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Jaramana - Athr Alfarasha

Recovery Of a Lost Childhood

One may go through circumstances such as war, ignorance, or even certain restricting customs and traditions, that can change the course of his life in an unplanned and unexpected way, leading to the deprivation of the most basic human rights, such as education.

Some are able to overcome these circumstances by having supportive parents that insist on getting an education, while others lack such support from their parents. In that case, there must be an alternative supporter, especially during childhood, where it is most needed. Thus, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) was that kind of supporter through its Educational Support Programme.


The 11-year-old child, SA, was one of the children affected by these circumstances. She lived with her poor family in an unfinished apartment in Daf al-Sakher, Jaramana.

Due to the unfortunate crisis, SA and her family had to flee four times between Rural Aleppo, Zamalka in Ghouta, Daraya_ where she lost her sister during the crisis_ and back to Aleppo, until they finally settled in Jaramana. This instability reflected negatively on the child’s psychological state.

She became introverted, shy, and unable to talk or participate in any activity because of the many disappointments encountered.
SA did not register for school due to the frequent displacements, as well as her parents' lack of awareness on the importance of education. During the ORV’s monitoring, they encountered the child, and introduced her to SSSD and its activities. Consequently, SA was referred to the Educational Support Programme (dropouts).


Throughout the programme, we worked on restoring the girl's confidence in herself and the surrounding community by involving her in the programme’s activities. She was thus able to read, write and learn just like the rest of her peers. As for now, SA is currently preparing to enroll in the Class B school education through the coordination between SSSD, the child’s parents and the school.


Eventually, we succeeded in integrating our once lost child into her community, where she could finally practice her scientific and practical life away from the specter of fear and ignorance.
Both SA and her parents expressed their gratitude for SSSD’s efforts by saying: "You have brought joy and the sweet childhood back to our beloved daughter’s life!"

 

I Found Myself

As one gets older, finding a job becomes harder than it already is! So, what would someone who had everything, and lost it in a blink of an eye do?
That is a question Mr. Kh R can answer.


Mr. Kh R is a 58-year-old man who was displaced along with his wife and family from Qalamoun, Fleitah.


He lost his house and workshop, and had to move to his in-law’s house in Jaramana, Rural Damascus.


After he knew of all the services provided by SSSSD from the ORV team, he went directly to the community center in Jaramana. There, he registered for a small project to sell electrical materials and tools. The project involved obtaining some tools and machinery that would enable him to carry out electrical repairs if requested.


Mr. Kh R underwent a training in Entrepreneurship, and was distinguished by his presence and active participation. His expertise was apparent when discussing electrical wiring, as well as other domains such as selling, buying and dealing with customers. He was then interviewed, and got the approval for his project, in the presence of the UNHCR Livelihood Officer and the Small Business Grants Programme Manager.


Upon a follow-up visit at the shop, the SSSD team was surprised to see that Mr. Kh R had bought some canned foods and cleaning tools, in order to expand the work and secure people’s needs at his neighbourhood.


During the visit, he said: “Ever since I opened this shop, I have been praying for you! I am receiving several extension workshops, as well as minor repairs occasionally. I also taught my wife how to sell and wrote down the items’ prices for her. As you can see, I bought some canned foods and cleaning tools in order to secure all my neighbourhood’s needs. I was also able to pay for my house’s rent. Most importantly, I stopped feeling like an old, incapable person not able to work or do anything.”


The feeling of incapability is more difficult incapability itself, as this horrible feeling prevents any person from practicing his daily routines. Therefore, one has to find himself, and constantly look for things that keep him an active member in society.

 

Radical Change

I left my home-town Jissreen with nothing but my family. Hence, I was a hopeless man…This was how Mr. H T began his story.


Mr. HT, a 39-year-old husband and father of a young daughter, left Jissreen with his family, only to find himself in a shelter. Once out, he found no other place to go to but his in-laws’ house in Jaramana, Rural Damascus.


From then on, he began searching for a job after he had lost his furniture upholstery and detailing workshop. He started working at a workshop, and helped in household expenses, including the rent, food, and supplies for his little girl.


