In a tent they were gathered, naked and barefoot, an internally displaced family from Al Raqqa, a widow with her three kids, her sick mother, and aunt.
The outreach volunteers attached to the Syrian Society for Social development found the family exposed to burning sun in an empty space of land in Um Al Fursan Neighborhood, Al Qamishli City, and invited her to Beit Al Kel Community Center, where she was introduced to its services and programs.
The woman told SSSD team about the hardships she is facing, namely, harassment, kidnapping, and poor livelihood conditions, especially that her husband is a martyr and there is no one to provide for her.
She requested helping her out in a finding a job to put bread on the table and cover the basics of life for her and her family. Within a few days SSSD officer responsible for the start-up small business grants program handled and followed up on her case, nominating her to receive a grant to launch her business, women clothing shop.
The woman attended an entrepreneur training course to prepare her to run her own business and enter the market supported with skills and the know-how.
The trainer ranked her excellent and thus she was referred for an interview with the PIC from UNHCR and SSSD who assessed her calculation and customer care skills and approved giving her a grant to launch her shop.
Upon conducting several follow up visits, SSSD team was happy to see the radical livelihood improvements.
The woman became independent and resilient, rented a flat to protect her family, provided medicine for her sick mother, and enrolled her children in school to resume their education.
The woman said that the business grant was a turning point in her life and her family's, at which she was able to ascend from a chaotic life to an organized one. She confidently said, "When life pushes you down, fall forward. It is your responsibility to fight for your kids.
It is your responsibility to be their role-model." And she carried on, "A Harsh circumstance is never a choice; however, we have the choice to seize opportunities, we have the choice to believe in our capacity to masterfully invest in those opportunities."