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Prevent Tooth Cavity and Head Lice for Children - CPI

Community- led initiative “Prevent Tooth Cavity and Head Lice for Children”, Athar Al-Farashah and Beit Al-Wiam community centers, Rural Damascus, Jaramana.
Drawing on the belief “We Care about your Health”, especially taking care of children’s health at early ages, and due to the severity of head lice and tooth cavity spread among very young children, SSSD team, in cooperation with UNHCR, organized a community- led initiative (CLI) in Rural Damascus, titled “Prevent Tooth Cavity and Head lice for Children” on 12-10-2018.
The idea of the CLI came to life during a focus group discussion with the children who expressed their toothaches, their fear to visit the dentist, and their parent’s financial strains to treat them. They also mentioned that their friends suffer from head lice and spoke about the negative side effects on their health, everyday life, and daily routine, be it at home or school. 
SSSD cooperated with Dr. Aghiad Daheem, who was enthusiastic to volunteer and help IDP kids. 50 children, boys and girls, received full- dental treatment. This kind gesture stressed the importance of community participatory work drawing on the abilities of each individual, offering help and supporting vulnerable groups.
4 barbers who benefited from the livelihood tool-kit program performed haircuts for 100 children, boys and girls. Those barbers believe in social responsibility, especially after receiving the tool kits that enabled them to provide for themselves and support others.
Dental treatment and haircuts were preceded by health awareness campaigns pertaining the importance of keeping the hair clean and treatment steps to end head lice, as well as, shedding light on kids’ tooth problems, how to prevent them through oral health and regular dentist visits. To break kids’ fear of dental treatment, the campaigns included entertainment activities, at which the dentist participated.
The adolescents from the mentoring program and child protection club participated in carrying out the activities of the campaign, including the entertainment activities. 
This CLI had huge positive impact on all the participants and left unforgettable imprints, particularly raising awareness about health care to prevent tooth and hair problems. In addition to promoting the spirit of humanitarian assistance and aid.

Seeing Life through a new lens

Wafaa is a 51-year-old woman, married, with two daughters, who used to live in Jobar and work as an elementary teacher. The family suffered from financial hardships, the husband had to sell the house and buy a small house in Jaramana. During the crisis, the house was completely destroyed by a mortar shell. As a result, the family was forced to rent out a small house.
Via word of mouth, Wafaa heard of Al- Wiam Center and the provided services. She visited the center requesting support to solve her differences with her husband.
She was referred to the GBV case manager, who interviewed her. She explained that she was married at 21 without her parent’s blessings. In the beginning her relationship with her husband was good; however, their financial distress and constant movement from one place to another negatively affected them and triggered problems between the couple. The husband started abusing, beating, and humiliating his wife in front of their kids. He even caused permanent back injury to her. Their intimate life almost ceased and he violently had sex with his wife on rare occasions.
This harsh reality was negatively reflected on the lady’s relationship with her kids and the whole family. She suffered from substantial psychological pressures and a huge disappointment, as she was not able to maintain a perfect family.
Wafaa was referred to the psychological section for support. Her workplan covered the following:
-overcome the shock, being verbally and physically abused by her husband.
-Assert the positive aspects of her personality.
-Compare the pros and cons of her relationship with her husband to reach a conclusion regarding their marriage.
-Regulate sleeping time and take regular walks.
-Practice relaxation techniques.
She was also enrolled in the women sessions and GBV campaigns, those interventions had positive impact on the lady and her relationship with her husband and daughters.
Tracking Wafaa’s case, our interventions had big impact on her. We quote her:
“I am able to communicate with my husband and deal with his anger. My relationship with my daughters is better. I used to come to the center with my head filled with negative thoughts. The sessions worked as a magnet that pulled my negative thoughts and charged me with positive thoughts. My spirit was revived and each passing day I came back home showing love to my daughters and husband and offering new gestures. Gradually, I re-communicated with my friends, whom I hardly contacted in the past, due to my psychological situation. I learned about women rights and children rights, and I advise women suffering from GBV to seek help from this center to regain control over their lives.”
Today, Wafaa is an active member in the women’s committee. She plays a critical role and participates in all the campaigns, encouraging women to learn about their rights and claim them.

