Saeed loved working in carpentry since he was at a young age, and this job was more like a hobby to him, he mastered this profession without knowing that someday he is going to need it as a source of living.

Saeed is the sole provider for his family of five; his wife and three sons, he worked as an electrician since 1998 in his small workshop, and he did not expect that he will have to leave everything behind seeking safety in 2014 when he moved with his family to Lebanon and worked as a truck driver there in the port of Beirut.

The security situation in Lebanon started to get worse in 2017, which forced Saeed's family to go back home. luckily their house was not damaged a lot, but the bad news was that all the tools he used to work with had been stolen.

He immediately rented a workshop and started working by utilizing his skills in carpentry, and like all the craftsmen he was forced to rent a workshop, most of Saeed's income was being paid to the workshop owner which made his income insufficient to provide for his family. 

When Saeed had the support to purchase all the tools and machines needed he said: “this project will be my last hope to change my family’s life for the best”.

Syrians lives are no longer the same as they were before the war which had a major impact in all the aspects. As a result of this cruel war, Attiah lost his previous job as a maintenance technician because the company he was working for shut its doors in 2014, which forced him to find another livelihood source being the only provider for his family of three and his mother. 

He didn't want to stay without a job, and his experience in maintenance helped him to have a new start working as an electrician among clients' houses. His simple beginning encouraged him to continue and this job became his source of income. Currently, Attiah aspires to expand his work by opening an electrical maintenance shop so he could repair and sell electrical devices. This opportunity will be a push towards a better income and provide more stability and independence. 

Edward is a plumber who started working in this profession in 1984. He lives with his wife Reema and his daughter Sarah.

Like most craftsmen, his business was affected by the war but actually the post-war period was the hardest when his income dropped because he couldn’t afford buying new equipment that made him unable to provide some services, in addition to losing some good work-opportunities as he didn’t have an electricity generator.

Having new equipment will provide Edward with more work opportunities and will increase his income so that he can support his family and change their livelihood for the better. 

Nekoula is a plumber who lives with his only son Yazan and his sister Micheline and he is the only provider for the family. Plumbing has been Nekoula’s profession since 1990, during these years he managed to build a great reputation among the other craftsmen.

Unfortunately, the economic crisis affected his business a lot which made his income very low, and what caused him many losses were the frequent blackouts and the old equipment he had.

Having new equipment and tools especially the electricity generator will open up new business possibilities and ensure him and his little family a better livelihood. 

Shadia and Mariam were partners for ten years, they worked together in their sewing workshop in Karm Shamsham until the brutal war forced them to split up and close the workshop.

Shadia is a married woman and a mother of four; 3 daughters and a son, her husband works as a driver. She had to leave with her family their house in Karm Shamsham to a safer place so they rented an apartment after the loss of their house and a workshop too.

While Mariam is a single woman who had to live alone after the death of her father, who was her sole supporter and now she has to stand on her own.

Helping them to fulfill their dream of restarting the workshop together again will surely support the two families.

Thaer’s work life began in his village of Basir, where he worked the land and drove trucks for various employers, doing his best to provide for his family. This was not an easy task, as his life was marked by numerous challenges related to his children's health.  

His eldest son, Wajed, had to undergo surgery for varicose veins. The middle son, Zein, had a malignant tumor removed from his eye and requires annual check-ups. The youngest, Majed, has undergone multiple surgeries and needs ongoing special care.  

As a result, Thaer had to move with his family to Damascus to better address his children's health needs, especially Majed, whose condition required him to attend a special school.

Since moving to Damascus, Thaer has worked as a taxi driver, earning only a quarter of the daily profits while the rest went to the taxi owner. He also worked on a pick-up truck and took on electrical work, despite not being well-versed in the field, simply to make ends meet. His wife, Yara, also started working, and together they strive to provide for their children and cover the high medical expenses.

Thaer's financial and emotional burden was immense, and he often felt helpless. Determined to improve his situation, he applied for support from the Micro Projects Center, aiming to obtain his own taxi for a steady income and more stability.  

Fortunately, Thaer's request was approved, and he received support to purchase a taxi. This development has significantly improved his financial and mental state, giving him hope and a sense of relief. With this newfound stability, Thaer can now better support his family's needs and look forward to a more secure future.

Eleia Al-Khouri, 38, is married to Tareiz Zakhem, and they live with their newborn daughter, his mother, and sister in a small modest house in Jaramana. 

During wartime, Elias volunteered at the Social Defense from 2011 to 2016 in order to protect his neighborhood and worked as a driver for several employers in addition to working as a taxi driver from 2018 to 2021.

