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.

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.

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.

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.

Since learning is basically the inalienable right of all, and in view of our goal to remove all obstacles that hinder the integral growth and social integration of children with specific needs, the SSSD team, in cooperation with UNHCR, organized a community-based initiative entitled Our Children.

The initiative was proposed by a group of mothers and aimed to improve the capacity of their CwSN to express themselves and to achieve the goals of the Portage Programme in improving the children’s physical, intellectual and cognitive abilities. 

To that effect, the mothers made a variety of tools and materials that would help their children and other CwSN at al-Rajaa Charity and My Child and I and Basma centres.

Implementation was completed on 18/12/2017 to benfit more than 50 CwSN.

Since safe playing and recreation is an inalienable right of children, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) team in Qadmus, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), launched a community-based initiative at al-Maidan Park, Qadmus, under the title “Child-friendly space”. The initiative, which is part of the GCBI Program, aimed to rehabilitate the park adjacent to the Mohammed Dali School (upgrading the fountain, repairing seats and lighting, planting roses) to create a safe space where children can play safely away from street risks and accidents. More than 1,650 benefitted from this initiative. Implementation of all the works of the CBI was completed on .