farm in order to provide for her children's needs and secure a place for them to live when they were forced to leave their home in Wadi Al-Sayed neighborhood due to the war in 2012, and everything she did was in an effort to ensure that her little family lived a decent life. Antoinette took care of the farm for eight years until its owner sold it, posing a new challenge for the mother and her two children.

However, being a strong woman, she didn't give up and moved with Naya and Rami to a rented apartment in Fairouza village, where she worked in the preparation and sale of homemade meals, and later, with the aid of her brother, she was able to rent a small shop and open a modest mini-market, providing for her and her family with a source of livelihood.

Inflation had a bad influence on Antoinette's mini-market, and sadly, her brother, who used to assist her, is now battling cancer.

The Micro Projects Program gave this hard-working woman new hope for the future by giving her the necessary support to revive her project.

Ghada is a strong lady who bravely faced the hardships of life on her own after losing her husband, who was her only family. She overcame throat cancer and went through a long treatment journey.

She has worked as a seamstress for more than 40 years, and thankfully, when her health began to gradually improve, she was able to resume her work. Also, for 29 years prior to her retirement in 2011, Ghada worked as a school bus assistant.

However, she wasn’t spared the calamities of the devastating war, and her house was destroyed in Bab Al-Sebaa neighborhood. Today, she lives in a small rented apartment and relies on her simple pension, in addition to sewing for a living, but the bad situation of electricity decreased her productivity and sometimes, she had to borrow her relative's manual machine to finish on time.

Helping her to solve this problem by providing the suitable batteries guaranteed the continuity of her main source of livelihood and ensured this woman, who has always depended on herself, a life of dignity.

Simon's story with this profession began back in 2000, when he learned all about sewing from his wife Amal, converted a room of their house into a workshop, and worked for more than 20 years.

The couple were specialists in producing women's pants, and their small business was flourishing, which allowed them to ensure a decent living for their family, which consists of two children and Simon's mother, who lives with them.

The simple workshop was impacted by the war, particularly the economic crisis and the severe lack of electricity, which hampered productivity for the past three years.

Simon and Amal were left with no choice but to switch to a different energy source in order to save their project, and for the family providers, who barely had enough money to cover the necessities, that was almost impossible. 

With this initiative, Simon managed to buy sewing machines powered by batteries, which will guarantee sustainable work and a better income for the family.

Since he was young, Nader tried all the fields of construction work but the main profession that he loved and mastered was renovating old houses, in addition to his special skills in decorating and stone carving. 

In 2011, he had to leave his house in Homs due to the vicious war and moved to "Mashta Al Hilu" town where he continued working with other craftsmen despite all the difficulties, 2014 was the year when he managed to return home; unfortunately, his house was damaged and he didn’t find most of his equipment, which forced him to work for others. 

Nader lost his chance of working independently after losing his equipment and being the sole provider for his wife and their two lovely daughters, he was in real need to improve his work conditions and income, especially since he has all the required experience to achieve complicated work. 

With more than 20 years of hard work, Nader deserves all the support to go forward and develop his work.

When things got tougher, Mounzer, who is the only provider for his wife and their three children, had to find additional sources of income to guarantee that all of their needs would be met and that his kids would have a proper education.

The hardworking man works as a government employee besides working in the field of floor grinding and polishing, which has been his main occupation since 1991. 

Before the disastrous war began and had a negative impact on everything, Mounzer's work was thriving and everything was going well. He lost all of his equipment in 2013, and in order to support his family, he worked as a wall painter until he was able to save up enough money to purchase a new grinding and polishing machine, which allowed him to restart his business. 

Yet, the majority of the craftsmen who largely rely on the availability of electricity have found it to be a tremendous challenge. 

Equipping Mounzer with an electric generator will improve his income and alleviate the financial burdens of renting one, resulting in a better  livelihood conditions for him and his lovely family.

Sami has been working in the construction field for 25 years and this is his source to provide for his wife and their three children. His older son Jalal went for his mandatory military service, his daughter Jackie repairs dresses to cover her own expenses, while Elie, the youngest is a school student in the 7th grade.

During the chaotic situation of the war, Sami lost his equipment that was stolen twice and suffered a lot to compensate for a part of his loss. As the provider for a family of five, he thought of increasing his income, which became hardly enough for the essential needs and since his main work is building concrete blocks, he wanted to add the service of lifting blocks at the construction site, but securing the requirements for this process, especially the mini-winch was difficult due to the severe inflation, and in order to buy the equipment, Sami would have to borrow money and fall into debts.

