FSL

The days of (Festival of Sacrifice) Eid al-Adha are days of cooperation and endeavor to bring happiness to others.
Because the joy of Eid al-Adha is only complete when people share food and eat from the Eid sacrifice, IhsanRD’s team, supported by Muslim Aid and Muslim Aid USA, distributed 1,350 portions of sacrificial meat in Hanboucheh and Kafr Nobol camps.

Believing in the ability of the Syrians to make living and produce, and towards empowering the most vulnerable people in society, IhsanRD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a number of local councils in northern Syria in order to start a new project to support small businesses in the region that will give beneficiary families the opportunity to be self-reliant and take the lead in insurance of food and decent living.

This Project is part of a series of projects funded by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, in several Syrian governorates aimed at strengthening the resilience of the Syrians in face of the difficult conditions they have suffered since the beginning of the war. These projects are also directed at moving beneficiaries from a state of dependence on food aid to a state of active work and production.
The Small Businesses Support Project in northern Syria is being implemented over a period of 6 months.

The project provides support to 200 beneficiaries selected from IDPs and host communities from the most vulnerable people.

The project activities include two main phases:
The first phase of the project (training), where the training will be provided to the beneficiaries on the design and planning of small business projects, including the budget planning and development of the project strategy and considering the principles of security and safety and environmental conservation during the implementation of the business. As well as practical training on how to fill the project proposal to be submitted to the selection committee for projects to be supported.

The second phase of the project (support and consultation) After the trainees submit the project proposals, a specialized team from IhsanRD will study the submitted proposals and grant approvals for the projects that meet the criteria. The beneficiaries will be supported by materials and equipment necessary for them to start their own business.

Finally, IhsanRD’s team will provide technical support and consultation to ensure the continuity and success of the project. “By supporting small businesses, we aim at securing stable income for beneficiaries and to give them the opportunity to start their own businesses that support their independence away from relying on traditional relief assistance,” said Mr Loay, project manager at IhsanRD.

From displacement to another, the suffering of Syrians continues. Hoping to return to their homes one day, the families now are spending their days trying to survive.
The war in which more than 400,000 people have lost their lives and a further 11 million civilians have been displaced from their homes, causing a deep humanitarian crisis in the country and the whole region.

Basic resources like water and shelter are scarce, and millions of children have been uprooted from school and any sense of stability. Harsh winters and hot summers make the life for a displaced person even more difficult. The effects of the conflict are unimaginable.

One fact is very simple: millions of Syrians need our help. According to the U.N., $4.6 billion was required to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable Syrians in 2017 — but only a little more than half was received.
The host communities of displaced people, such as those in Idlib and Northern Aleppo, received them and provided shelter, but this is not enough to meet the basic needs of displaced families. Goods and services are expensive and difficult to obtain in many areas devastated by war.

The crucial question facing the head of the family like Mu’taz is how will I feed my family today?
Moataz, who has fled from northern Hama, was able to secure a modest income job in an effort to support his family, but he could not provide enough food for them because of expensive prices.
“When we had no food to eat, we sent our children to borrow from neighbors. Sometimes, we ate less so that our children could eat,” says Moataz’s wife.

This is what happened with the Mu’taz family, like many displaced families, before IhsanRD launched its project of distribution food baskets supported by the World Food Programme. IhsanRD’s team provides monthly food baskets for 19,982 families in Al-Atareb, A’zaz and Daret Ezzah in the camps and within host communities.

This assistance often provides a lifeline for vulnerable families. As food needs are met, Mu’taz can now provide his family with other basic needs besides food.
“Now I do not worry much about getting food how and where. IhsanRD’s food distribution center is close to my home” says Moataz.

What can we do?
In many areas where it works, IhsanRD is implementing food security projects and supporting the livelihoods of affected communities to help them meet their needs and reduce their dependence on aid. Where IhsanRD teams work in several projects to support and rehabilitate bakeries and food security facilities and assist the people and training them on gardening skills and the cultivation of home gardens and support for farmers and cash-for-work projects.

Believing in the ability of the Syrians to make living and produce, and towards empowering the most vulnerable people in society, IhsanRD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a number of local councils in Dar’a governorate in order to start a new project to support small businesses in the region that will give beneficiary families the opportunity to be self-reliant and take the lead in insurance of food and decent living.

This Project is part of a series of projects funded by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, in several Syrian governorates aimed at strengthening the resilience of the Syrians in face of the difficult conditions they have suffered since the beginning of the war. These projects are also directed to moving beneficiaries from a state of dependence on food aid to a state of active work and production.
The Small Businesses Support Project in Dar’a Governorate is being implemented over a period of 6 months in the towns of Saida, Karak, Al Sahwa and Giza. Afterward, it will expand to several villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo. The project provides support to 150 beneficiaries selected from IDPs and host communities from the most vulnerable people.

The project activities include two main phases:
The first phase of the project (training), where the training will be provided to the beneficiaries on the design and planning of small business projects, including the budget planning and development of the project strategy and taking into account the principles of security and safety and environmental conservation during the implementation of the business. As well as practical training on how to fill the project proposal to be submitted to the selection committee for projects to be supported.

The second phase of the project (support and consultation) After the trainees submit the project proposals, a specialized team from IhsanRD will study the submitted proposals and grant approvals for the projects that meet the criteria. The beneficiaries will be supported by materials and equipment necessary for them to start their own business.

Fianlly, IhsanRD’s team will provide technical support and consultation to ensure continuity and success of the project. “By supporting small businesses, we aim at securing stable income for beneficiaries and to give them the opportunity to start their own businesses that support their independence away from relying on traditional relief assistance,” said Mr. Loay, project manager at IhsanRD.