While monitoring the local community at al-Zahira district, we met Mrs. Samar al-Sayeq, 53, displaced from the Yarmouk Refugee Camp. Samar’s family consists of a husband who is ill (lumbar disc herniation) and unable to work, a sick son and his wife, and a repudiated daughter. All of them live together and have no source of income but selling bread in the street.
Samar used to sew, but having lost her sewing machine due to her displacement she became out of work. By following her up through several visits and building a solid relationship with her, it turned out that she needed a full sewing kit in order to get back to her work, which had been a precious source of livelihood for her and her family.
We told Samar that she could get the sewing kitbag after passing successfully an interview and test. Samar felt that this was a dream, not reality. After conducting the interview and the test, she was offered a professional kitbag, which included a sewing machine and all the accessory tools.
At first, Samer could not believe that the kitbag was really hers! Then, gradually, she realized, to quote her, that “dreams sometimes come true.” There she was, with a dream come true!
Samar thanked SSSD and the team, and prayed for everyone’s success. Her life will get a restart. She will contact her former customers to take up practicing her profession again and save her family from want and need.

Mr. M.B  , 35 years old, is married and the sole supporter of his family consisting of his wife, three children, as well as his brother's widowed wife and two nephews. He has been displaced and lives now at al-Zahera in a rented house.

M.B  not only lost his home, but also his self-confidence, autonomy and sense of security with regard to the future. He used to own a large workshop for shoe mold manufacture, before the prevailing conditions made him lose it and all that he possessed after the family was displaced. After being self-employed, master of his own destiny and a supporter of the local markets with his quality products, he was now forced to get a job in a small workshop.

At that critical juncture, M.B  was monitored at al-​​Zahera. We met a man torn between illness, hopelessness and a faint glimmer of hope. M.B  was suffering from a brain degenerative disease that gradually erodes brain cells, in conjunction with years of hardship that flattened his hopes too.

After being selected as a Microenterprise Entrepreneur Program beneficiary, M.B  was assigned to a small-business management and entrepreneurship course. He was obviously very interested and demonstrated a great deal of excellence during the training, which made him duly qualified to run a project. Thus, his small project was eventually approved, which restored his hope for autonomy in this life, already made difficult for him in most respects.

In order to start, he was fully supplied with the project's hardware, machinery and tools, so that M.B  was able, within two weeks only, to render quality products and supply the local market. Very soon after, he expanded the area of ​​his work and began to export his quality shoe molds to other provinces.

The dramatic improvement, however, was not only economic. His health condition improved too, as he was now able to commit to medication doses, which stabilized disease progression.

Thus, hope and taste for life were restored to M.B , who said proudly: "I am now able to take responsibility for my children. I will never fear again as long as goodness exists on earth!"

L.B, 45, is divorced and the mother of two children. Her ex evaded responsibility, forcing her to become the household sole breadwinner. She is a displaced woman living in a rented house. Ms. L.B  was patient and struggled despite her difficult circumstances. She is now a living example that when good management is coupled with hope there will be nothing impossible.

L.B  was identified at al-Zahira district by ORVs who introduced her to the possibilities SSSD provides. She decided, according to her desire and experience, to work in a small "nouveautés" shop at the Ruknel-Din district.

Thus she underwent the community support project management course and was presented to a specialized committee in the presence of a UNHCR representative. She succeeded and her project was retained: a shop for the sale of women's underwear and accessories. The project took effect immediately: a shop was rented and the merchandise purchased, so that she was ready to effectively begin with Eid al-Fitr (22/06/2017).

Lena proved to be a very active woman, enthusiastic and optimistic, firmly believing in a better future. She began to work in her small shop relentlessly, increasing her working hours till late at night.

She was followed up in the shop at regular intervals. What the observers took note of were her diligence, the speed of her coping with the situation and the way she received and dealt with new customers. But this was not all. Working in her project impacted on her life personally, both economically and socially, and even on her outer appearance, particularly in a lovely smile that never leaves her face. This is how she expressed the dramatic change in her life:

"Work helped me to get to know people from various walks of life, to engage in society, to take responsibility, to feel self-sufficient, able to meet the basic needs of my home, to help my children in their homework and, most importantly, to pay off my debts, which had become a real burden. Dealing with ladies is a beautiful thing. I even changed my look, the type of clothes I used to wear. Work put me in a new milieu that requires me to always look decently elegant. All this made me a person happy with her life, someone more able to cope with life's difficulties."

This small project served as a gate of hope, a bridge through which Ms. L.B  gained a significant measure of autonomy, sought a means to earn a decent living and reintegrate into society.

This is how life is in times of hardship: from the heart of difficulties one can create hope!