The Micro Projects Program was his last hope to develop his work and ensure a decent living. Today, Sami's work opportunities will be doubled after having the needed equipment, and he will be able to guarantee a dignified life for his family. 

John had always been the man of the house. With a great reputation and skills, He had built a successful aluminum workshop with all the equipment needed, but tragedy struck in 2011 when he lost everything, leaving him with huge losses, he could never recover any time soon. 

Devastated and unsure of what to do, he decided to travel to Lebanon in hopes to provide a better life for his family. Unfortunately, financial issues prevented him from making a living and he ultimately had to return to his home country with nothing left to start over with.

When he arrived back in Syria, he had no place to go. He had sold all his furniture to pay for his travel expenses and was forced to live with his wife and two kids in a small, poor room since 2012. Determined to provide for his family, he learned how to build graves to make a living and worked with his career as much as he could. However, he didn't have any tools or a proper place to work, making it challenging to progress further.

Despite the harsh living conditions, John's children remained resilient and focused on their studies. They were emotionally and socially damaged by the environment they had to grow up in but refused to let it hold them back from accomplishing their goals.

Just when John thought he could never overcome his unfortunate circumstances, he received a life-changing opportunity. He was funded by the micro-project in Damascus with all the tools he needed to start a new workshop. Finally, he had a chance to reclaim his life and provide a better life for his family.

John, his wife, and his children all worked together to survive. With determination and hard work, they were able to pass the years living in very bad conditions. While they may have faced unimaginable hardships, they refused to let their situation define them and instead focused on building a better future for themselves as a family.

Diab had always been a hard-working man. He supports his parents not just his small family. It is his duty to take care of them after all they had done for him growing up. He is a loving husband and father of two children, but life had not been kind to him; he lost his parents’ house in Maaloula by a mortar shell, leaving them with nothing but clothes on their backs.

Diab had heart issues and asthma, which made it difficult for him to work in stressful situations. But he had no choice, he had to support his family. Before the war, he used to work as a sales representative, traveling between cities. But he had to quit his job with the danger on the roads.

He then started working as a private driver for a businessman. It was not the safest job, but it paid well. However, when the war intensified, the businessman stopped traveling, leaving Diab without a job once again.

He had no prospects and started working as a rented taxi driver. It wasn't ideal as he had to pay most of his profits to the taxi owner, but it was the only job that suit his driving experience and health situation. He would often work long hours just to bring home food.

With the support of the Micro-project in Damascus. He was funded with a taxi that changed his life forever. He was able to provide a better life for his family and parents. He could finally breathe easy knowing that he could support those he loved.

Diab's story is a tale of resilience and determination. Despite the circumstances, he never gave up. He worked hard and took every opportunity. He is a true hero, providing for his family even in the hardest of times.

Nabil was a man who had experienced both hard work and tough times. He lived in a small three-room house with his wife and children, but they could only afford to use two of the rooms. The third room had been rented out to help make ends meet.

Nabil's son knew the necessity of contributing to the household income, so he dropped school to work and help his family. He also had two daughters in college. One of his daughters used to tutor to make extra money to ease the financial burden on the family. However, she had to stop due to surgery in her ear, and the family couldn't afford to provide the additional medical assistance required.

Nabil's wife worked as a government employee, which helped ease some financial pressure, but it was still not enough. Nabil had been an employee for over 15 years, but after he retired, he couldn't work due to his poor health. He had high blood pressure, heart, kidney, and nerve issues, poor vision, and diabetes, which limited his employment options, and cost him a lot of money for daily treatment.

Determined to support the family, micro-project Damascus funded him with a mini-market, which he will operate from the rented room in their house. Although his health is declining, Nabil's son has some experience working in retail, and he will help his father. Together, they will set up the mini-market, to become a source of income for the family.

Despite their hardships, Nabil and his family believed in the power of family and resilience. They pulled together to overcome the obstacles they faced each day and celebrated every hard-earned success that came their way.

Nasim was a professional house painter for 10 years before everything started going downhill, which forced him to change careers. He started working with motorcycles alongside his father in his hometown.

Regrettably, financial issues led to the retrograde of the family business and relationship, which forced Nasim to leave his job and his hometown and move to Damascus with his wife and kids to start a new life. He rented a small room until he could find an affordable place for his family to stay. But as soon as he arrived the rents started getting way higher, and he ended up moving to his in-laws’ small house to keep a roof on his family's head.

With no tools or good opportunities to support his family, Nasim took up a job in a supermarket. It was not enough, but it was the only option available to him at the time. In the afternoon he fixes motorcycles as a side job to make more money.

