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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.