A lot has changed between the previous and present Eid.

In order to stay in constant touch with our traditions, there is no better way than to turn to the memory of life represented by our grandparents, who lived to pass the traditions to the next generation, and entrust us on the revival of those lovely rituals and traditions.

Based on this concept, the Syrian Society for Social Development team in Homs held a series of activities and sessions within Old but Gold Program, entitled “With You, Eid is Complete” at the Hekayat Balad Community Center in Homs.

 
The activities targeted older women age groups in the area. Moreover, the session topics varied between tales and stories about the past and present Eid traditions and customs, to activities aimed at reviving those rites, such as preparing Ma’moul sweets, which is the most popular Eid custom all over the Syrian cities.

 
The sessions were concluded with a festive activity, in honor and appreciation for the elderly women that participated in the program. The activities and sessions were mainly prepared and implemented by the youth beneficiaries of the center's activities and services. The celebration included video presentations showing several ways of celebrating Eid in different countries around the world, a comedy play presented by the participating youth, as well as many games and entertaining competitions. The event came to an end with Eid songs and offering symbolic presents to the women as a sign of our love, gratitude and appreciation for them.

 
One of the women expressed her happiness by saying “You reminded us of the good old days when we used to gather in our family home, help each other out in making Eid sweets, stay up all night long with the sound of songs and the smell of the maamul that filled the whole street”.

Another woman added, “We really had a wonderful time, you brought us back our smiles that were stolen by the crisis”.

A senior is a bridge that links our past to our present, through whom we can foresee our future. Older persons have accomplished their duty to society. That is why we felt it our duty to honor them, by offering them the appreciation and love they needed so much. For this reason, SSSD, in cooperation with the UNHCR, held in Rural Damascus on November 1-2, 2018 an Old but Gold celebration event on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons at the Peace Center for Development (Hameh) and the Butterfly Effect & Beit al-Wiam (Jaramana) community centers.
390 elderly persons from the Old-But-Gold Program participated. The event included various recreational activities: popular linked poetry (zajal); competitions and games; a medical awareness activity about the methods to prevent some diseases to which older persons are particularly prone, the importance of exercise, healthy food and regular tests; traditional songs; the “discover a talent” activity; songs performed by children; comic drama sketches performed by SSSD volunteers; poetry; as well as an exhibition of products made by the Old-But-Gold ladies. The event was concluded by offering sweets to all and a small present for each beneficiary.
The older people participated in the activity with sheer joy in their hearts and broad smiles on their faces. They were deeply moved by the SSSD gesture, overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude and appreciation they longed for. We sensed that in their simple words: “It had been so long since we last met with friends from whom we were separated by circumstances.”
For all of the above reasons, we will never hesitate to resnew such meetings with them.

“I have not been out of this home for a long time now, but today I am so happy to be with you,” said one of the beneficiaries from Dar al-Karama for the Elderly, after participating in the activities of the International Day of Peace. The event was organized by SSSD in Damascus, in cooperation with the UNHCR, as part of the Old-But-Gold Program, in celebration of the International Day of Peace on 16 September 2018.
15 seniors participated in the event that featured a “Joy and Peace March”: SSSD volunteers, the beneficiaries from Dar al-Karama, along with the young of the Mentoring Program, marched from the Home towards Bab Sharqi, carrying peace slogans and roses they offered to passersby in the garden, raising their voices everywhere with songs celebrating Joy and Peace.

(Cooperation is the foundation of success, one hand does not clap, our heritage is our foundation).
With these words, the ladies of (old but gold) categor expressed their appreciation for the recreational activity organized by the Syrian Society for Social Development in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) .
The aim of the activity was to share the experiences of the ladies in making the pomegranate molasses and to develop the spirit of cooperation among them. The number of women was 35 women, we divided the women into groups, one group peeled the pomegranate, another cleaned the peel. The groups of shared its health benefits on the body ,skin and fat burning.
Then, the juice were brought to the fire with the help of SSSD volunteers and we have produced a distinctive and thick pomegranate molasses. The activity was very fun and full of laughter, and some women played songs about pomegranate.
After finishing the work, we provided some drinks and sweets for the ladies to share.