Mr. B A, born in 1976, is the sole breadwinner of his wife, three children, mother and siblings. The family was displaced from Deir al-Zor, Mayadin, and currently resides in a rent at Ghweiran neighborhood.

Like so many Syrian families, Mr. B A and his family fled to al-Hassakeh without shelter or food. This led to the deterioration of their financial situation and exposure to psychological stress.

When one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers spotted Mr. B A, his life perspective changed positively. That was the moment where he could finally achieve his dreams with great determination.

To attain his dream, SSSSD helped him morally and offered him a course in Project Management that would help him manage his project__ a shop to repair motorbikes.

This project changed Mr. B A’s life, as its revenue helped him provide for his family and offer them a sense of moral and financial stability. He also established many social relations and acquaintances.

"The project changed my life radically and I no longer have concerns as before”, confirmed Mr. B A.

And so he continued living on the principle of success, that only comes through perseverance and determination.

Mrs. Kh H is a 42-year-old widow, mother of 10 and the sole breadwinner. She was displaced from Deir al-Zour and is currently living in a rented house along with her mother-in-law, and pays a rent of 15000 SYP per month. Like thousands of Syrian families, she fled with her family to a future that’s lacks shelter and financial stability. What made matters even worse was her health’s deterioration and exposure to psychological stress. Even though Mrs. Kh H tried very hard to improve her family’s situation, the greed of her employers stood in her way.

Mrs. Kh H was spotted by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, the thing that brought back her lost hope and changed her life. After she attended a course on Project Management offered by SSSD, her project was approved and she could finally follow her dreams in opening a sewing shop.

Mrs. Kh H’s project changed her life forever, as she was able to improve her family’s situation. This was confirmed by her as she said:” This project is a new beginning through which I can support my family and live independently.”

“Capability to Change” is the principle Mrs. Kh H adopted and embodies by SSSD.

Mrs. M was born in Qamishli in 1982. She’s divorced with three children__ two daughters and a son__ and lives with her parents and siblings in Corniche neighborhood in Qamishli. When Mrs. M attended Hear my Heart activities at Beit Alkell center in Qamishli, and through the Zahharat Baraami activity that revolved around how a mother should handle teenagers, she talked about her daughters and wept. When asked about what made her cry, she said:” I am far away from my kids because I divorced their father. I couldn’t live with him anymore and tolerate all his mental and physical abuse. The only reason I tolerated it a first was because of my children, so that people wouldn’t start talking and say they have a divorced mother. What made me incapable of putting up with him was the fact that my children became affected of seeing their mom beaten up… it just suffocated me!”

From talking to Mrs. M, it was apparent that she suffered from community pressure because of the prevailing view of divorce, especially that she got divorced after fifteen years of marriage. “People are merciless! They keep telling me I should have stayed with my husband for the sake of my children’s reputation. What’s putting me even more down is the fact that I became dependent on my family and without any independent revenue I can spend on myself”, expressed Mrs. M.

She was referred to the GBV programme, and said through the sessions that she tried to commit suicide because she was deprived of her children. She was also subjected to violence from her mother, who refused to receive her children as she considers them to carry their father’s name and are thus for him alone.

And so, she was guided to ask for her rights from her mother, so that she could bring her daughters and be treated right. After her needs were assessed, it was clear that she needed psychological support.

Consequently, she was referred to the Psychological Support programme, and was followed-up by a specialist who worked on her self-acceptance and self-confidence.

Also, after the GBV case manager followed up on her, she found that Mrs. M suffered from poverty and inability to provide for herself and her children. For that reason, she was enrolled in the Small Business Grants programme and got the approval of her project__ a small library__ in the neighborhood she resides in. this project helped her become an independent woman. It also empowered her, as she started fighting for her right to see her children, and brought them presents from her library once she saw them. “I don’t need anyone’s help anymore. I was able to buy my children clothes for Eid from the project’s revenue. I was overwhelmed when I saw the joy in their eyes when they visited me at my library, and I gave them stationary as a gift for them to go to school. My children are a piece of me, and I have every right to see them and hold them tight”, said Mrs. M.

