Mrs. M was born in Qamishli in 1982. She’s divorced with three children__ two daughters and a son__ and lives with her parents and siblings in Corniche neighborhood in Qamishli. When Mrs. M attended Hear my Heart activities at Beit Alkell center in Qamishli, and through the Zahharat Baraami activity that revolved around how a mother should handle teenagers, she talked about her daughters and wept. When asked about what made her cry, she said:” I am far away from my kids because I divorced their father. I couldn’t live with him anymore and tolerate all his mental and physical abuse. The only reason I tolerated it a first was because of my children, so that people wouldn’t start talking and say they have a divorced mother. What made me incapable of putting up with him was the fact that my children became affected of seeing their mom beaten up… it just suffocated me!”

From talking to Mrs. M, it was apparent that she suffered from community pressure because of the prevailing view of divorce, especially that she got divorced after fifteen years of marriage. “People are merciless! They keep telling me I should have stayed with my husband for the sake of my children’s reputation. What’s putting me even more down is the fact that I became dependent on my family and without any independent revenue I can spend on myself”, expressed Mrs. M.

She was referred to the GBV programme, and said through the sessions that she tried to commit suicide because she was deprived of her children. She was also subjected to violence from her mother, who refused to receive her children as she considers them to carry their father’s name and are thus for him alone.

And so, she was guided to ask for her rights from her mother, so that she could bring her daughters and be treated right. After her needs were assessed, it was clear that she needed psychological support.

Consequently, she was referred to the Psychological Support programme, and was followed-up by a specialist who worked on her self-acceptance and self-confidence.

Also, after the GBV case manager followed up on her, she found that Mrs. M suffered from poverty and inability to provide for herself and her children. For that reason, she was enrolled in the Small Business Grants programme and got the approval of her project__ a small library__ in the neighborhood she resides in. this project helped her become an independent woman. It also empowered her, as she started fighting for her right to see her children, and brought them presents from her library once she saw them. “I don’t need anyone’s help anymore. I was able to buy my children clothes for Eid from the project’s revenue. I was overwhelmed when I saw the joy in their eyes when they visited me at my library, and I gave them stationary as a gift for them to go to school. My children are a piece of me, and I have every right to see them and hold them tight”, said Mrs. M.

And through I am More Beautiful activity, which includes one’s self-perception and confidence in his potential, Mrs. M recounted her entire story to all the women. She told them about how she used to feel__ weak and chained__ and how she felt after SSSD helped her__ more beautiful and stronger. She was proud of herself for being proud of her dignity, and screamed from the top pf her lungs:” Now I am starting to breathe…”

Mr. A H is a 56-year-old married man who lives at the military neighborhood near Shabo hospital. He is the sole breadwinner of his wife and nine children. Both he and his wife suffer from diabetes and hypertension. Mr. A H had a keys and locks manufacturing shop with an oriental touch, which was taken from him by ISIS.

Since then, Mr. A S headed towards a future without shelter, which led to the deterioration of his financial situation and psychological state.

Luckily, he was approached by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers. This was Mr. A H’s spark of hope and turning point for him and his family, as his dream project was approved. And so, the journey towards achieving his dreams began, and SSSD assisted him both financially and morally.

After a while, Mr. A H’s project__ a keys and locks manufacturing shop__ was launched. This project was life-changing and had a very positive effect on Mr. A H and his family, as they became able to provide for their basic needs and treat their illnesses.

“This project is a new beginning. The next step I took in life to get back on my feet again was thanks to SSSD”, confirmed Mr. A H.

Mr. Imad is a 56-year-old husband with five children- three sons and two daughters. His eldest son is a 5^th year medicine student, his first daughter a 2^nd year media student and his second daughter a 10^th grade student. As for his wife, she is unemployed, which makes him the sole breadwinner.

Like thousands of Syrian families, Mr. Imad suffered from the crisis’s negative impacts, namely poverty and psychological pressure since he has to provide for him family.

Through a friend of his, Mr. Imad heard that SSSD provides support to small projects. Consequently, he presented his project, which is a library to sell materials, stationery departments’ supplies/records/, since he’s a retired employee who worked in the financial system for control and inspection.

His psychological and financial situation went from very bad to notably well once his project was approved and he was able to offer his children all the help they needed to pursue their studies.

Mr. Imad was filled with gratitude towards SSSD and the UNHCR for their approval of his project, which helped him restore his children’s academic levels and support his family.

Hence, he said that there’s no life with despair, and shared with us his piece of wisdom by saying: "Instead of Giving me Wood, Provide me with the Rope to Carry it”.

Mrs. S A is a widow born in 1969 and residing in Rmeilan al-Basha village in rural al-Malkieh with her five sons and four daughters. She went back to her village which turned into a warzone during the crisis, only to find her home completely destroyed and her source of income (sheep raising) lost. This left her devastated as she couldn’t provide for her children anymore. Once she was spotted by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, she was offered the services provided by SSSD. There, Mrs. S A broke down and said with deep grief:” Everything dear to me was lost: my husband, my home… I have nothing left to help me and my children go on and stand on our feet.” She was later on accompanied to SSSD’s center and enrolled in a Small Business Management Course. After completing the course, she presented her project, which was sheep raising, and got the approval and funding after meeting with the UNHCR.

Today, Mrs. SA her project’s own sponsor with all seriousness and perseverance, hoping to find the opportunity to provide for her family’s needs without anyone’s help. She expressed her happiness during a visit by an ORV to follow up on her project, saying: "May God reward and protect you. You have supported me in my life’s weakest period. Today I have my own sheep to care for.”  

While each of us goes through a moment of weakness when losing something dear and precious, we could surpass all these difficulties with the right support and help.

