If we go through the lives of every successful person, we would find that they all went through many sufferings and challenges, that contributed to their success.

Mr. Raed, an IDP from Ain Al-Fijeh, currently lives in a house for rent in Hameh, Rural Damascus. He is the sole breadwinner for seven people, including separated children.

Twenty years ago, Raed worked in the accessories industry, until he lost his workshop_ situated in Barzeh al-Balad_ in the midst of the crisis. Thus, he was unable to return to his profession due to the lack necessary materials, which made matters worse, especially regarding his financial situation.

Fortunately, he got introduced to SSSD through the Beit Al Salam Center in Hameh, where he resided, and presented a project on making accessories.

Mr. Raed underwent a training course in the management of small projects. He also underwent an interview which he excelled at, and demonstrated his ability to work and support his family.

Indeed, Mr. Raed received his own project on 11/11/2019, and started working on manufacturing many distinctive accessories that he presented to the merchants.

Thus, Mr. Raed entered the market directly, and began to meet the demands of many merchants. As his business grew and wasn’t able to work for all these demands on his own, he hired several women to work from home and help him.

Consequently, Mr. Raed’s life changed positively on all levels, and specifically on the financial one, whereby he confirmed by saying: “My project is becoming more successful and prosperous, just like a seedling that grows the more it’s being taken care of, and produces fruits. Now, I am able to provide for my family! Everything changed, and I became more self-confident. Currently, there is a boy who is working with me, and I am teaching him the profession of making accessories. Furthermore, 10 girls are working from home!”
He also added: "I still feel like I’m in a dream… except that this dream is actually my reality now! Now, I am aspiring to expand my work and become like these big merchants. This is my new dream, and hopefully, it will become true…”

Mrs. M.M. is mother to three children. Displaced from Ghouta, she currently lives in the city of Adra. She is definitely a woman head-of-household, as her husband has been missing for four years now.

She used to work as a cleaner in houses and factories to meet her and her family’s basic needs in terms of clothing, food and education—ending up with a herniated disc due to the unbearable strain she was under.
Through the SSSD case manager, Mrs. M.M. was referred to the Vocational Training Program to learn a career that would help her improve her livelihood.

She was selected for a course in hairdressing and beauty care at the Farah Community Center, Adra, where she learned the basics of women’s hairdressing and beauty care in all details.

Soon enough, Mrs. M.M. began to market herself on social media and started working at home. Her income soon improved noticeably—to meet all the needs of her home.

She is now thinking about opening a salon in cooperation with one of the beneficiaries, as her work has been well received by many women from the local community.

Fleeing Al Hasakah City to Adra City, F.E became the only provider for her 6 children, especially after being divorced.

The woman faced a lot of adversities after fleeing her home city, she was not able to put a roof for her family and hardly found jobs, where she suffered from abuse and harassment.

While staying in Adra, F.E visited Farah Center which is attached to the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), where the volunteers referred her to the Start-up Small Business Grants Program and GBV Case Management Program.

The woman was enrolled in a training course revolving the basics of business management and how to launch a small business. The woman showed a lot of enthusiasm during the course and was happy to launch her own women’s clothes shop.

F.E was interviewed and given a business grant. Upon receiving her shop, the woman spared no minute and actively developed her project, buying a sewing machine. She made sure her drop-out kids resumed studying and began treating her sick daughter.

Not only she sold ready- made clothes, she designed and made clothes of her own. She constantly worked on renewing her clothes’ lines and adding new products, such as, watches, accessories and make-up brands.
F.E was happy to talk about the great change in her life and shared her success story within her community.

I am special, and my disability is not my death sentence!

Sabah is a 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother and five sisters. As for her father, he went missing, which made her mother the sole breadwinner for the family.

Sabah suffered from herniated nucleus pulposus, hydrocephalus, and hemiplegia since she was born, which caused her many difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, it did not prevent her from going to school and striving for her education.

Sabah’s mother was responsible for dropping Sabah off to school in the morning and taking her back at the end of school hours. The latter posed a heavy burden on her, since her daughter’s school was quite far from their home. On top of all that, Sabah suffered from fatigue due to sunlight exposure for a long period of time.

Fortunately, Sabah got introduced to the Syrian Society for Social Development through the Farah Center in Adra, and joined the Friendship groups. While at the center, her mother learned that SSSD also provided medical assistance.

Consequently, Sabah's case was brought up to the Health and Medical programme manager, who in turn assisted her by providing her with a wheelchair for the children.

The wheelchair changed both Sabah and her mother’s lives, as Sabah didn’t feel tired anymore when going to school, and it reduced the mother’s burden and fatigue. It also helped Sabah move around easily and play some of the games with her friends and sisters. Thus, Sabah became one of the top students at school.

The mother’s joy was overwhelming, as she expressed:" You have brought me comfort, and made my dear daughter extremely happy, since she is now able to play with her friends at school…”