Waleed, a hardworking farmer from the village of Qattinah, faced some challenges in providing for his family. Besides cultivating his land, he worked as an employee to ensure an additional income for his household. His family consisted of his wife, Reem, a dedicated school teacher, his son, Antoun, who was in the eighth grade, and his daughter, Sarah, who was in the fifth grade.

His land was his pride and joy. He diligently cultivated various crops, including beans, fruit trees, and walnut trees. To aid in the process, he had a water well and a water pump installed, along with a drip irrigation network. However, plowing the land had become an increasing financial burden. Waleed was forced to rent a tractor, which strained his resources and caused him to reduce the frequency of plowing from three times to just once. Unfortunately, this had a detrimental effect on the land's productivity.

In attempt to find a solution, he applied to the Micro Projects Program, seeking assistance. Through the program, he was supported a mini-cultivator, a trailer, and various plant treatments. This machinery would revolutionize his farming practices. With the mini-cultivator and trailer, he could efficiently organize the plowing process, eliminating the need for expensive rentals. Moreover, the equipment would significantly improve production. Additionally, the plant treatments provided would save him costs associated with spraying the trees.

Waleed's spirits soared as he realized the positive impact these resources would have on his family's livelihood. The mini-cultivator would relieve his financial burden and enhance the land's productivity, ensuring a bountiful harvest for years to come. With his newfound tools and treatments, he could look forward to a brighter future, providing for his beloved wife and children while nurturing his beloved land.

Samih, a retired government employee and lifelong farmer from the village of Qattinah, is a devoted husband and father of two children. Living under one roof with his wife, children, and elderly mother-in-law, he has always worked tirelessly to provide for his family.

During the war, his once-prosperous land suffered greatly. The warehouses were destroyed, and all the trees were mercilessly cut down. Despite these setbacks, he remained resilient and determined to rebuild his farm.

With two plots of land situated just 500 meters apart, Samih started the restoration process. He began by planting young almond trees and vegetables on one portion, while the other half was divided between grapevines and crops like wheat and potatoes. To ensure proper irrigation, he relied on two water wells in one of the lands, while the other land was watered using hoses. He borrowed money to purchase a motor for the water sprayers, a crucial investment for his farming operations.

When he learned about the Micro Projects Program, he saw an opportunity to improve his irrigation system further. Realizing that he only had one line of water sprayers, he eagerly applied for assistance in the form of compost and additional water sprayers. The support provided by the program would undoubtedly enhance his production and bring him one step closer to reclaiming the prosperity he once enjoyed.

With unwavering determination and the newfound support from the Micro Projects Program, Samih continues to nurture his land, embracing the hope of a brighter future for his family and the flourishing farm they call home.

Rakan is a farmer from Qattinah village, who has faced a lot of challenges throughout his life. As the only son in his family, he has taken on the responsibility of providing for his parents and sister. From a young age, he embraced the life of a farmer, toiling tirelessly on the land.

However, his life took a devastating turn when their house, situated on the outskirts of the village, fell victim to the ravages of war. With their home destroyed, Rakan and his family were forced to seek refuge in his grandparents' house at the center of Qattinah village. It was a period of hardship and displacement, but they hoped for a brighter future.

In the midst of these difficulties, another challenge arose when Rakan was diagnosed with lymphoma. His resilience and determination were put to the test as he underwent a year and a half of radiation treatment. Against all odds, he emerged victorious, beating the disease and emerging stronger than ever.

Although his family's land was planted with wheat and potatoes, they lacked the necessary resources to maximize its potential. The land required additional support in the form of fertilizers and various vegetable seeds to enhance production. Furthermore, Rakan needed new water sprayers for irrigation, as the ones he had were stolen during the war. To improve plowing efficiency, he applied for a mini-cultivator, which would revolutionize his farming methods.

He turned to the Micro Projects Program for assistance, with the aid of fertilizers, seeds, water sprayers, and a mini-cultivator, Rakan's farming capabilities expanded exponentially.

