Strangers had the unity of a situation: displacement, escaping death, loss and suffering. The village of Um Arquila, in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, was the same as other villages in the same area who had suffered from all above.
Ms. R, 33 years old is a mother of five children, she moved away and then returned after 3 years to live in a mud room at her husband's relatives.
Ms. Kh, a 50-year-old woman. She has six daughters who, after her husband's death, returned to live in her mostly demolished home, working on a small fare to support herself and her children and keep them in school.
Ms. H, 40, has seven children, and lost her husband during the war.
This is the case of women who live in a simple rural society, their largest concern is their homes and their families. But, after their return, the village was no longer the one they used to live in. The people changed and the faces are different. The war ended, but it destroyed most of their homes and loved ones. The destruction of most homes and people is burdened by economic and social difficulties because of the arrival of new families who they do not know.
Mr. S, who is five decades, who lives with his 10 children and his wife. His neighbor, Mr. E lives with his wife and eleven children, two of whom have a disability who can cope, except with the presence of a breadwinner, which requires sufficient money for attention and care.
As part of its role in supporting the material resources, the Syrian Society for Social Development went to the eastern countryside of Aleppo where these and other people were monitored and nominated for a small grant. Taking into consideration the most needed ones. They were given a course in project management for three days and after the approval of the projects, which were about sheep keeping , in view of the nature of the pastoral area and its rapid material return, the beneficiaries received their own sheep and feed.
Day after day, the beneficiaries continue their projects carefully and take care of the sheep without any difficulties, because the region helps them to do so and because of their great knowledge in this area.
Beneficiaries are more able to secure their needs, take care of their children, bring them back to school, maintain their homes and keep their livelihoods and access to resources that will give them a new hope of a decent life.
The village also had its share of the projects. providing the people with sheep products, which is considered a main food after these products did not exist due to poor material conditions for all the villagers, which encouraged some people to return to their places of residence in the village.

Mrs. S was predestined to become a widowed breadwinner for her 6 children at the age of 35. Her husband passed away because of the events that took place in Sheikh Ahmed village in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, leaving her burdened with greater responsibilities, especially in light of the many displacements she and her children had to go through until they finally settled in Assafira village.

During the Syrian Society for Social Development’s visit to the eastern countryside of Aleppo to support the returnees to these villages, Mrs. S was elected as one of the candidates for a grant within the Small Business Grants project to restore her lost livelihood.

After Mrs. S completed the project management course with total success in terms of attendance and full commitment, she chose to begin a project in sheep raising. The reason behind her choice was the revenue such a project would bring her, the thing which would support her and help her meet life’s basic needs. Also, her children would be able to go back to school once they are back to their village.

Undoubtedly, SSSD purchased and provided all the grant’s requirements.

The smile was too apparent on Mrs. S’s face after she received the grant. Through a follow-up visit, she talked about the difference that happened in her life and the lives of her children, the smile of hope that came back to her and her feeling that there are still people interested in her and other marginalized people. Her joy in securing her children’s needs such as school supplies, food and clothes, was overwhelming. She was also able to build a sheep barn, buy hay and extra fodder from the milk sale surplus.

Mrs. S is now considering expanding her project by selling rams, buying ewes and securing fodder to ensure that her sheep keep increasing.

The importance of the livelihood programme in Mrs. S’s life was crystal clear, especially after her life perspective changed with her five children’s return to school following three years of parting in midst of the crisis.  Her children’s situation could have lasted even more due to the dire financial situation she was living in.

The biggest loss isn’t death, but rather what dies within us while we are still alive… Those were Maghout’s words to express pain greater than death itself. Maybe Mr. A was one of the people who related to these words, as he said that the pain of losing his job and house was much greater than death. He said that in that time, many things died in him: his impulsiveness, constant optimism and smile. He was more saddened to lose his job than his house.

Mr. A fled with his family of five from his hometown, Karam al-Jabal neighborhood, along with his two brothers and their families. Unfortunately, his brothers didn’t make it out alive. He was left with nothing. According to him, he left his home with his family with only what they were wearing. Other than taking away his brothers, house and job, the crisis deprived him of his son and caused him a leg injury that left him crippled.

Mr. A had to endure living outside his neighborhood for five long years. Once he got back to his neighborhood, home and work, he found nothing… His home was without furniture, and his butcher shop was stripped away from all its equipment. Mr. A said:” Believe me, I couldn’t even find ONE knife!!! There was absolutely nothing left!”

But all the darkness came to an end, when Mr. A was nominated for a small grant and then got it after attending the training course. The small grant which was offered by the Syrian Society for Social Development at Shams Community Center was a way for him to pull himself back up and return to work, whereby Mr. A was provided with the necessary equipment to start all over again (meat refrigerator, grinder, electronic scale, and aluminum table).

Mr. A began working three days after receiving the equipment. During his visit, he expressed his deep satisfaction and optimism about everything. This was clearly reflected by him saying: "Before I opened the shop, I was sleep-deprived and always worried. You know, now I can actually sleep again!"

Full of life, he started working again from morning till evening. His wounds from all the crisis’ loss and pain started healing.

Before he went back to work, all he did was sit in his empty shop, drink tea, and wait, not knowing what he was waiting for… perhaps he was waiting for Godot…

“I was waiting for a radish”, expressed Mr. A.

His income increased to thirty thousand SYP in the first month of work. This helped him secure the needs for his and his brothers’ families. Thus, hope knocked on his doors again. He did not fear what the future hides anymore, and expected an even higher increase in income from his work that will improve their life even more.

Apart from improving his situation, he served his neighborhood as well.

The life Mr. A once knew and lost seven years ago came back to him. He is back to being a butcher, and feels good about himself since he went from being a burden to an active member.

And so, hope returned to Mr. A’s life.

Mr. A is a 30-year-old married man with three kids, an elderly ill mother and a crippled brother. He was displaced from his home in Tariq al-Bab and lost his furniture workshop, which was his and his family’s main resource.  

Nevertheless, Mr. A didn’t give up, and tried working in several jobs that weren’t related to his main specialty. He was paid poorly, and could barely provide for his family.

Where he lived, Mr. A had a small coffee machine that he worked on in the bitter streets of Sha’ar, under the pouring rain and severe cold. He would rouse at 5 a.m. and work till the evening in a job he didn’t even like, and could barely afford something to eat. “I used to work in the streets till the evening; the hardest thing is to work in the streets”, he said.

Mr. A was spotted by the outreach volunteers in Sha’ar, and was nominated by SSSD for a training course on project management and writing a simplified economic feasibility within the Small Business Grants Programme. Afterwards, Mr. A was able to obtain the grant, and was provided with the necessary equipment to re-launch his previous work in furniture drilling.

Thus, he started to regain his work gradually and increase his income, which helped him pay all his debts, care for his family and secure their needs. Also, his smile came back to him, and he started taking care of himself and his appearance. Mr. A’s benefit didn’t stop at the SBG programme, whereby he enrolled his children at Shams Community Center to benefit from the programme, and his three children were followed up in the Mentoring Programme.

Not only did Mr. A benefit on the personal level, but he also became an active community member, as he participated in restoring damaged houses from the crisis in Sha’ar neighborhood and its surroundings.

The real change starts with individuals, and extends to whole communities. Mr. A’s story is a tangible example of the latter. Since new opportunities came knocking at Mr A’s doors, his smile didn’t leave his face anymore. His psychological sate improved, and was finally able to take care of himself and his family.