Mr. M J is a father of five (three sons and two daughters) from Qamishli, born in 1960. He was displaced from Duma and is the sole breadwinner. He also supports his mother, and currently resides in Qaddour Beik neighborhood in Qamishli at a house one of his friends lent him.

He used to work at a fast food restaurant, until his health started deteriorating and had to undergo an open-heart operation, which led him to quit his job.

After Mr. M J came with one of his friends the center to ask about the services provided by SSSD, he attended the Old-But-Gold sessions and talked about how he lost his main profession (Shawarma Chef), and how he couldn’t afford going back to his job. Once the session ended, the facilitator referred him to the SBG staff for them to guide him through the needed procedures to apply for a small business. Later on, he was visited by one of the ORV team to assess his situation.

And so, Mr. M J attended the Project Management Course and excelled at it. Later on, he met with the UNHCR and was granted the necessary funding to start his own project. Mr. M J saw this project as a way to get back to his job and city. He became stable and was able to secure a decent life for his family.   

Mr. M J is now getting his project’s revenue and is still attending the men's sessions. In the last session, he expressed his gratitude to the association by saying: “As one gets older, he feels like a burden. When I became unemployed, I started feeling old and waited to die…. Your help brought me back to life and brought back the respect of my existence… with you, I feel that I exist and matter…”

Some roads may be blocked, leaving us no choice but to change our course… Once we get lost, we need a hand that reaches out to us and makes us feel safe to start all over again… Let us be that hand to them and their families.

Mr. M M is a 50-year-old married man and father of thirteen__ ten daughters and three sons. One of his daughters had an eye injury, which led to the loss of her cornea and cost her dad a great deal to get the proper treatment. His wife has diabetes. As for his sons, his eldest is married with four kids, and can’t work because he’s wanted for military service, his second son is a soldier, and his youngest is still in school. 

Because of the crisis, he was displaced from Idlib to Hassakeh and was left unemployed.

Once he was spotted by one of SSSD’s ORV team, hope started creeping in all over again. And so, Mr. M M’s journey towards fulfilling his dream began. During his journey, SSSD supported him, and offered him a course in Project Management so as to be able to manage his own project__ a shoe store.

His life changed from a miserable one to a one filled with joy and hope.  He was finally able to sleep comfortably, reassured that he could finally support his family.

But Mr. M M’s life didn’t stop there, as he expanded his business, established contacts with the market and opened a new branch. All this was thanks to the efforts made by SSSD.

Mr. F S is a single man born in 1972. He lives with his ill brother and his wife, and is the sole breadwinner because of his brother’s illness. Like thousands of Syrian families, he headed for a future without any money or medicine for his brother, the thing that led to poverty, inability to provide the most basic needs and psychological stress. What made things worse was his brother’s health deterioration. Consequently, Mr. F S tried to improve their situation by finding a suitable job, but all his efforts went in vein due to his employers’ greed and exploitation. This left him exhausted and feeling hopeless.

Once he was spotted by one of SSSD’s ORV team, hope started creeping in all over again. Mr. F S’s life-changing moment was when his project was approved.

And so, Mr. F S’s journey towards fulfilling his dream began. During his journey, SSSD supported him morally and financially, and offered him a course in Project Management so as to be able to manage his own project__ a photography shop.

This project positively changed the lives of Mr. F S and his brother through the income it has brought them, which helped them secure their basic needs, get medicine for the ill brother, and have a sense of stability.  

The latter was confirmed by the beneficiary, as he said that this project helped him support his family independently.

“Don’t give me fish, teach me how to fish instead” is the principle adopted by Mr. F S and embodied by SSSD.

Mrs. R S is a 33-year-old married woman with no children and an unemployed husband due to his poor health condition. She and her husband were displaced from Deir Alzor and are living at a rented house along with her parents, brother and his family.

Like all people living in Deir Alzor, she fled to Hassakeh, leaving behind all her life savings and heading towards a mysterious future that lacks shelter and food. This has affected their lives badly and led to their disregard, subjection to psychological pressure, and deterioration of their living and health conditions. Attempting to improve their situation, R.S tried to seek help from several NGOs but all her efforts went in vein. Filled with despair, she went to try her luck at SSSD after being turned down from all the other NGOs. It was there that one of the outreach volunteers welcomed her with a heart-warming smile and brought back the hope she had lost. Once her project was approved, Mrs. R S’s life course shifted from pessimism to optimism and satisfaction.

After Mrs. R S took the project management course offered by SSSD, she began her project, a confectionery, with the moral and financial support of the SSSD and started rebuilding her life all over again.

"This project changed my life and brought back my optimistic view of life. I was able to support my family and unemployed husband and provide for their needs”, expressed Mrs. R S.

 Mr. A S is a 41-year-old married man who resided in Tel Baral city. He is a father of five, three of whom are with specific needs, and one of whom is a student. He currently lives with his family at a rent in Hassakeh after his house was completely destroyed during the crisis.

Like many Syrian families, Mr. A S fled with his family from Tel Barak and was subjected to severe psychological pressure because of the difficulties of displacement, securing the needs of his family and having to work at a minimum wage that wasn’t even enough to secure food and clothing.

After being spotted by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, he was hopeful to improve his and his family’s psychological and financial situation, and to secure work in the profession that he mastered.

And so, Mr. A S’s dream came true when SSSD supported him and provided him with a tire repair kit. This project was life-changing, as the project’s income enabled him to support his family and improved their psychological state. Also, Mr. A S was able to provide help to his children with specific needs, get his daughter back to school, secure food and clothing for the whole family, and consider renting a more suitable house.

With Mr. A S’s will to support his family, and with SSSD’s genuine will to help and develop the society, the desired goal was achieved with this family.