With renewed hope and a renewed commitment to his passion, he embarked on a new chapter. The once-barren land flourished, yielding bountiful crops.

Through determination, unwavering perseverance, and the assistance of the Micro Projects Program, Rakan turned his dreams into reality, ensuring a brighter future not just for himself, but for generations to come.

Life had thrown several challenges in Rami's way, but he never lost hope. Living with his parents and sister, he worked diligently alongside his father in their plumbing requirements shop, a small business he joined in 2020.

However, their journey hadn't been without its share of hardships. In 2013, when conflict erupted in their city, their house found itself in the midst of the clashes. Forced to flee for their safety, the family had to leave their beloved home behind and seek refuge in a more secure neighborhood. They spent two years there, hoping for a day when they could return.

When the fighting subsided, Rami's family eagerly made their way back, only to find their home ravaged by bullets and shells. Despite the damage, they did their best to repair what they could, but their resources were limited. It was during this trying time that a local organization extended a helping hand, offering support and assistance to restore their house.

Although the family found solace in having a roof over their heads again, the economic consequences of the conflict had a lasting impact on their livelihood. The plumbing requirements shop remained their sole source of income, but the economic downturn had taken its toll. Rami and his father struggled to keep the shop stocked with goods, hindering their ability to generate sales and secure their future.

Rami took matters into his own hands. Determined to revitalize the business, he applied to the Micro Projects Program. He saw this as an opportunity to replenish the shop's inventory and improve sales.

With optimism in his heart, he awaited the outcome of his application. He knew that if he got this opportunity, he could breathe new life into the plumbing requirements shop. He dreamt of expanding their offerings, attracting more customers, and securing a brighter future for his family.

Regardless of the challenges they had faced, Rami remained resilient. His unwavering dedication to his family would serve as a beacon of hope, guiding them through the darkest of times.

When Kaleem finished studying at the electrical institute back in 2010, he decided to finish his mandatory service, which was supposed to last for two years. However, the vicious war started after only one year, and Kaleem was kept due to the unstable situation and wasn’t discharged until 2019!

At the same period, his home village Al-Dwair was attacked by armed groups; his family was displaced for six years and lost their house, livestock, and the agricultural equipment they had. 

Today, after the unfortunate death of the father, the family returned and Kaleem is living with his mother and three brothers, and they are doing their best, trying to compensate for a part of the losses. 

Kaleem lost nine years of his life and didn’t have a former experience in any field but in farming, and the land is his only way to have a sustainable source of livelihood.

He applied to the Micro Projects Program hoping to revive his agricultural activity and establish a good future.

Khalaf Al-Bshara, 51, is married to Shireen Qabalan and lives in a humble house with his parents in Al-Tabbaleh neighborhood.

Despite being a skilled painter since 2003, life had not been kind to Khalaf.

At the beginning of the crisis, his painting work decreased so he started working on transferring vegetables and fruits between his village in Daraa and Damascus until the security conflicts reached the area and it was no longer safe, but he decided to challenge the situation and keep working until he was exposed to kidnapping by the armed groups, the three days he stayed in abduction shattered his stability so he relocated to Damascus to live with his family at his parents’ house.

With opportunities scarce, Khalaf found himself shuttling between different jobs: painting, construction, and even restaurant cleaning, he opted to do any available work to put food on the table but his situation was getting worse and the weight of responsibility pressed down harder in addition to having financial hardships, all of that led his marriage to collapse, as his wife took his daughter and moved to live at her parents’ house while he had to put his son at an orphanage.

Tears welled in Khalaf's eyes as he spoke of his kids, his dream of reuniting his fractured family stirred a deep resolve within him, making him apply for the pick-up car with one goal ahead, the reunion of his family.

The support that he gained from Hope Center isn't just about financial assistance; it symbolizes the promise of reunification, healing fractured bonds, and restoring Khalaf's family. 

Samaan Ashkar, a blacksmith whose life tells the tale of resilience against all odds.

From his humble beginnings in Kashkoul, Samaan started working as a blacksmith where he faced numerous challenges, including financial constraints and the loss of his beloved family members, but Samaan's spirit remained unbroken.

