With “small steps” and eyes gleaming with hope, the children filled the ceremonial halls in the governorates of Damascus, Sweida, Aleppo, Hama, Tartous, Homs and Hasakeh, where the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) is carrying out its activities. And with joyful voices, they sang the slogan of the Rights of the Child Campaign, which was carried out throughout November:
My rights are many,
but with one small step
I own myself…
and them in the process!
The campaign included a variety of activities targeting children, adolescents and caregivers. It aimed at raising awareness about the rights of the child and the importance of all children’s access to them, and was concluded with a number of events to celebrate World Children’s Day.
During the events, the children presented artistic performances that emphasized the rights of the child, provided for in the 1989 UN Convention, and highlighted the causes of children’s exposure to risks, such as child labor, school dropout and even delinquency. These causes include not only depriving the child of care in general and family care in particular, but also neglecting and marginalizing children during childhood and other growth stages, which negatively affects them, and then the community as a whole.
The children’s interaction with the events’ activities and artistic performances was truly remarkable. Making use of their various talents, they were able to convey the message to their peers, as well as to their parents, teachers and other groups that attended. The Small Steps Campaign and Events constituted a strong step towards achieving a safe and healthy childhood and a new space for children—provided by SSSD in cooperation with the UNHCR.

Al Sadiq program is one of the most important programs that support the youth skills. In addition, since meeting their interests, engaging them in the community center and achieving the UNHCR's approach in promoting social diversity are our priorities, The Syrian Society for Social Development – Nasij balad in partnership with UNHCR held a football tournament in which teams play to quality for the final match.
The league games included group escort sessions after each match in which some of the Al Sadiq values were introduced and dropped on their teams and practicing favorite hobby which is (Football) such as (cooperation) the acceptance of the other opinion and loss.
The final match was an event attended by approximately 125 person of children and residents of the neighborhood to encourage the two teams.
In conclusion, we crowned the first and second teams, awarded the league cup, gold and silver medals, presented a prize for the top scorer of the tournament and the best goalkeeper.

Education is a fundamental right of the child.A child begins to learn from the moment of birth through the special care and attention they receive from caregivers, who help to develop his/her mind. This stage is the cornerstone of transition to other stages.
The school is the most important of these stages: the child begins to explore the world around him, learn from his surroundings by integrating with other children and playing with them. He also learns the basics of writing, drawing and the arts, which enhances the growth of his mental abilities and the acquisition of the relevant skills to build one’s character.
The Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in cooperation with the UNHCR, organized at al-Salam CC, al-Hameh, a campaign that included several awareness-raising sessions on the importance of learning to the child as a basic right. This campaign was concluded on September 30, 2018, by an event reiterating the most important messages conveyed throughout the campaign.
The campaign aimed to stimulate the children’s desire to reintegrate schooling, specifically by building a relation with the school through a different kind of relationship between children and their teachers. This helps to change the child’s negative feelings towards school and ignite in them the desire to commit to it.
The school administration reported that SSSD was the first NGO to intervene in the school because of the geographical remoteness and the difficulty of access to it. One good reaction to the campaign was demonstrated in the explicit desire to organize similar campaigns by other schools of the area, whose principals contacted al-Salam CC for that purpose.

Every human being has an individual talent that distinguishes him from the rest of the people, through which he can build and strengthen his self-confidence, it raise his human dignity and his ethics. All we have to do is to discover, develop and support these talents. Therefore, the Syrian society or Social Development in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had "I am special" event in the city of Aleppo on 27 and 28 of July 2018 on the occasion of the International Day of Youth Skills, the event provided artistic, musical and singing talents and collected all the beneficiaries of the Syrian Society for Social Development.
The training of the beneficiaries began on sing, dancing, casting, presenting and playing together on various musical instruments.
After two months of training, a number of really good talents were selected, ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old.
The event included 250 presenter, 600 people from the children's parents and 30 varied performances. Children with disabilities participated in the performances, where they performed a number of dance and musical pieces.
The effect was positive on the children, where many of them said:
"this is my first time on a theater in front of people, and I am so very happy"
"I first discovered my talent with you, and then I worked to develop it"
"this is the first experience to me on the stage in front of my family, and I will continue to work on my talent"
"I thank SSSD team who helped us to discover our talents and develop our them"
"I now have confidence in myself, so that I stop in front of people face what I fear, and broke the barrier of shyness"
Many parents expressed their joy with their children and their talents, and that they will help their children develop and nurture their talents. The association will continue training for all children so that all children discover their talents , and then we will help them to strengthen an develop them.

How many children you know who engage in jobs totally unfit for their age and physical ability? Children who do jobs that deprive them of their basic rights, like playing and education? And the number of working children whom you don’t know is far greater than those you know!

SSSD conducted a survey at al-Hameh, Rural Damascus, on the number of working children, the nature of their work and the conditions they face at work. As a result, it turned that boys aged 12-17 are employed in workshops of a hazardous nature (carpentry, blacksmithing and car repair workshops). Their female peers, on the other hand, work in biscuit and cheese factories located in the area and other suburbs under overwhelming conditions (long working hours, low wages, cruelty and mistreatment). Children under 12 are less employed and most sell biscuits, socks or bread.

On the basis of this survey SSSD, in cooperation with UNHCR, organized the Too early to work! campaign, which aims to combat child labor and raise awareness about its dangers as well as about the importance of education as an inalienable right. The SSSD team carried out a series of activities at the Peace Community Center, al-Hameh (Rural Damascus), that were concluded on June 25, 2018, with the performance of songs and dances, a video projection, poetry recitation, discussion and dialogue. The children of the Peace Center, in cooperation with the children of the Child Protection Club, themselves from al-Hameh district, were the performers, since SSSD has a firm belief that community must inevitably address its own challenges.

The event was attended by 178 beneficiaries of both genders and different age groups and met with high appreciation by the community, which was obvious in the audience’s interaction throughout the whole performance. “I was deeply moved by the sad child’s expression when deprived of playing with his companions because of work,” said a mother. “To the point that I even cried for fear that my son would be exposed to such terrible stress.”

“In order for the flower to bloom, it must grow under sunshine and be given all possible care. Our children are like flowers. They need so much love and care to exercise their rights properly. We mustn’t let child labor take away their childhood.”
On June 20, the world at large celebrates the World Day Against Child Labor to emphasize the importance of social protection in keeping children away from work. With SSSD’s commitment to raise awareness about CP-related risks, an event was organized, in cooperation with UNICEF, at the Dafa Center in Sett Zeinab, Rural Damascus. About 300 children and caregivers took part in the event in which the children attending awareness sessions during the past month performed songs and drama sketches carrying messages and key points to stimulate community discussion and dialogue on child labor.
The audience’s feedback heralded a new wave of hope to change the reality of child labor in this region.