And through I am More Beautiful activity, which includes one’s self-perception and confidence in his potential, Mrs. M recounted her entire story to all the women. She told them about how she used to feel__ weak and chained__ and how she felt after SSSD helped her__ more beautiful and stronger. She was proud of herself for being proud of her dignity, and screamed from the top pf her lungs:” Now I am starting to breathe…”

Mr. A H is a 56-year-old married man who lives at the military neighborhood near Shabo hospital. He is the sole breadwinner of his wife and nine children. Both he and his wife suffer from diabetes and hypertension. Mr. A H had a keys and locks manufacturing shop with an oriental touch, which was taken from him by ISIS.

Since then, Mr. A S headed towards a future without shelter, which led to the deterioration of his financial situation and psychological state.

Luckily, he was approached by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers. This was Mr. A H’s spark of hope and turning point for him and his family, as his dream project was approved. And so, the journey towards achieving his dreams began, and SSSD assisted him both financially and morally.

After a while, Mr. A H’s project__ a keys and locks manufacturing shop__ was launched. This project was life-changing and had a very positive effect on Mr. A H and his family, as they became able to provide for their basic needs and treat their illnesses.

“This project is a new beginning. The next step I took in life to get back on my feet again was thanks to SSSD”, confirmed Mr. A H.

Mr. Imad is a 56-year-old husband with five children- three sons and two daughters. His eldest son is a 5^th year medicine student, his first daughter a 2^nd year media student and his second daughter a 10^th grade student. As for his wife, she is unemployed, which makes him the sole breadwinner.

Like thousands of Syrian families, Mr. Imad suffered from the crisis’s negative impacts, namely poverty and psychological pressure since he has to provide for him family.

Through a friend of his, Mr. Imad heard that SSSD provides support to small projects. Consequently, he presented his project, which is a library to sell materials, stationery departments’ supplies/records/, since he’s a retired employee who worked in the financial system for control and inspection.

His psychological and financial situation went from very bad to notably well once his project was approved and he was able to offer his children all the help they needed to pursue their studies.

Mr. Imad was filled with gratitude towards SSSD and the UNHCR for their approval of his project, which helped him restore his children’s academic levels and support his family.

Hence, he said that there’s no life with despair, and shared with us his piece of wisdom by saying: "Instead of Giving me Wood, Provide me with the Rope to Carry it”.

Mrs. S A is a widow born in 1969 and residing in Rmeilan al-Basha village in rural al-Malkieh with her five sons and four daughters. She went back to her village which turned into a warzone during the crisis, only to find her home completely destroyed and her source of income (sheep raising) lost. This left her devastated as she couldn’t provide for her children anymore. Once she was spotted by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, she was offered the services provided by SSSD. There, Mrs. S A broke down and said with deep grief:” Everything dear to me was lost: my husband, my home… I have nothing left to help me and my children go on and stand on our feet.” She was later on accompanied to SSSD’s center and enrolled in a Small Business Management Course. After completing the course, she presented her project, which was sheep raising, and got the approval and funding after meeting with the UNHCR.

Today, Mrs. SA her project’s own sponsor with all seriousness and perseverance, hoping to find the opportunity to provide for her family’s needs without anyone’s help. She expressed her happiness during a visit by an ORV to follow up on her project, saying: "May God reward and protect you. You have supported me in my life’s weakest period. Today I have my own sheep to care for.”  

While each of us goes through a moment of weakness when losing something dear and precious, we could surpass all these difficulties with the right support and help.

Mr. M J is a father of five (three sons and two daughters) from Qamishli, born in 1960. He was displaced from Duma and is the sole breadwinner. He also supports his mother, and currently resides in Qaddour Beik neighborhood in Qamishli at a house one of his friends lent him.

He used to work at a fast food restaurant, until his health started deteriorating and had to undergo an open-heart operation, which led him to quit his job.

After Mr. M J came with one of his friends the center to ask about the services provided by SSSD, he attended the Old-But-Gold sessions and talked about how he lost his main profession (Shawarma Chef), and how he couldn’t afford going back to his job. Once the session ended, the facilitator referred him to the SBG staff for them to guide him through the needed procedures to apply for a small business. Later on, he was visited by one of the ORV team to assess his situation.

And so, Mr. M J attended the Project Management Course and excelled at it. Later on, he met with the UNHCR and was granted the necessary funding to start his own project. Mr. M J saw this project as a way to get back to his job and city. He became stable and was able to secure a decent life for his family.   