Nasim's luck took a turn for the better when he heard about the Micro-project program in Damascus. If he could obtain the tools he needed, he would start his own business and provide the life he yearned for his family.

He applied for the program and was accepted. He was overjoyed when he received his tools and started working tirelessly on plans to start his own business. Owning the tools gave Nasim the break he needed. With sheer grit and determination, he started his own motorcycle repair shop. 

Nasim's journey was not easy, but he persevered with his dreams and family in mind. He is a testament that with tenacity and a little help, anyone can turn their life around.

Samir was a man who had seen too much of the world's cruelty. He lived with his father and sister in his grandparents' house, which was a safe haven for his family. However, life was not easy for them; his father suffered from heart disease, and his sister had stomach cancer, which needed regular treatment.

Samir used to work as a tourist guide, which helped him earn enough to support his family's needs. He was fluent in four languages and volunteered as a special needs guide. However, his life changed when he had to serve in the army for nine years. During his service, Samir was surrounded by danger in one of the most critical areas. His family's lives were at risk, and he had to move them to a safer location.

The trauma left Samir with communication problems, which affected his ability to work. When he finished his service, he found himself jobless. He worked in a small restaurant owned by his friend to make ends meet. With time, he learned the skills necessary to run and manage a restaurant in a different area.

Samir's hard work paid off, and he was funded by the micro-project in Damascus with all the equipment and tools he needed to open his own small restaurant. He is determined to provide for his family and make a better future for them

Despite Samir’s hardships, he never lost sight of his goals. His determination paid off, and he is managing to make a better life for his family. Samir's story is a testament for the power of hard work and perseverance.

Maher Morany has always been trying to work hard and provide his family with a decent living but life was never easy for him and he went through many hard days that exhausted him and led to his deteriorating financial situation.

Maher is 43 years old, married to Mary Bahho and they have two kids, Rojeh and Ghazal.

After their son’s birth in 2007, Maher and his wife decided to start their own sewing workshop at their modest house in Kashkoul, where they could work and support each other to secure their obligations and expenses. They were able to manage their work and started to have many customers in the area but unfortunately, after the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, Maher was called for reserve military service which affected their job greatly because his wife couldn’t handle all the house and work responsibilities alone.

During that period, his son Rojeh was diagnosed of having growth hormone deficiency due to hypothyroidism and needs needles and vitamins daily which overloaded Maher with extra expenditures and loans because he wasn’t able to secure the treatment for his son and he had to ask the church’s support.

However, in 2019, Maher was discharged from the military service and he wanted to get his work back but the sewing machines were broken in addition to the terrible electricity situation in the area. 

he needed a lot of funding to restore his job which he couldn't secure so he started working at a laundry shop in the morning and at the sewing workshop in the evening trying his best to afford the daily living demands.

Through the Micro project program, Maher was supported with new sewing machines, an electricity generator, and all the tools and equipment that will enable him to have the sewing workshop and with the help of his wife to have a sustainable source of income and improve their living conditions

Dany Qarrout, 34, graduated from the Electrical Engineering Institute in 2009 and started working in the field of camera installation and maintenance but unfortunately, he lost his job after the war outbreak because he was called for military service in 2012.

Dany spent 9 sever years at the service, during which he survived constant dangers, and ended with a serious injury in the back after an armed attack, he was discharged in 2021 to find himself starting from scratch and responsible for his old parents’ expenses at the village.

He started working as a maintenance engineer at a printing machines factory and after a short period, he was able to handle all the maintenance work for the factory and other factories. He realized that he could have his own industry line with the help of his employers because he was the only one in the area who had such an experience but this project needed a lot of money to be established and he wasn’t able to afford such amount especially since he got married a few months ago and became responsible for his family and his parents at the same time.

With the help of Hope center, Dany was able to start his own production line workshop and he chose to open his project in the industrial area of Erbeen to be close to the factories so he could have customers and improve his work in a short period.

Milad Dawood is a 36-year-old man, married to Laura Toma, and has a son named Eliea, born in 2011, the family lives in a small two-rooms flat in Kashkoul, Damascus countryside.

He was born into a modest family and since he became an adult he had to work and support his parents with the living expenses. The hardworking man was able to handle the house obligations and save some money to get married and start his own project in selling eggs in 2010.

