With the aim to help women and develop their abilities in the sewing profession to enable them to enter the labor market and start their own business, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) team, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), carried out a vocational training in sewing within both the Vocational Training(VT) and Gender-based Violence (GBV) Programmes at Aman Center in Talkalakh, Homs.

The training targeted women from both local and internally displaced communities, and was implemented in response to these women’s demand due to the lack of sewing workshops in the region, as well as the high prices of ready-mades.

During the training, the women learned the basics of sewing and how to tailor clothes. Also, they learnt how to use sewing machines, in addition to the methods of sketching many types of clothing and executing the latter on small pieces of cloth.

The training concluded with the distribution of cloth to all participants so that they could detail their own clothes.

All participating women interacted with the training, whereby one of them said: "Ever since I was a young girl, I just loved detailing clothes to my dolls. My dream was to study arts in order to learn the techniques of sewing, but my father couldn’t afford registering me in one of these classes… Luckily, I achieved my dream thanks to SSSD!”

Another participant said: "I had a sewing machine for a very long time, and I only used it to make clothes for my kids. Now, I can expand my work and make money out of it to support my family!”

As a first step for each woman to begin her career in the profession she has learned, the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has organized a vocational training exhibition within the GBV programme at Aman Center.

The exhibition was a conclusion of the women's training in crochet, embroidery and cleaning industry carried out by SSSD. The women participated in the preparation of and invitation to the exhibition, in cooperation with SSSD’s team. They also had the chance to present their work to the attenders, including the beneficiaries’ families and several residents in the neighborhood surrounding the safe space.

With the aim of achieving local community awareness on the dangers and negative social/health impacts of early marriage, the Syrian Society for Social Development Team, in partnership with the UNFPA, carried out a campaign entitled “I’m still young, wait until I grow up” at the Women and Girls Safe Space (WGSS) in Hama. The five-day campaign was divided into two sections. The first section lasted three days.

The first day took place at the WGSS, where an open discussion was held on amendments to the Personal Status Law regarding early marriage in the presence of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

On the second day, a questionnaire on early marriage opinion was conducted by the center’s mobile team at Ibn Rushd Street in Hama.

The third day was at the textile factory, where a sketch on early marriage was performed. After the sketch ended, we discussed with the workers at the factory their opinions and presented some health information on the risks of early marriage.

As for the second section, it lasted two days. The first day was divided into two parts. The first part was conducted at the WGSS in Hama, where we began by showing a sketch on early marriage and later on had a discussion with the women about the sketch.

Then, we presented a reportage showing people’s opinions on early marriage where the questionnaire was conducted. The second part was held in Qamhaneh and also included a sketch on early marriage as well as a video showing the consequences, negative impacts of early marriage and the appropriate age to get married.

Regarding the second day, it was conducted in Maardess with the presence of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, which participated in the discussion on amendments to the Personal Status Law related to early marriage.

The campaign was concluded by forming a dress and writing statements and opinions by attendees about early marriage.

To empower juveniles to find a job after leaving the Female Juvenile Center in Damascus,SSSD in cooperation with UNFPA conducted vocational training courses in the center, namely, hair stylist and wool knitting.
Hair stylist course
First stage/ Beginner level included teaching scissor-over-comb technique and the right way to use the comb for hair sections, as well as discussing general hair stylist etiquette.Second stage included teaching haircuts: layered, dégradé, long and short carré, and garson. As well as cutting hair with a razor, hair trimming, getting rid of split ends, cutting bangs and sideburns.
Third stage: skin care and eyebrows. How to use tweezers, filling eyebrows, and choosing the best eyebrow shapes according to face-shapes.
Fourth stage/ hair coloring: hair dyes and different color ranges, how to blend dyes and prepare color composition, choosing the right dye colors for skin color. Then practical hair coloring for trainees who wanted to color their hair or repair its color.
The final stage included how to apply color using meche (caps) and using foils (highlight) and how to blend and prepare the mix.
There was a weekly open day, at which the girls practically learnt different braid-styles and simple hairstyles. The girls were so happy and determined to work in hair styling once they leave the juvenile center.

Wool knitting course
First stage: the right way of holding the wool needle, different types and sizes of needles, and different types of wool.
Second stage: included introducing the girls to knitting stitch patterns (size and number) and then they started off with practical knitting. At the beginning they knitted wool hats based on their color preferences. Later, they knitted scarfs, foot-warmers, gloves, sweaters and jackets.    

In cooperation with UNHCR, SSSD carried an awareness campaign pertaining girl’s right to education in Deir Al-Asafir, East Gouta.

The campaign targeted women, adolescent girls and boys. One woman said, “A woman is like a school, when you teach her, as if you are teaching a whole family.” Another woman said, “I was illiterate; however, I am learning and now I know how to read my name and a bus’s plate. I believe that education is essential to a girl’s life.”

The adolescent activity included drawing a tableau that was placed on the school’s wall expressing girl’s right to education. “I am starting to like school more,” according to an adolescent girl. Toward the end of the activity adolescent boys conveyed supportive messages to the girls: “Be strong” “Defend yourself” “It is your right to learn”.

As a part of the national breast cancer screening campaign “be safe”.

The Syrian Society for Social Development in Hama, has established in cooperation with the UNFPA-Syria, several activities and sessions aimed at spreading the awareness about early detection of the disease.
Sessions were held within Aman Center in partnership with the Directorate of Health, they stated on the importance of early screening, mechanisms of clinical detection and, the addresses of the Health centers where the Mammography is available.

The group also held seminars within the faculties of Education, Literature and, The Nursing School, In partnership with the Health Directorate, The National Union of Syrian Students, Hama University, Maharda Charitable Society, Charity Musyaf and, The Syrian Family Organization.
During these seminars we talked about the mechanisms of early detection, offered some sweets and, hosted a nutritionist to speak about the subject.
At the end of the campaign, the DOH in partnership with the working associations and the UNFPA held a central ceremony that presented artistic awareness shows and, questionnaires. In addition to, a technical show we presented as the very first time in Hama “black light”, the show represented the community support of the patient and the ways of recovering from the disease.

The audience expressed their admiration of the information we provided and, the offered facilities by the association for the referral to health centers for radiological examination.

Manual labor and handicrafts give us inner balance and a sense of trust and success in human relationships. This is why art must be for everyone.
In this context, on 14/08/2018, in collaboration with the UNFPA, SSSD organized at the Electricity Institute temporary shelter in the ‘Adra District, Rural Damascus, a session entitled Hand-Made.
The session, which was held within the Hear-My-Heart Program, included 16 women and aimed to break the routine and introduce the participants to a new skill of manual labor. The women interacted remarkably and engaged in the activities with passion. They also expressed their pleasure and a strong desire to do similar work in the future.