Wardrobe Making - CBI

“THEY make up one half of society”—On the basis of this fact, and believing in the crucial role of women, and in order to enhance the community’s participation in finding solutions to their problems and meeting their needs, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) conducted on 03/10/2018 in Rural Damascus, in cooperation with the UNHCR, a community-based initiative (CBI) entitled Wardrobe Making.
The idea of the CBI emerged during a focus group discussion (FGD) session held with women, displaced and heads-of-household, in which they raised the problem of storing clothes in bags after washing them because there were no wardrobes in their homes. In the meantime, clothes had been exposed to wear and mold as a result of rodents and moisture.
20 women participated in the CBI and made 20 wardrobes with the help of beneficiaries of the Vocational Training and Livelihood Toolkits Program. The women’s enthusiasm was remarkable; so was their keen desire to experiment in totally new things. The CBI fostered a spirit of cooperation among women, establishing the skill of dialogue by accepting the different views that were presented regarding work proceedings, not to mention the experience the women gained in woodworking.
Every participant ended possessing a wardrobe for her family, increased her sense of responsibility and confidence in her ability to contribute in supporting her family and, last but not least, felt a great joy when the wardrobe was finished!

Breast diseases awareness sessions

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women. With the aim of raising the level of health awareness and disseminating basic medical and preventive knowledge concerning breast cancer among girls and women, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) team held within the Hear-My-Heart Program, in cooperation with the Syrian Breast Cancer Association and the UNHCR, several awareness sessions entitled Awareness of Breast Diseases and Cancer: Etiology, Symptoms, Early Detection and Treatment Protocols. The sessions were held on 08/22-29/09/2018 in the following districts: Jaramana (Butterfly Effect and Beit al-Wiam CCs), al-Hameh (al-Salam CC).
118 women attended, whose interaction was positive and significant. This was evident through the women’s active participation and questions that enriched the sessions. To encourage the women, the Breast Cancer Association later offered the opportunity to conduct mammography screenings, free of charge, in several centers throughout October for all demanding women.

The Tree of Life

“Life has taught me to be as soft as leaves of a tree, as rough as its trunk, as solid as its roots, as fragrant as its scent, to be like a fertile soil that gives to the one who plants free of charge…”
In this context, on 18 August 2018, in Rural Damascus, Jaramana District, Beit al-Wiam CC, SSSD organized, in cooperation with the UNHCR, a session entitled the Tree of Life. The session, which was held within the Old-But-Gold Program, included 36 beneficiaries of seniors, during which the life process of several people was evoked. They shared what they learned from life experiences and the way they handed those experiences over to their children and grandchildren. In fact, Life is always the Great Teacher. The session was followed by a handicraft activity, during which the elderly made a tree they named the Tree of Life.
The interaction of the beneficiaries was great, which showed in the verbal expression of their many experiences that proved to be as many enriching life lessons. They were also happy with manual work and the fact of enthusiastically sharing with each other.

" we stand together ” CBI—Jaramana, Rural Damascus

In order to enhance the confidence of women in themselves and their ability to help their families and help others, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) in Rural Damascus, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), organized a community-based initiative under the title "we stand together ”.

The initiative, which was proposed by a group of mothers and elderly people who attend the activities of " Bet Al-Weam" community center within “ our ancient gold “ and “ hear my heart” groups, aims to manufacture clean and Healthy food which can be used for a long period of time (apricot jam - Cheese and sour cream - pickles - grapes leaves) , with the cooperation of the group who proposed the initiative among themselves and and the participation of a group of newly displaced women in the region , and distributing some portions to the families of the new immigrants from the region of Ghouta to the region of Jaramana using the help of SSSD monitoring of the targeted area , which contributed to strengthening bonds of love , spirit of partnership and teamwork among women by sharing their experiences during the implementation .

And a safe bed we made

Rima, a woman from northern rural Aleppo, was forced to flee her hometown because of the poor security conditions. She and her family of 7 children—the eldest of whom is 12 and the youngest 4 months old—currently live in an unfinished house at Daff al-Sakhr, Jaramana district, Rural Damascus.
From the Child Protection case manager who follows up on the family’s file we learned that four-month-old ‘Abd was suffering from a severe allergy resulting from his sleeping on the floor in a cold house full of dust. His mother had to take him repeatedly to the doctor to ease bouts of coughing and wheezing. Not to mention the risk of being bitten by rodents that swarm in unfinished buildings.
Then it occurred to us to tell the beneficiaries in the carpentry course (Vocational Training Program) about the family’s predicament and see whether they could be of help. Soon enough, a small, simple, lovely bed was specially made for ‘Abd!
When we went to Rima’s house to check on the family and deliver the bed, she warmly greeted us and was sincerely thankful. Then, without a second thought, she made the bed and put the baby in it.
‘Abd’s siblings rejoiced, though with a sigh. “Sister, you remind us of the bed we used to have back home,” said one of the baby’s brothers. “Just for ‘Abd?” asked his sister. “But we’re still sleeping on the floor, all the rest of us!”
I explained to them that the bed was now necessary to heal their little brother’s discomfort, that many many families had lost their homes and all their furniture as well.
Indeed, in the current circumstances of the war, where so many families have lost their homes and furniture, vocational training is proving useful in the sense that it can help a large number of internally displaced families meet some of their urgent needs for relative comfort and safety.

