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Reconstruction

Mr. A A is a 28-year-old man from Alton al-Jared village. He got married at the age of 26, and decided to move with his wife to Damascus. He rented a house in an old neighborhood and started working in a private company two shifts a day. During the first year of his marriage, he welcomed home his newborn baby girl. One day, when Mr. A A was on his way to work, a mortar fell near him and caused his right arm’s amputation, as well as burns and splinters all over his body. This led to his health’s deterioration, which resulted in losing his job and having no other choice but to go back to his village and live with his parents and brothers in a small house.

Mr. A A heard of SSSD from one of his relatives who benefited from the SBG programme at SSSD. Consequently, he decided to visit the center and register for a small project. After a while, an interview was conducted with the vocational training staff, and once it was ascertained that he was in need of a small project, he was introduced to a course in Project Management so that he could manage his own project__ sheep raising.

Ahmed pointed out that he chose this project because his family also raises sheep, so he can consult them and turn to them whenever he needed help, especially after his injuries. When following up on his project for 6 months, the extra attention and care for his sheep until they reached their production stage was clearly observed, where they were being taken care of 6 hours a day. Once the sheep entered the production stage, Mr. A A would sell the products in his village. He said he felt relieved and stable after he improved his situation. He also said that he would seek to expand his project from the profits made from selling sheep products.

Ahmed is currently building a small two-room house near his family's home for him and his wife to settle in.

 

Sails for Rent

Ms. R N is a 39-year-old widow and mother of three. Her husband passed away four and a half years ago due to the unfortunate crisis that hit our beloved country. She currently lives in Isqableh village in Rural Banias, and is the sole breadwinner for her children.

After Mrs. R N heard of the services provided by SSSD through one of her friends who underwent a handwork course at Baath Center in Jleity village, she came to Banyas Center and expressed her desire to register for a small project. Consequently, she was offered a 1-week course in Project Management. During the course, she was introduced to the criteria for successful projects, and the steps required that would enable her to succeed in the project she wanted to implement__ a linen shop in the village she lives in.

Once her project was approved and handed over, Mrs. R N felt like a woman in charge for the first time in her life. She did not hide her fear and said:” I hold the trust of three children, and carry SSSD’s gift, which is represented by their trust in me to help me bear my children’s daily costs and life burdens.”

Day after day, Mrs. R N led her shop just like a captain of a ship, selling and buying from the profits of the project new goods and introducing new types and materials that did not exist before, as was observed during the project’s follow-up.

She managed to make her own way into society to occupy a suitable place, and change the stereotype of the widowed woman to a creative woman. She also managed to cover the expenses of her children and enroll her young son in a private kindergarten.

 

The Wings of Life

Mr. M N is a 42-year-old married man and father of three. He and his wife are currently unemployed, and he became unable to support his family after he fled and lost his former job.

Mr. M N was displaced from al-Bayda village in rural Banias. He is now living in a rent in Jleiti village with his elderly mother, which led to the family’s poverty and inability to provide the most basic needs.

Mr. M N tried more than once to improve his family’s life, but the exploitation and greed of his employers, and the expensive living costs stood in the way of his modest dreams.

During the ORV tours and monitoring in Jleiti village, Mr. M N was identified. After explaining his situation, he was told about the Small Business Grants Programme, which was offered to the most vulnerable groups in society.  He couldn’t conceal his immense joy and was eager to get the approval as soon as possible. Several days later, he came to the SSSD office and met with the specialized personnel. Once his needs were assessed, he was assigned a six-day course in project management so that he could manage his own project.

The Syrian Society for Social Development supported him both financially and morally, and funded his project __breeding birds__ based on his desire, as he had a long history and expertise in this subject.

The project changed greatly the life of the beneficiary and his family. Through the project’s income, they were able to secure their living needs and live a decent life without having to beg for money.

Mr. M N has also devoted all his time to take care of his project because he saw it as his salvation from poverty and need.

This was confirmed by one of the facilitators when he said that the project was a new beginning for a better life.

 

CBI: “Our Trades”—Banias, Tartous

Based on our belief in safeguarding traditional trades by transmitting the lore to younger generations, thereby protecting the latter from unemployment, the SSSD team in Tartous, in cooperation with UNHCR, organized a CBI entitled Our Trades.
The initiative aimed to teach young men and women of the village of Shandakha the craft of soap handmaking with laurel berry oil. The idea was twofold: on the one hand, old craftsmen would transmit their knowhow to the young; and, by marketing the products at reasonable prices at the “Homemade Market,” people of the area would be protected against the monopoly of laurel oil exercised by some outsider tradespeople, on the other. In fact, the “Homemade Market” is one of SSSD’s decentralized projects aiming to secure a free place to display and sell products of the CBI. Beforehand, of course, young apprentices should follow a training course on the basics of project management and marketing.
The revenues of this initiative, which was completed on 7/2/2018, will be used to fit out a community space in the village of Shandakha, which is to become the villagers’ communal hall to meet and hold various social events.

