As-Suwayda-Sana
The “Together for Self-Sufficiency” initiative in As-Suwayda represents one of the voluntary development initiatives aimed at supporting many families by establishing small and micro home projects in various regions of the governorate, making them self-reliant in work and production to meet the difficult burdens and requirements of life.
The initiative, as stated by its coordinator, Dr. Rabia Zahlan, in her interview with SANA reporter, includes a group of volunteer academics who bring together well-off people who love their family and country and provide support on the one hand, and people who are able to work and produce and want to establish small home businesses, according to a partnership contract with a volunteer lawyer, provided that the funder is recovered The amount is in the form of comfortable installments, and in most cases the amount is recycled and a second family is helped.
Zahlan stated that their role as volunteers in the initiative and university graduates is to organize, coordinate, and provide the necessary expertise in an effort to enhance the role of the university and university cadres in crises, indicating that the initiative was necessitated by the necessities of the current stage to reduce the economic burden on many people and move from a culture of consumption to a culture of production.
According to the initiative’s coordinator, Dr. Zahlan, to date, about 10 months after its launch, about 110 contracts have been concluded for small home projects that combine poultry farming, dairy and cheese, home cooking, sewing, handicrafts, agricultural projects, Arabic bread, the manufacture of hand creams, apiaries, and others.
Dr. Zahlan indicated that the initiative recently networked with many parties, as it distributed with the Syrian Trust for Development and the Rose Foundation for Development 5,000 tomato seedlings in a number of villages in the governorate. It also distributed with the Trust and the Sustainability Project of 5,000 thyme seedlings to 125 people in 40 villages to spread thyme cultivation. Sesame seeds will be distributed to the beneficiaries of thyme seedlings so that the production of edible thyme can be done at home, pointing out that work is currently underway with the Municipality as well to spread the production of oyster mushrooms.
According to Dr. Zahlan, a group of experts and specialists in all fields of the projects being supported are cooperating with the initiative's volunteers, including agricultural engineers, biologists, veterinarians, beekeepers and others.
According to Raed Al-Hajali, he was supported by the initiative to develop his micro-project by raising chickens, as he achieved self-sufficiency in eggs while selling surplus production sometimes, stressing the importance of this small business for him, which is added to his practice of many self-employment to meet the burdens and requirements of life.
Housewife Lama Abu Fakher indicated that she was funded by the initiative to work in the field of home cooking for various occasions and weddings, because she loves this field, which has brought her a small job opportunity that secures a supplementary income.
While the student at the College of Science, Hadeel Al-Abdullah, stated that she was funded by the “Together for Self-Sufficiency” initiative to develop her work in the manufacture of dairy and cheese, where she works two days a week in this field and on holidays to secure an income that helps her with her university expenses and help her sister who is also studying.
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