In Syria, which has been gripped for more than a decade by civil war, we successfully carried out — together with the Salesians in the capital, Damascus — a project entitled Building the skills of vulnerable groups of the population in Syria for the labour market. The project was financially supported by a grant from SlovakAid in the amount of EUR 199,996.20. Its main goal was to improve the chances of the vulnerable population in Syria to find work in the domestic labour market.

Over the last 14 years, Syria has been torn apart by a civil war that has caused massive destruction, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the massive displacement of the population. The country is facing economic collapse, the devaluation of its currency and a deterioration of living conditions for the majority of the population. In 2021 there were 6.7 million internally displaced people in Syria (3.2 million men and 3.5 million women, including 2.4 million people with disabilities), which represents one third of the country’s total population.

The Salesians of Don Bosco in Syria pay special attention to young people, women and people with special health needs. The specific aim of the project was to improve access for internally displaced people and the host community in the governorates of Damascus and Damascus Countryside to skills for the labour market.

The first planned outcome of the project is the establishment of a new training centre. The second planned outcome is soft and hard skills built for the labour market. The selection of skills that the project would deliver was carried out in cooperation with the consultancy firm SBK Limited Liability Company in Damascus.

The project devoted special attention to young people, women and people with special health needs. The specific aim of the project was to improve access for internally displaced people and the host community in Damascus to skills for the labour market.

In 2023 a new training centre was successfully set up in Damascus, in which 20 courses were carried out in three areas as part of the project. In total, we trained 455 people in the areas of soft skills, IT programming and reconstruction work.

THANKS TO THE PROJECT, WE MANAGED TO:

• set up and equip a training centre
• train a total of 455 people in soft-skills, programming and reconstruction-work courses
• arrange 136 professional internships for graduates of the courses
• run 20 courses in three areas
• train 239 women
• train 232 internally displaced people
• train 287 young people up to 29 years of age
• train 7 people with special needs

The educational programme for the target groups also included a professional internship which connected potential employers with 136 trained course graduates and increased their chances of finding a job. We see it as very positive that some course graduates and interns received job offers from companies.

The project significantly improved the practical skills of the participants, gave them a deeper overview of the sectors in which they can find work, and increased their chances of employment. The experience gained during the internships helped to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application, thereby supporting a smooth transition for the participants into a professional environment.

The project had the potential to improve the situation of women in Syria and to raise awareness of climate change and the protection of the environment.

The decade-long war in Syria has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises of the present day. In 2021, up to 13.4 million people in the country were in need of humanitarian assistance (of whom approximately 10 million were women and children and 2.3 million were people with special health needs), representing 75% of the total population of Syria. The humanitarian crisis is continually deepening together with the crisis of the Syrian economy, which has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the economy in neighbouring Lebanon.

The critical economic situation in Syria has enormously increased the poverty rate in the country. Almost 90% of the Syrian population live below the poverty line, with up to 60–65% in extreme poverty.

However, wages are not rising in line with rising prices. The lack of funds to cover the cost of living is forcing Syrians to sell their property and take on debt. The situation is also pushing people into crisis coping mechanisms such as eating smaller amounts of food, skipping meals during the day, child labour and child marriages.

The project enabled young people, women and people with disabilities to acquire the skills needed to find work, secure a livelihood for their families and at the same time contribute to the rebuilding of the country.

The project was supported through SlovakAid and was completed on 31 August 2024.

From the Advent FOUR GIFTS collection we have set aside EUR 1,000 from the humanitarian-aid portion that will go to support the community of Salesian brothers in Syria.

On the night of 5 to 6 February 2023 a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Turkey. The epicentre of the earthquake was Kahramanmaraş in southern Turkey, near the north-western border with Syria. It was followed by a large number of aftershocks and another strong earthquake measuring 7.5.

In the Syrian city of Aleppo, hundreds of buildings collapsed and the death toll across both countries is now estimated at more than 5,000, with the number likely to grow as thousands of people remain trapped under the rubble. The whole situation is being made more difficult by low temperatures and windy weather. It is estimated that 4.1 million people in north-eastern Syria are at risk.

The Salesian centre in Aleppo suffered only limited damage in the form of cracks and some broken windows. The Syrian Ministry of Health is reporting 42 deaths and more than 200 injured in the city of Aleppo. “The earthquake was felt very strongly and for a long time,” explains the Salesian Alejandro León, Provincial of the Salesians of the Middle East, who was in Kafroun (western Syria) and travelling to Damascus that day.

The Salesians and the people they serve are safe. As soon as the strong tremors began, some families left their homes and went to the Salesian centre in the city of Aleppo, where they sought help and shelter. They were welcomed there and given warm clothing, food and emotional support. Since early this morning, more than 300 people have been staying at the centre: their homes were heavily damaged by 12 years of war and they feel safer on the Salesians’ premises. We got in touch with the Salesians in Syria immediately, thanks also to our cooperation on the project Building the skills of vulnerable groups of the population in Syria for the labour market.

The Salesians and their centre in Aleppo will become a temporary refuge in the coming hours and days for many people who cannot return home because of the devastating consequences of the earthquake. The Salesians of Don Bosco in Syria are also turning to us with a plea for prayers and financial help. The costs associated with caring for the people arriving will grow, as they are striving to help as many people and families as possible. 

The Salesians at the Aleppo centre are currently funding the purchase of food, hygiene supplies, blankets and pillows for 300 people. In addition, they need to repair minor damage to the building. For 150 families they are preparing vouchers for the purchase of food, medication and hygiene supplies, and for gas and energy bills. The expenses also include the salaries of the people helping out as administrative staff, cooks and psychologists.