CBI: Rass al-Nabe‘ Suspension Bridge clean-up—Banias, Tartous

Hygiene is a mark of civilization, its absence a threat to human health. That is why the team of the Syrian Society for social Development (SSSD) in Tartous, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), organized a community-based initiative entitled Rass al-Nabe‘ Suspension Bridge clean-up.
The CBI consisted in eradicating the reed stalks that used to grow in profusion on both sides of the bridge, as the spot was infested with rodents and insects. It was also “infested” with few voyeurs who caused serious embarrassment for girls and women on their way to their schools and jobs. The CBI consisted in strengthening the metal railings on the bridge edges and the maintenance of its lighting equipment.
The initiative was implemented in cooperation with the residents of the area. 20,000 people benefited from it, including 3,000 IDPs, and was completed on 17/12/2017.

CBI: Fitting out a community-friendly space, Taleen—Banias, Tartous

The Syrian Society for Social Development firmly believes in community participation and, hence, in the importance of safe spaces for holding social activities. Consequently, SSSD’s team in Tartous, in cooperation with the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), organized a community-based initiative entitled Fitting out a community-friendly space in Taleen.
Most villagers took part in the implementation of the CBI which aimed, thanks to the villagers’ collective efforts, to provide the already established community-friendly space with new tables and to repaint the walls with a special thermal insulating coat to prevent mould and damp. As a result, Taleen has now a safe and healthy community-friendly place where villagers can hold their various social activities.
Completed on 20/12/2017, the initiative benefited all villagers, i.e., 2,500 people, 200 of whom are returnees.

CBI: Rehabilitation of the Bus Station Pedestrian Bridge-Banias, Tartous

As public safety, especially of the elderly, children and people with specific needs, is a priority, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) in Tartous, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), organized in Banias a community-based initiative entitled Rehabilitation of the Bus Station Pedestrian Bridge.


This bridge is a vital artery linking the southern part of the city to the Bus Station, thus saving people about 2-km foot walking from residential areas to the Station. A team from the local community participated in carrying out the initiative by installing safety metal railings on both sides of the bridge and repainting the whole metal structure.


Completed on 21/2/2018, the CBI benefited about 9,500 people who live in the southern part of the city which is adjacent to the Bus Station.

 

CBI: Upgrading the Khirbet al-Sanasel Road, Banias, Governorate of Tartous

As infrastructure upgrade contributes to developing productivity and improving profitability, the SSSD team in Tartous, in cooperation with UNHCR, launched a CBI entitled Rehabilitation of the Khirbet al-Sanasel Road.
This off-road connects farmlands between two neighbouring villages. As it used to be unpaved, it was extremely hard for owners of lands on both its sides to access their own lands, bring over the necessary raw materials or transfer the crops to the city. Therefore, most villagers—farmers in particular—took part in the implementation of the CBI. Gravel was spread all over and subsequently rolled, thus turning the wild, dirty road into a passable one for cars and trucks.
The initiative, which was completed on 11/12/2017, benefited about 1,800 low-income people of both local and IDP communities.

GCBI: Young Innovators-Banias, Tartous

This youth initiative was launched by a group of engineering faculties’ graduates and undergraduate students (in electricity, mechanics, electronics and computer science), with support from the SSSD team in Banias and UNHCR.
The initiative aimed to convey notions of applied popular science by executing some simple technical applications. It targeted all schoolchildren in Banias and its rural areas, especially children who showed keen interest and are skilled in electromechanical device making, so they could demonstrate their talents.
A final exhibition of the students’ models was held at the Cultural Centre in Banias on 27-28 December 2017 as a result of a three-month arduous training.

CBI: To Give Is to Love-Banias, Tartous

Based on our belief in nurturing a “culture of giving” in society, and in order to protect children from fierce winter cold, the SSSD team in Tartous, in cooperation with UNHCR, launched a CBI entitled To Give Is to Love.

The initiative aimed to use the skills of women who attended the Wool Knitting and Crochet course within the Hear-My-Heart Programme, and who had also come up with the idea, by making scarfs for children, both IDPs and locals.

 The scarfs were distributed in the SSSD Community Centre in Banias (Beit al-Yasmin) and al-Qreir School on 25/1/2018, to be used by more than 250 girls and boys.

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