Mrs. M was born in Qamishli in 1982. She’s divorced with three children__ two daughters and a son__ and lives with her parents and siblings in Corniche neighborhood in Qamishli. When Mrs. M attended Hear my Heart activities at Beit Alkell center in Qamishli, and through the Zahharat Baraami activity that revolved around how a mother should handle teenagers, she talked about her daughters and wept. When asked about what made her cry, she said:” I am far away from my kids because I divorced their father. I couldn’t live with him anymore and tolerate all his mental and physical abuse. The only reason I tolerated it a first was because of my children, so that people wouldn’t start talking and say they have a divorced mother. What made me incapable of putting up with him was the fact that my children became affected of seeing their mom beaten up… it just suffocated me!”

From talking to Mrs. M, it was apparent that she suffered from community pressure because of the prevailing view of divorce, especially that she got divorced after fifteen years of marriage. “People are merciless! They keep telling me I should have stayed with my husband for the sake of my children’s reputation. What’s putting me even more down is the fact that I became dependent on my family and without any independent revenue I can spend on myself”, expressed Mrs. M.

She was referred to the GBV programme, and said through the sessions that she tried to commit suicide because she was deprived of her children. She was also subjected to violence from her mother, who refused to receive her children as she considers them to carry their father’s name and are thus for him alone.

And so, she was guided to ask for her rights from her mother, so that she could bring her daughters and be treated right. After her needs were assessed, it was clear that she needed psychological support.

Consequently, she was referred to the Psychological Support programme, and was followed-up by a specialist who worked on her self-acceptance and self-confidence.

Also, after the GBV case manager followed up on her, she found that Mrs. M suffered from poverty and inability to provide for herself and her children. For that reason, she was enrolled in the Small Business Grants programme and got the approval of her project__ a small library__ in the neighborhood she resides in. this project helped her become an independent woman. It also empowered her, as she started fighting for her right to see her children, and brought them presents from her library once she saw them. “I don’t need anyone’s help anymore. I was able to buy my children clothes for Eid from the project’s revenue. I was overwhelmed when I saw the joy in their eyes when they visited me at my library, and I gave them stationary as a gift for them to go to school. My children are a piece of me, and I have every right to see them and hold them tight”, said Mrs. M.

And through I am More Beautiful activity, which includes one’s self-perception and confidence in his potential, Mrs. M recounted her entire story to all the women. She told them about how she used to feel__ weak and chained__ and how she felt after SSSD helped her__ more beautiful and stronger. She was proud of herself for being proud of her dignity, and screamed from the top pf her lungs:” Now I am starting to breathe…”

Mrs. S A is a widow born in 1969 and residing in Rmeilan al-Basha village in rural al-Malkieh with her five sons and four daughters. She went back to her village which turned into a warzone during the crisis, only to find her home completely destroyed and her source of income (sheep raising) lost. This left her devastated as she couldn’t provide for her children anymore. Once she was spotted by one of SSSD’s outreach volunteers, she was offered the services provided by SSSD. There, Mrs. S A broke down and said with deep grief:” Everything dear to me was lost: my husband, my home… I have nothing left to help me and my children go on and stand on our feet.” She was later on accompanied to SSSD’s center and enrolled in a Small Business Management Course. After completing the course, she presented her project, which was sheep raising, and got the approval and funding after meeting with the UNHCR.

Today, Mrs. SA her project’s own sponsor with all seriousness and perseverance, hoping to find the opportunity to provide for her family’s needs without anyone’s help. She expressed her happiness during a visit by an ORV to follow up on her project, saying: "May God reward and protect you. You have supported me in my life’s weakest period. Today I have my own sheep to care for.”  

While each of us goes through a moment of weakness when losing something dear and precious, we could surpass all these difficulties with the right support and help.

Mr. M J is a father of five (three sons and two daughters) from Qamishli, born in 1960. He was displaced from Duma and is the sole breadwinner. He also supports his mother, and currently resides in Qaddour Beik neighborhood in Qamishli at a house one of his friends lent him.

He used to work at a fast food restaurant, until his health started deteriorating and had to undergo an open-heart operation, which led him to quit his job.

After Mr. M J came with one of his friends the center to ask about the services provided by SSSD, he attended the Old-But-Gold sessions and talked about how he lost his main profession (Shawarma Chef), and how he couldn’t afford going back to his job. Once the session ended, the facilitator referred him to the SBG staff for them to guide him through the needed procedures to apply for a small business. Later on, he was visited by one of the ORV team to assess his situation.

And so, Mr. M J attended the Project Management Course and excelled at it. Later on, he met with the UNHCR and was granted the necessary funding to start his own project. Mr. M J saw this project as a way to get back to his job and city. He became stable and was able to secure a decent life for his family.   

Mr. M J is now getting his project’s revenue and is still attending the men's sessions. In the last session, he expressed his gratitude to the association by saying: “As one gets older, he feels like a burden. When I became unemployed, I started feeling old and waited to die…. Your help brought me back to life and brought back the respect of my existence… with you, I feel that I exist and matter…”

Some roads may be blocked, leaving us no choice but to change our course… Once we get lost, we need a hand that reaches out to us and makes us feel safe to start all over again… Let us be that hand to them and their families.