However, a year after he was exposed to fraud by his worker who stole all the products from the shop which made Milad lose all that he worked for in the previous years. Yet, he didn't hesitate to overcome this incident and returned to work as a pickup driver, delivering products to the shops until the beginning of the war when he was called for military service in 2012.

his service was in the most dangerous places and soon after he was exposed to shooting; the bullet penetrated his body from his stomach to his back. his condition was critical and he had to go under treatment but he was kept in service until his discharge in 2022.

Milad returned to his family in a difficult psychological situation and started to do freelance jobs to secure the livelihood demands but his financial conditions were very bad which forced his wife to take their son and live with her parents until he could manage the living expenses again which was a devastating point in Milad's life because all he was dreaming about in his ten-year service was to go back to his family and make up for his absence years from his son's life.

Milad visited the micro-project office in Damascus and applied for the pickup car looking for any ray of hope to achieve his dream of having his life back.

Indeed, he deserved this chance because he was a self-made man seeking for a chance to work, restore his dignity, and reunite his family.

Anton tried to overcome all obstacles to provide his wife and kids with his care and love and worked hard to secure them a decent living. 

the 43-years-old man is married to Diana Shamoun and they have two kids Elias born in 2005, and Polin born in 2009, the family live in a rented small flat in Jaramana, Damascus suburbs, under very bad circumstances.

Many years ago, Anton started to work as a valet parking at a hotel until the start of the crisis as he had to move to a safer area but with a lower salary because of the security conditions.

In 2013, his wife Diana was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo surgery and long treatment sessions which affected their psychological and financial conditions especially since Anton had to work for more than twelve hours daily far from his house and family. However, Anton was still unable to match his income with the increasing costs of living so he decided to quit his job and with the money he saved, he started his own Mini-market in Jaramana trying his best to secure a better living for his family.

Anton's shop was poor in materials and equipment because he started it with a little amount of money which made its income lower than other shops.

Supporting Anton with the necessary equipment and proper amount of goods and products was a strong push for his project hoping to enable him of having a better and sustainable income to improve his living conditions.

George Shamma is 30 years old, living with his mother in a modest rented flat in Al-Dwalaa area but before the war, he used to live with his parents and seven siblings in Daria town in the countryside of Damascus in peace and security. 

When he was seventeen, he started working with his father at his carpentry workshop in order to support him and learn the profession. George was full of hope and energy, trying to establish a career for his future but unfortunately, with the war outbreak in 2011, he was called for military service, and for the next nine years he had to serve in the most intense conflict areas, Daraa and Alqaboun.

During that period, George has been through many difficult incidents that affected his life, but the most painful one was in 2012 when the family was gathering to celebrate his brother’s wedding in Daria, his father was exposed to sniping that led to his immediate death and the wedding turned into a Funeral.

This devastating incident affected the whole family especially since soon after, the armed groups entered the area forcing George and his family to be displaced from their house and they were informed later that their house and his father’s workshop were completely destroyed.

Those terrible losses led to spreading the family members on many parts of the country and George ended up alone with his old mother putting him under great responsibility since he became the breadwinner of the house.

However, after his discharge in 2019, George started to work as a taxi driver because he couldn’t learn any profession during the years of service but the taxi rent was very expensive and his income was barely matching the high costs of living.

With the help of Hope center, George was able to purchase his own taxi which will enable him to be independent and have a sustainable source of income to secure his future.

life is based on the fight for survival, especially in a country that witnessed ten years of a brutal war that drained every opportunity of decent living. Fadi Albadeen is one of those fighters who went through many hardships in his life and kept his strong faith.

He is 29 years old and lives with his parents and his brother’s family in Kashkoul area in Damascus.

In 2008, Fadi started working at a hairdressing salon at a very young age in order to support himself and help his parents with the living expenses as they were living in poor financial conditions. He learned about this career and became good at it and was dreaming to establish his own salon, but in 2013 after about two years of the war outbreak, he was called to serve in the military service which made him lose his job.

Fadi stayed in the service for nine years, during which his family went through many incidents as his father had a car accident that caused him three fractions and made him disabled from doing any job and his brother was shot in his hand which caused the amputation of his fingers, and Fadi himself was hurt greatly due to his severe service which made him undergo critical back surgery.

Fadi was discharged from military service in 2022 and he didn’t hesitate to start working at a hairdressing salon to handle the living expenses but the salary was very low and didn’t match the increasing costs of living especially since he was responsible for his family and his brother’s family because his brother is at the military service in Edleb city.

Fadi found his way to the micro-project office in Damascus where he applied for a hairdressing salon and was funded with all the equipment and tools needed to start his project hoping that he will be independent and have a proper income to secure a decent living for him and his family.