In 2003, he decided to relocate to Dubai and try his luck there, he worked in various capacities and experienced both triumphs and tribulations. However, with all the setbacks and financial strains that he went through in Dubai, Samaan managed to preserve, handle his livelihood, and save for his future, then after several years of working hard, Samaan decided eventually to return to Syria and start a new chapter of his life. 

Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he had to endure the loss of his mother, brother, and sister, which left him heartbroken and in poor financial condition as he bore the burden of their medical expenses and funeral costs from his previous work savings. 

With the limited tools and resources, he had, Samaan was not able to start his own business; he had to work at other blacksmithing workshops to get income and afford his living expenses.

Samaan longed to become independent and have his own blacksmithing workshop, which was achieved after getting support from Hope Center to buy electricity generators and necessary equipment and machines.

Today, Samaan is so grateful because having this project marked a pivotal moment in his journey, enabling him to overcome his adversities, and lightening his path toward self-sufficiency and decent living.

Elias Al-Ghabra is one of the minorities who are still interested in preserving the family profession as he began working in the field of manufacturing convection ovens with his father at a young age in a rental workshop in Jaramana and continued in the filed alongside his study.

The main field of work is manufacturing thermal ovens based on gas after the electric ovens stopped being demanded due to the terrible electricity situation in the country, their work increased and they also started to receive ovens maintenance orders. 

In 2010 Elias was called for military service and the war began shortly after he joined, so he was transferred to serve in Al-Hasakah Governorate until 2019, during which he went through difficult circumstances and faced many dangers. However, on his vacations, he used to return home and help his father in the workshop.

However, as a result of the significant increase in prices in addition to his mother’s battle with cancer and her treatment in Al-Biruni Hospital, their business deteriorated and the expenses became higher than the income forcing them to sell some of the equipment to cover the mother’s treatment expenses.

After Elias was discharged from service in 2019, he returned to work with his father, but the remaining equipment and materials were not enough to strengthen the work and have a proper income to cover the living expenses.

With the help of Hope Center, Elias was supported to purchase new machines to enable this intrepid young man to expand his work which will positively impact his living circumstances and help preserve the family's profession.

Hanna Al-Ajoury 31, resides with his parents and brother Jack, their father, who was employed at the Gas station for 13 years but is currently without work. His brother works as an employee while their other brother, Marhaf, has relocated to Germany.

Before the war, he had worked at his cousin's beverage shop in Zabadani for two years until 2011 when he was called for military service for the next nine years. however, during his military service, he also worked alongside his father at the gas station, to secure his expenses and save some money for the future.

After his discharge from the service, Hanna embarked on a new journey in his life, as he started working as a taxi driver, with the money he saved from his previous work,  got engaged seeking to establish his own family but he was shocked by the huge burdens of living and his endeavors started to vanish.

Seeking assistance from Hope Center in Damascus, Hanna was granted support to purchase a taxi, which significantly improved his life. The newfound independence and stability brought by this taxi helped Hanna support his family and nurture his dreams.

Despite the challenges he faced, Hanna's story exemplifies the human spirit's ability to rise above adversity and create a better reality, one step at a time.

Anastasia Haddad born in 1998, was working diligently as a makeup artist and nail technician, living with her sister Taj in a rented flat in Jaramana after the divorce of her parents as they found solace in each other's company, forming a bond of strength amidst adversity.

Anastasia and Taj's childhood was marked by tumultuous family complications leaving scars that only time could heal. Yet, their determination to carve a brighter future fueled their aspirations and their talents blossomed despite all the challenges they faced.

Anastasia managed to overcome the obstacles by working long hours daily at a Salon in the neighborhood, but the income didn't cover the living expenses and she wanted to expand her work and customers which wasn’t possible with the tools she had, so she decided to apply at the Micro Project program to start her own project.

Supporting Anastasia with a make-up kit including all the necessary tools to start, was a turning point in her life because it enabled her to become independent and enhance her living condition.