9/27/2026
Qatar Charity, in partnership with the Sham Humanitarian Foundation, has launched a development project to train 540 women and men and connect them with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities across four cities in northwestern Syria. With a total budget exceeding US$1 million, the project priorities the most vulnerable groups, particularly women, returnees and persons with disabilities.
The project, titled “From Training to Empowerment: Towards a Sustainable Career,” responds to the impact of years of conflict on livelihoods. More than 75% of people in the targeted areas live below the poverty line, while youth unemployment exceeds 75%, according to a field needs assessment involving 283 people from different segments of the local community.
Training Opportunities
The project is being implemented in Aleppo, Idlib, Jisr al-Shughur and Al-Amal City in Suran. It offers a package of vocational, technical and digital training courses tailored to local market needs. The programmes cover women’s tailoring; candle making and resin crafts; the installation and maintenance of solar energy and surveillance systems; mobile phone and computer maintenance; and website design, digital marketing and graphic design.
The courses run for six to ten weeks and are delivered through four vocational and technical centers being equipped to meet safety and accessibility standards, thereby expanding participation opportunities for women and persons with disabilities.
Entrepreneurship and Employment
The project goes beyond training by placing graduates on two practical pathways leading either to business ownership or employment. Under the entrepreneurship pathway, 250 participants receive specialized training in establishing and managing small businesses, followed by grants averaging US$1,500 per participant to launch their ventures, in addition to three months of commercial rent support.
A further 250 participants benefit from the employment pathway, which connects them directly with job opportunities at approximately 85 private-sector workshops and companies. They also receive a monthly allowance for three months to help them settle into their new roles.
Participants on both pathways receive career guidance and mentoring, as well as technical follow-up visits after training. Trainers will continue to provide free consultations for one year after the project ends, strengthening participants’ prospects for continuity and success.
Promotional Exhibitions
To strengthen graduates’ market presence, the project will organize four promotional exhibitions, one in each target area where participants can showcase their products and services and connect directly with customers and the local business community. The exhibitions are designed to open new marketing channels and support the sustainability of emerging enterprises.
Mohammed Al-Jaradi, Project Officer at Qatar Charity’s Türkiye office, said the initiative reflects a shift in humanitarian action from emergency response to capacity-building and sustainable livelihoods. “Syria is entering a different phase. The need is no longer limited to emergency relief; it now extends to building people’s capabilities and enabling them to become self-reliant. We selected these areas because they are seeing growing numbers of residents return, and because every job created brings greater stability to an entire family. The project does not offer training that ends with a certificate. Instead, it provides an integrated pathway that begins with skills development and leads to a functioning business or stable employment, supported by field follow-up that helps sustain its impact,” he said.
The project aims to turn skills into sustainable sources of income, supply the labor market with qualified professionals and stimulate local economies in conflict-affected areas, thereby advancing early recovery and strengthening the economic and social stability of beneficiary families.