Mr. H T’s wife, who used to attend Psychological Support Sessions at SSSD’s center and complain about her husband’s situation, introduced him to SSSD. Consequently, he was invited to SSSD’s center, and was referred to the Small Business Grants Programme by the Psychosocial Support case manager.
He underwent a training in Entrepreneurship, and symbolized the good, responsible, and perseverant human being. Once he was done with training, he was granted the project he presented.


Several months went by, and after several follow-up visits to his workshop, he told us that he had settled with his family in a separate house. He also told us that he had contracted with some engineers and was detailing furniture for restaurants and lounges.


“My life changed drastically! I went from being a hopeless man who had lost his workshop and house, to having my own workshop again. Now I am full of hope. I look forward to going back to my hometown, and rebuilding my destroyed house. My marital problems also came to an end after I was able to provide for my wife and daughter. Currently, I aspire to expand my workshop and increase my work.”
Thus, with his relentless pursuit of work and success, and with some financial support, Mr. H T changed his life radically in the most unexpected, unimaginable way.

 

Old-But-Gold: “You are our Blessing”

Older persons represent a bridge that connects our past with our future. They are our blessing and ultimate source of experience and learning.

From that concept, SSSD in cooperation with UNHCR implemented a celebration entitled “You are our Blessing” on the international day of older persons, within the Old-But-Old programme. The Psychosocial Support Team at Athar al Farasha Center, Jaramana - Farah Community Center, Adra Al-Amaleya - Al Karama for the Elderly, Damascus, organized the celebration.

A total of 243 beneficiaries of the elderly participated in the celebrations, which included many interesting activities _Damascene ‘Arada’, brief introduction on the international day of older persons, competitions, games, shadow theater, folk songs_ as well as the elderly’s participation in playing the lute and reciting poetry.

The celebration included the participation the Protection Club adolescents in a chorus activity, which included folk songs, and playing the lute and tambourine.

The beneficiaries’ interaction was huge, many of whom expressed their happiness to be present and celebrate, especially the elderly from the Home Care programme for the elderly. One of them said: “Thank you so much for remembering us, and for alleviating our loneliness… It has been such a long time since we last enjoyed ourselves and had a wonderful time!” Another beneficiary expressed with tears running down his cheeks:” You are our children… You made our day and made us rejoiced!”

 

I breath Freedom!

We sometimes definitely need a dose of strength to change the reality that obstructs realizing out ambition

Ms. N.W., 25, married with a 5-year-old daughter and displaced from Eastern Ghouta, Beit Nayem, lives with her family in a rented house in Rural Damascus, Jaramana.


During the tours of the outreach volunteers in the area, while introducing the local community to the services provided by SSSD, they met Ms. N.W. and had a chat with her. Crying out her need of support, as she was living, in her own words, “in an extremely stressful situation” due to her husband’s daily abuse, ORVs invited her to register at the community center to receive the appropriate service.


When she came to the CC and explained her situation, she was referred to the Psychosocial Support Programme. After taking part in the SSSD women’s sessions for a while, N.W. was referred to the PSS case-manager, as well as to the GBV case-manager, who, in turn, proposed that she gets a startup small business grant—a sewing workshop—, as this would be likely to empower her, make her self-reliant and, at once, relieve the terrible stress she was experiencing.


Upon her consent, Ms. N.W. attended an entrepreneurship course where she learned how to manage a project, handle an accounts book, etc. The woman expressed her sheer delight with “so much self-confidence” she gained from the course and fellow participants.


After the training, she was interviewed by the UNHCR and SSSD SSBG officers and her project proposal was accepted.


Not long after she had launched her small business, we made a follow-up visit to the workshop she had rented. During the visit, and through the conversation with her, the financial stability of the business was obvious. She told us that she was able to network with some school outfitters, so she could supply them with some of their needs in terms of modeling and sewing. She further said she was now able to secure a kindergarten premium for her daughter to learn and stay in a safe place during her working hours, which gave her inner comfort and peace.

