The Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in cooperation with the UNHCR, held a closing ceremony for all VT courses held at al-Hameh in 2018. The ceremony included a video presentation of all the courses held, a drama performance and a dabké dancing show.
The beneficiaries of eight different courses (2 sewing courses, 1 eastern-western cuisine chef course, 1 interior design and furniture spraying course, 1 home electrical installations course, 1 cell phone maintenance course, 1 aghabani embroidery course, 1 men’s shaving and hairdressing course) were honored and received their certificates.
The event included a public invitation to an exhibition of all course outputs—an opportunity for the local community to get to know the beneficiaries and their skills and thus help improve their chances of getting a job.
In her speech, one of the beneficiaries, who was referred from the SSSD GBV Program to the VT Program, said: “I’m so thrilled today. For the first time in my life I can savor success. This is the first certificate I earn in my whole life! Not only the course taught me a lot professionally wise, but I learned new life skills and how to deal with people as well. It changed me a lot. I feel stronger and psychologically fulfilled. Even at home, my dealing with people changed. Thank you from the heart.”
It is worth noting that 61 beneficiaries have already been directly linked to the labor market, namely trainees of sewing, aghabani, carpentry, painting and interior design, electricity and mobile maintenance courses.

The Beekeeping profession is known to be a great source of livelihood for young people as well as a profession that appeals to the rural population and nature lovers. The Syrian Society for Social Development in cooperation with Oxfam organized a training course in beekeeping within the beekeeping field of the Department of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform – Hama governate.

As a result of the need of the labor market, the Syrian Society for Social Development in cooperation with the UNHCR conducted a training course in the field of air conditioning and refrigeration in the Masyaf, Hama governorate.
During the course, trainers ,of experience in the field of maintenance, were asked to help the trainees and put them on the beginning of the practical road in the profession of conditioning and refrigeration.

The Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with UNHCR, organized courses on the basics of confectionary (both oriental and international) for beginners and advanced, cuisine chef courses, and specialized courses on candy making (chocolate), with 124 beneficiaries. The pioneers of these courses are the community center beneficiaries, some of whom referred by the CCs case managers (CP, GBV and PSS psychologists).
The closing ceremony included the distribution of certificates to the beneficiaries, in addition to the printed training booklet. Some participants shared their experience with the attendees:
Ms. Umm Ali: “I’m one of the women who returned to Ghouta... Through training, we learned to exchange love as much as we learned the craft skills… It was as if we were one family, despite the trainees’ great diversity... Though the restaurant is far away from my house, I was always the first to arrive because I was so eager to learn and I enjoyed the lovely relationship between us, the trainees... And there are many like me!”
Ms. B.Q.: “I’m my household head and have two daughters... The training had a great impact on my family and material situation. I became a professional and an income-generating person, since I worked after the training in sweet-making. I work at home and distribute my products to shop owners in the Jaramana district. My new work helped me meet the household needs and follow up on my girls’ schooling.”
Ms. S.: “I could hardly imagine the course would end! I came to have many friends. We helped each other and kept in contact, even though each is from a different place and environment… I’ve had a successful interview with the restaurant manager and will be working in the restaurant. This was a great boost to my self-confidence.”
It is noteworthy that, according to the evaluation, some of the beneficiaries have been networked with the labor market, with three possibilities: working at home, working at the Zeus Restaurant, and working in confectionary shops in the Jaramana district.

In the framework of early recovery and livelihoods improvement, empowering women heads-of-household with a profession and developing their skills has proved essential. Hence SSSD organized, in cooperation with the UNHCR, a vocational training course for 15 women in damascene brocade (aghabani embroidery) at al-Salam Community Center, al-Hameh.
Immediately after the training, the women underwent a life skills and entrepreneurship course to increase their chances of income provision and meet their basic needs. SSSD made sure the beneficiaries were directly connected to the labor market. Very grateful and happy, one of them said, “My gratitude goes to SSSD who helped me take the right path and learn a trade that I can practice to help my family. I hope similar courses are held on a regular basis so that a maximum number of people might benefit, as my fellow women and I did

Vocational Training is one of the most important services in the field of human rehabilitation, whose programs aim to offer people with specific needs (PwSN) the opportunity to work, by helping them acquire a profession. The aim is to make them able to be productive, like other members of community, and to achieve optimal compatibility with life by assessing their potential and helping them develop it as far as they can.
For this purpose, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), conducted a vocational training course in wood carving and handicrafts at Dar al-Karama, Damascus. 25 PwSN beneficiaries of both sexes participated, and the SSSD team joined together to help them accept and benefit from the training. The young PwSN’s enthusiasm and response were wonderful and we will follow up on their work, as we might offer them a chance to carry on.

In order to improve people’s overall living situation by restoring livelihoods and enhancing the resilience of affected, vulnerable households (woman-headed households, PwSN, unemployed youth), the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), held a training course on mobile and cell phone maintenance at the Peace Community Center, al-Hameh, Rural Damascus.
The training included 15 beneficiaries: 5 women and 10 men, of various age groups, who were fully initiated into the intricacies of mobile phone maintenance (software and hardware). By the end of the course and evaluation of the trainees, 6 beneficiaries were directly connected to job opportunities within the same areas.