The Salesian communities in the cities of Kafroun and Damascus are also preparing to help people who will be seeking shelter at their centres. They therefore need to fund the purchase of food for approximately 350 people.

Join us too and support the activities that help people affected by the earthquake in Syria:

• by a deposit or transfer of a financial gift directly to the account number:

IBAN: SK5511000000002626853119

Variable symbol: 043045

• via the payment portal darujme.sk

• QR code

We would like to thank you for your gift, so please include your e-mail address in the message to the recipient.

• YourCauseGlobal Good Network

SAVIO o.z., NPP-12820573, DESIGNATION: Syria

Thank you to all donors!

The gross proceeds of the collection amounted to 166,886.92 euros. The costs of running the collection were 17.25 percent. The net proceeds of 138,092.58 eurosare earmarked for supporting  more than 400 families with material, food and medical aid, school supplies for educational and leisure activities for 2,000 children and young people, and the repair of a centre in Damascus damaged by a bomb.

Directly involved in the collection were over 106 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and almost 68 youth and other organizations in towns and villages across Slovakia. All participating schools and organizations received promotional and background materials, which served not only the campaign for the collection but also as resources for education and awareness-raising in the area of development cooperation. As part of the collection, schools — with our consent — carried out their own activities serving its purpose.

The net proceeds of the collection, 138,092.58 EUR, supported the following activities:

Humanitarian aid for displaced families in Kafroun, Damascus and Aleppo, Syria

Thanks to the funds from the collection, it was possible to provide help to 81 internally displaced families in Damascus from November 2016 to June 2017, as well as 40 families in Kafroun and 136 families in Aleppo from October 2016 to June 2017. Thanks to the collection, the basic needs of the most vulnerable families in three Syrian cities were met and they were provided with decent housing. The activities were implemented by the Salesians of Don Bosco, who personally identified the target group and drew up a detailed list of final beneficiaries. The aid took the form of financial contributions towards housing and food for the selected families. The implementation team oversaw the use of the funds and monitored the improvement in the standard of living of the beneficiaries. Coordination and monthly monitoring were carried out by Alejandro José León Mendoza, project coordinator. Through the first part of the project, poverty levels and the vulnerability of internally displaced Syrian families were reduced.

Activities for young people at the Salesian centres in Kafroun, Damascus and Aleppo, Syria

The proceeds of the collection helped fund numerous educational and leisure activities for children and young people at the three Salesian centres in Kafroun, Damascus and Aleppo. The aim of the activities was to give local children and young people the chance for non-formal education and active recreation in a safe environment, and to mitigate the negative impact of the war on their mental health. The funds under these activities were used in particular for food, water, electricity, heating, medicines and clothing.

In Kafroun, 2 six-day summer camps for children were held. In Kafroun and Aleppo, catechesis sessions focused on the personal and spiritual development of children and young people took place — since many of the children were unable to come to the centres on their own for safety reasons, the Salesians of Don Bosco regularly provided bus transport for them. The centre in Aleppo hosted the sixth football tournament for peace in Aleppo, as well as a smaller tournament for university youth. The centre also offered tutoring for children, run by university students. As part of non-formal education they helped the children with homework and exam preparation. Aleppo also offered children and youth the chance to take part in music and drama clubs, where performances were rehearsed for numerous cultural events at the centre. A market for children and parents was also held in Aleppo, focused on the distribution of food, drinks, clothing and handmade goods. The market drew an enthusiastic turnout of hundreds of children and parents.

The centre in Damascus is visited daily by about 1,200 people aged 5–30 who take part in a spiritual programme, sports activities, art clubs in visual arts, music and drama, as well as charitable initiatives in nearby orphanages, hospitals, hospices and centres for people with disabilities. Thanks to Tehlička, non-formal educational activities were held there, during which school supplies were distributed to the children as needed. The centre organized 2 football tournaments in which 17 teams from the capital took part. Approximately 1,000 children took part in the Don Bosco Has Talent event, where children and youth showed their artistic, drama and music skills. During the project, 4 one-day trips were organized for the youth of Damascus, with around 120 children taking part in each. The centre also offered a rich Christmas and New Year programme — thanks to the financial support of the collection, Christmas gifts were given to around 1,150 children.

Roof repair of the Salesian centre in Kafroun, Syria

Kafroun lies in the Tarsous region, a well-known summer holiday area thanks to its beautiful landscape, interesting architecture and pilgrimage sites. The Salesian centre in Kafroun is a sought-after spot for local residents and visitors alike, since it offers the possibility of running activities for children and young people in a pleasant setting. Since the start of the war, the centre has become a refuge for many internally displaced families, who have found temporary safe accommodation here, and the number of children and young people coming to the safe environment of the centre to take part in sports, cultural and educational activities has also grown. To improve the conditions for running activities for children and young people, as well as conditions for housing internally displaced people, it was necessary to repair the roof of the main building of the centre — together with the ceilings, it was in very poor condition due to the high humidity of the air. In the first phase the old roof was removed; later, construction of a new roof began. The roof repair directly benefits, on average, 200–400 children aged over 8, 70 young people, Salesian youth and scouts from Kafroun, Damascus and Aleppo, youth groups from the surrounding villages, families living in Kafroun, 40 internally displaced families and poor families from Kafroun.

THANK YOU TO ALL DONORS AND PARTICIPANTS FOR SUPPORTING TEHLIČKA 2016