In her own words,
“Whatever I say will fall short… I’m now able to depend on myself, be independent financially and morally, and therefore take the step of filing for divorce… I rented a house on my own. Work is good, and both my mother and I are working in the workshop. She also can buy the medicine for my sick father. This small business is like a weapon that made me stronger, more self-confident, so that I could change my circumstances for a more secure and stable life and, at the same time, help my parents…”

 

 

 

With a Needle and Thread, You Can Build a Home

Fatima and Aisha, nine-year-old twins, fled with their family from eastern rural Aleppo to Jaramana city in Damascus. They were stripped of all what they possess, including their education, safety, friends, and the foundations that provide the twins’ most basic rights, and were left with nothing but diffidence.
After the SSSD’s ORV team spotted the twins, they invited their parents to register at the Athr Alfarasha Community Center in Jaramana. There, the Child Protection case manager met with the parents and got more informed of Fatima and Aisha’s situation, who both suffered from deprivation. "Even though the school is for free, I can’t afford registering them.

I used to be a sewing teacher and had a shop, now I am incapable of even buying them a biscuit!”, said the father. 
The case manager held individual sessions with both children, as an essential step for a comprehensive and in-depth evaluation of their situation. She then developed an intervention plan tailored for the twins, in partnership with them and their father.

Fatima and her sister were accordingly integrated into the Mentoring Programme group, and referred to the Educational Department and the appropriate events and campaigns.

Also, both children will be enrolled in school as of the next academic year. Since Child Protection works in parallel with the child and his caregiver, the father was referred to the Small Business Grants Programme so that he could return to his sewing career, thereby ensuring the basic needs of his family, and especially his daughters.


After a period of Fatima and Aisha joining the activities, the facilitators noticed a significant improvement in their ability to discuss and express themselves. One of them expressed herself by saying:” Oh how I wish father had brought us to you way before.

When my sister and I come back home and hang our drawings or anything else we have made on the wall, we feel so proud of ourselves once we see our guests’ reactions and how impressed they are with our work.

Our joy is beyond words, we are so excited to go to school and carry backpacks like all the other children.”
Fatima and Aisha’s father finally got the approval for his project. He expressed his joy by saying:” I feel like a young boy reborn once again. My love for life and ambition both came back to me.

I became able to think about what I can give to my family. Everyone at home is laughing once again. Additionally, Fatima and Aisha got back the father they deserved: a supporting, strong, protective dad they had lost before.” 

 

People are no Longer Scared of me.. They like me

Alaa Mahmoud, a 10-year-old female child, suffering from Down syndrome, her 9-member family fled Sbenieh around 5 years ago and moved to Al-Mazarae neighborhood, Jaramana.


One of the mother’s friends who regularly attended sessions and activities at Athar Al-Farashah Community Center, attached to the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), introduced her to the center, particularly the groups targeting people with special needs.


Upon visiting the center, the mother was enrolled in the friendship groups, where she talked about Alaa’s stubbornness and her violence with her siblings. The staff gradually integrated Alaa in the children activities and with close follow up she was later enrolled in the Home-Based Rehabilitation Program (HBRP).


Upon evaluating Alaa’s condition, targets were set and a family plan convenient to the mother was developed and explained, as well as an individual plan. The mother was also provided with an individual target-activity chart.
Eventually hard work and close follow up paid off and Alaa was able to meet most of the targets:
1- Alaa let go of quarrel with her siblings and peers and is constantly working on improving her communication skills with others.
2- She is able to follow the directions of mind and physical games when playing with her peers.
3- She is capable of identifying geometric shapes, drawing squares and circles, and assembling small puzzles (5-10 pieces).
4- She is capable of differentiating numbers and letters and counting (ascending order).
5- She is capable of responding to questions starting with “what if” using the corresponding, proper verbs.
6- Her ability of understanding jokes and funny incidents was developed.
7- Her physical ability was developed: she knows how to play jump rope, how to hop, and how to balance on very tight surfaces.
8- She was trained to observe and appreciate the fascinating world of nature.
9- She now chooses her clothes on her own in response to the weather conditions. She also knows how to change water temperature while washing her hands and taking a shower.
The mother talked about the great relief her family felt due to Alaa’s substantial developments; behavior improvements, awareness development, better interaction at home and in groups.

 

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