However, in 2012, his brother was serving military service in Homs when he was injured badly and suffered from paralysis in his leg as a result, making him unable to do any physical effort including work, due to this incident and after the decease of his father, Eleia became the primary provider for his mother, sister, and his family so he was doing his best to make ends meet. 

In 2021, he was employed at a detergent company as a driver alongside his war-injured brother, and both worked together in distributing products to markets but the meager salary they were taking affected their financial conditions so he started taking additional work, such as moving furniture, to provide for his family but the burden of debt and the reliance on assistance from relatives weigh heavily on him, making it difficult to secure even the basic necessities for his family. 

Despite the hardships, Eleia’s prayers were answered when the Hope Center provided him with the support needed to purchase a vehicle for distributing goods. This assistance marked a turning point in his life. For the first time, Eleia felt a sense of ownership and dignity. With renewed enthusiasm and commitment, he embarked on this new chapter, determined to improve his conditions and secure a better living for his family.

Raghad Makhoul's life had been a series of challenges, his father's absence loomed large over their modest household, while Raghad's mother, burdened by ailments, lived in the village and relied on medications to ease her pains.

Raghad has also gotten his share of war as during his military service that started in 2011, he found himself serving in the heart of chaos as Aleppo became under siege for many months. 

However, despite he survived that adversity, a fateful injury in 2014 caused his cornea irreparable damage and surgeons worked tirelessly to graft a new cornea onto his eye. It was a long and painful road to recovery, one that stretched until 2016, leaving Raghad physically and emotionally drained.

After his discharge, Raghad returned to Tartous and worked with his father in seaside restaurants but fate shocked him with another loss when his father succumbed to illness in 2022. With responsibilities weighing heavy on his shoulders, Raghad returned to Damascus, taking up any job available and trying his best to make ends meet.

Raghad found himself behind the wheel of a taxi, touring streets day and night to provide for himself and send whatever little he could spare to his mother and brother in the village, but he ended up working just to cover the high rent cost of the taxi.

With the help of Micro Project program, Raghad was supported to purchase a taxi and have stability in his income with all hope that this project will secure a decent living for himself and his family.

Amer's life took unexpected turns as he grew older and struggled to make ends meet for a family of nine; with seven children ranging from the oldest born in 2012 to the youngest born in 2021, the household expenses were solely dependent on Amer's income.

Before the war, Amer worked as a driver at a local factory, but as the conflict escalated and job opportunities dwindled, he was forced to explore alternative means of earning a livelihood. In 2012, he opened a grocery shop which became his source of income until 2021 when he was compelled to shut it down due to soaring rent prices, plunging the family into further financial distress.

Amer's wife, Georget, used to work as a cleaner at a Monastery but had to leave the job because of the responsibilities of caring for their growing family. 

Unfortunately, their situation became dire, with the family barely managing to afford one meal a day, supplemented by food donations from the local church three times a week.

Feeling the weight of his responsibilities as a husband and father, Amer sought a solution to lift his family out of poverty so he applied for the pick-up project at the Micro project center with the idea of transporting groceries and goods in addition to fulfilling delivery orders which was his only hope to provide a stable income for his family.

The approval of his project marked a turning point in Amer's life. For the first time, he felt a sense of independence and empowerment, knowing that he could now work to secure the needs of his family and was determined to improve his family's living conditions.

Rezq Allah Al-Hareth is part of a close-knit family, living in an old, modest house in Al-Dwalaa neighborhood. His family consists of his elderly mother and his sisters, Georgette and Maha. He also has a brother residing in their village and another working in Lebanon, while his father is deceased.

In 2009, Rezq Allah traveled to Lebanon to work in furniture making, splitting his time between Syria and Lebanon until 2011 when the economic situation in Lebanon forced him to return to Syria. Upon his return, the Syrian crisis began, and Rezq Allah's family suffered significant losses, including their house in the village, which was destroyed during the war forcing them all to relocate to Damascus.

In 2013, Rezq Allah began working at a second-hand furniture store, a job he held until 2016 when he was called to serve in the military. After his discharge in 2023, he had to start over from scratch, freelancing and taking any available job to support his family. The combined income of Rezq Allah and his siblings barely covered their daily expenses, making it difficult for him to achieve his dream of starting his own family.

Determined to secure a better future, Rezq Allah applied for support from the Micro Projects Center, hoping to get assistance for a taxi project. The support he received from the Hope Center provided him with the opportunity to purchase a taxi, promising a steadier and more substantial income. This new project has given Rezq Allah great hope for a stable future, allowing him to better provide for his family.