Mr. M J is now getting his project’s revenue and is still attending the men's sessions. In the last session, he expressed his gratitude to the association by saying: “As one gets older, he feels like a burden. When I became unemployed, I started feeling old and waited to die…. Your help brought me back to life and brought back the respect of my existence… with you, I feel that I exist and matter…”

Some roads may be blocked, leaving us no choice but to change our course… Once we get lost, we need a hand that reaches out to us and makes us feel safe to start all over again… Let us be that hand to them and their families.

Mrs. F A is a 37-year-old mother of three (two boys and a girl), and married to a missing husband because of the crisis, Mr. M F. she currently resides in al-Zallou village with no one to support her, and decided to search for a job or someone to help her after she lost her husband.

When she heard of the Syrian Society for Social Development in Banias from one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, Mrs. F A decided to register for a small business grant to support and improve her living conditions. After SSSD studies her situation, she was accepted and enrolled for a 6-day course in Small Business Management that would help her decide the most suitable project and manage it. She was thrilled to take the course, as this was the first course she has ever taken and learned so much from despite the short period.

After she was done with the course, she chose to open a shoe store as her project, where she prepared a room at her house. Her project was supported by SSSD in terms of providing her with materials (shelves, desks, chairs…) and a variety of shoes in various shapes and sizes as a starting point.

Opening a shoe store was a perfect idea as it was the only store in the village. Both the prices and turnout were acceptable, and villagers came from the first week to buy from her. In her third week, Mrs. F A quickly ran out of shoes and headed to Messiaf to buy new ones from the project’s income. When in Messiaf, she met a merchant through one of her acquaintances who helped her greatly.

And so, Mrs. F A set off her career. She explained joyfully how SSSD opened up new horizons for her that allowed her to become a distinguished woman in the village with a job to support her children.

Mr. A A is a 28-year-old man from Alton al-Jared village. He got married at the age of 26, and decided to move with his wife to Damascus. He rented a house in an old neighborhood and started working in a private company two shifts a day. During the first year of his marriage, he welcomed home his newborn baby girl. One day, when Mr. A A was on his way to work, a mortar fell near him and caused his right arm’s amputation, as well as burns and splinters all over his body. This led to his health’s deterioration, which resulted in losing his job and having no other choice but to go back to his village and live with his parents and brothers in a small house.

Mr. A A heard of SSSD from one of his relatives who benefited from the SBG programme at SSSD. Consequently, he decided to visit the center and register for a small project. After a while, an interview was conducted with the vocational training staff, and once it was ascertained that he was in need of a small project, he was introduced to a course in Project Management so that he could manage his own project__ sheep raising.

Ahmed pointed out that he chose this project because his family also raises sheep, so he can consult them and turn to them whenever he needed help, especially after his injuries. When following up on his project for 6 months, the extra attention and care for his sheep until they reached their production stage was clearly observed, where they were being taken care of 6 hours a day. Once the sheep entered the production stage, Mr. A A would sell the products in his village. He said he felt relieved and stable after he improved his situation. He also said that he would seek to expand his project from the profits made from selling sheep products.

Ahmed is currently building a small two-room house near his family's home for him and his wife to settle in.

Ms. R N is a 39-year-old widow and mother of three. Her husband passed away four and a half years ago due to the unfortunate crisis that hit our beloved country. She currently lives in Isqableh village in Rural Banias, and is the sole breadwinner for her children.

After Mrs. R N heard of the services provided by SSSD through one of her friends who underwent a handwork course at Baath Center in Jleity village, she came to Banyas Center and expressed her desire to register for a small project. Consequently, she was offered a 1-week course in Project Management. During the course, she was introduced to the criteria for successful projects, and the steps required that would enable her to succeed in the project she wanted to implement__ a linen shop in the village she lives in.

Once her project was approved and handed over, Mrs. R N felt like a woman in charge for the first time in her life. She did not hide her fear and said:” I hold the trust of three children, and carry SSSD’s gift, which is represented by their trust in me to help me bear my children’s daily costs and life burdens.”

Day after day, Mrs. R N led her shop just like a captain of a ship, selling and buying from the profits of the project new goods and introducing new types and materials that did not exist before, as was observed during the project’s follow-up.

She managed to make her own way into society to occupy a suitable place, and change the stereotype of the widowed woman to a creative woman. She also managed to cover the expenses of her children and enroll her young son in a private kindergarten.