Walking Together

Anas, 17, was born in rural Aleppo. He grew up there, living with his parents and brother. His father used to work in agriculture, but as the crisis intensified in 2011, Anas was forced to leave with his mother and brother to Deir al-Zaur. His father did not wish to leave so he remained in his hometown.
Thus, Anas became the family’s sole breadwinner. The young man, who was a hard-working student, had to leave school because of the poor economic situation, so that his brother might continue his education.
Three years after they were first displaced to Deir al-Zaur, the family had to move again to rural Damascus and settled in the city of Jaramana. Here Anas managed to land a job at a plastic factory, with long working hours. He was determined, however, to pursue his education and not to let those random conditions get the best of him.
At this point, Anas heard about our community center in Jaramana through one of our ORVs. He came to the CC and began to attend day educational classes for basic certificate students while still working at night.
During the classes we found that Anas had some problems with his younger brother. So, both brothers were integrated into two separate groups of the Mentoring Program, thereby introduced to collaborative communication and peer relation. Their relationship gradually began to improve. Their mother was then invited to attend women’ sessions and was followed up by the CP case manager.
At the end of the school year, Anas took the final exams for the basic education certificate, but success was not his ally in the first time. So, he decided to intensify his efforts next time and with the beginning of the schoolyear enrolled again in the educational sessions held at the CC. This year came with promising results for both Anas and his brother… Thus, Anas had realized his first dream. Though he still has to pass the high school certificate exams with a good score before trying to realize his greatest dream: entering the Faculty of Economics.
After Anas’ success in the exam, he heard about the carpentry course (Vocational Training Program) and wanted to learn this trade to avoid being exploited as he was at the plastic factory. As he is considered his family’s sole breadwinner, he was accepted in the course and proved an exemplary trainee, fully committed to learning.
At the end of the course, his request form was presented to the Livelihood Toolkits Program competent committee in order to obtain a carpentry toolkit according to the established standards. In parallel, he was linked to a carpentry workshop where he was paid enough to meet his needs and the needs of his family.
During a follow-up visit to his place of work, the master carpenter expressed his satisfaction with Anas’ quality of work and commitment. As for Anas himself, he expressed his happiness in these terms:
“I’m very happy and feel relieved. The situation at home with Mother and my brother has significantly improved,” he said. “I enjoy my job a lot. Master likes me and lets me go to the activities at the center. I even enrolled in an accounting course so I may develop myself in this domain.”
“A man is one who, using his will, decides himself his future,” he added.

Celebrating Eid with you is still lovelier!

A tiny word with a vast meaning, Eid combines joy and love, refreshes tolerance and the desire to visit relatives and reconnect with friends…
On this occasion, the SSSD various teams in Rural Damascus, in cooperation with the UNHCR, carried out six sessions entitled Celebrating Eid with you is still lovelier! between 19 and 26 June at the Beit al-Wiaam and Butterfly Effect CCs (Jaramana district), the Peace Center for Development (al-Hameh), the Farah CC (‘Adra) and Dar al-Karama for elderly care.
The sessions were attended by 391 beneficiaries from the Hear-My-Heart and Dhahab Ateeq programs. They included several art performances, competitions and games and were concluded by offering the traditional Eid sweets and a small present for each beneficiary.
Everyone participated in competitions and games with great joy and enthusiasm and certainly enjoyed the artistic performances. The fact that we celebrated together that happy occasion had a great impact on the hearts of the beneficiaries.

Mother, Sweet Mother

In celebration of Mothers’ Day, and in appreciation of the role of mothers—a mother being the one who brings hope and makes us smile in life’s most difficult moments—, the SSSD team in Rural Damascus, in cooperation with UNHCR, held several recreational sessions on the occasion of Mothers’ Day within the Hear-My-Heart and Dhahab Atiq programs.
The sessions were attended by 243 women and men and were intended to bring joy and pleasure to their hearts and celebrate with them. The discussion touched upon the role of mothers in raising children on moral principles and was followed by various recreational activities, such as games, singing, buzuq and flute playing and poetry recitation by some men and children.
The beneficiaries greatly enjoyed the event, which encouraged them to revive family gatherings for celebration. Several wonderful talents were also discovered, in poetry, singing and music playing.

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