The Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees conducted awareness raising sessions about preventive measures against COVID-19 throughout its community centers and satellite centers in Aleppo City and its suburbs, under the umbrella of Hear-My-Heart Program.

The team targeted 40 women in Arabesque Community Center, Bab Al-Hadeed elaborating on the symptoms of the disease and how it spreads. They addressed the most important and common questions, such as:
How Do I protect myself against COVID-19?
Avoid touching surfaces and disinfect them. Avoid touching your face. Avoid social gatherings. Get rid of your tissue right after sneezing or coughing and you’d better cough and sneeze into your elbow.

When Should I wear a face mask?
Either when you show symptoms of the disease or look after someone showing symptoms.
Most common symptoms: cough, and difficulty breathing.

Who are the people at higher risk of getting infected?
People with immune deficiencies and older persons. There are recent cases of children, especially infants and babies.
The team also taught the women the correct way of wearing face masks (colored side outward) and the difference between both sides. Toward the end of the sessions, the team distributed hand sanitizers and encouraged the women to spread awareness among their households and social circle.

Concluding the sessions, the team asked the beneficiaries about their opinions of the sessions:
• “We were scared to death; however, learning about preventive measures gave us reassurance that we could protect ourselves and our beloved.”
• “I am a widow and the only provider for my family, I have to stand in queue to buy bread or sugar. The idea of COVID-19 pandemic made me panic; however, information is power, I know what to do: I should maintain social distancing, wear gloves and a face mask.”
Further, the team designated parts of Hear-My-Heart sessions in the rest of the community and satellite centers across Aleppo city and its suburbs to raise the awareness level about safety and preventive measures (personal hygiene, quit shaking hands, the correct way of washing hands and using hand sanitizers, and the correct way of disinfecting things and surfaces).

The women assured the team to pass the information to their families and showed high sense of responsibility during the session, they were very creative in greeting each other while maintaining social distancing: some of them bowed like Japanese people, while others waved their hands in funny ways.
In the same vein, the Syrian Family Planning Association volunteered to conduct awareness raising sessions in Mosaic Community Center, Ashrafiyyeh. The sessions targeted 24 women and 46 men.

Within the framework of raising awareness about COVID-19 and to be part of the worldwide campaign of “Stay at Home”, the team of the Syrian Society for Social Development distributed greeting cards and attached informative letters to women on Mother’s Day in Lamaet Dahab Center, Al Zahira, Damascus.

The beneficiaries of the protection, community services, and Hear-My-Heart programs received the cards and letters.

The awareness raising letters contained information and advice about the importance of personal hygiene, regular washing of hands and usage of sterilizers, as well as quitting consuming ready-made food from the market.

One of the women who received a letter commented, “All of us should stay at home to protect ourselves, our kids, and older persons.”

The team encouraged caregivers to share knowledge among their social circles, asked them to stay at home, and cautioned them to avoid gatherings to protect their health against infection.

The Syrian Society for Social Development worked on selecting a group of interacting women during the Hear-My-Heart programme sessions. The number of women selected was 15 from the local community, who expressed their desire for volunteer humanitarian work. During these sessions, which lasted three months, the women were introduced to the humanitarian work and its principles, the skills facilitators should have, as well as communication skills_ which was divided to theoretical and practical sections.

Consequently, this group was able and qualified to carry out sessions for other women in Rural Damascus, Beit Al Salam Center/ Al Hameh, in cooperation with UNHCR.

The women’s interaction was great, whereby some expressed:
“For the first time in my life, I feel important, and that I am able to help others…”
“It was a wonderful experience that boosted my self-confidence!”
“Even my family noticed the positive change that occurred to me!”

Furthermore, one of the positive effects was the desire of women from the local community to undergo the same session, whereby they came to the center and underwent training.