With every seed that we planted, we sowed love.We were happy like little children while we were planting and we will continue the journey so that we can always benefit the people of the area.” This was expressed by one of the women who participated in the initiative to grow vegetables at home, which was held in the village of Al Wadhihi in Aleppo.
In an atmosphere full of joy, 16 women and children from the local community participated in planting a variety of vegetables in the home gardens of 75 families of displaced and returnees, with the aim of securing healthy food for these families.
Moreover, this was done with the intent to benefit and make use of the large household spaces in the village and providing children with a culture of caring for the land and raising the standard of their health.
This community initiative was carried out in cooperation between the Syrian Society for Social Development and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Aiming at facilitating the movement of persons with special needs across faculties and education centers in Aleppo University, a group of youths volunteered to install 35 cement ramps.
The youth-led initiative (YLI) was supervised by the volunteers of the Syrian Society for Social Development and funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The 10 youths were from Aleppo City and formed a self-managed group, 4 of them were experienced in calculating the dimensions and degrees of the ramps and determining their locations, while the rest were experienced in building up the ramps.
The YLI aimed at encouraging students with special needs to carry on with their higher education, improve their lifestyle, and make them feel the care and support of the community.
The administrative staff of Aleppo University was very cooperative. The target students expressed their gratitude for the initiative. “From now on, I can easily move around campus without worrying about any difficulties and without asking anyone for help. I can go up the stairs on my own. I can carry on with my education without worrying about my whereabouts,” as put by one of the special needs students.