Dan for Relief and Development Foundation (DRD) has begun distributing productive equipment to 50 women and girls in Raqqa City who successfully completed vocational training in tailoring and dressmaking, as well as pastry and confectionery production. The activity is part of the “Women’s Economic Empowerment in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah” project, implemented in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)

The assistance included the distribution of 25 modern industrial sewing machines to participants trained in tailoring and dressmaking, in addition to 25 electric dough mixers and 25 gas-powered household ovens equipped with four burners for participants trained in pastry and confectionery production.

The equipment is intended to help beneficiaries transition from vocational training to launching their own productive activities, enabling them to apply the skills they have acquired and establish sustainable sources of income.

DRD previously concluded a three-month vocational training programme targeting 50 women and girls from the most vulnerable groups, including survivors of and women and girls at risk of gender-based violence (GBV).

During the training, participants acquired practical and vocational skills in tailoring and dressmaking, as well as pastry and confectionery preparation, using approaches aligned with local market needs. This contributes to enhancing their employment and income-generating opportunities and strengthening their ability to establish small businesses.

The programme went beyond technical training, with participants also receiving specialized sessions on business development skills to strengthen their capacity to launch, manage, and sustain small businesses. The sessions covered key topics including budgeting, business planning and management, and marketing.

The programme is part of DRD’s broader efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment and equip women with practical, market-relevant vocational skills, helping them access employment or establish small businesses while strengthening their financial independence and ability to improve their livelihoods within a safe and women- and girl-responsive environment.

DRD continues to implement vocational training and livelihoods programmes that respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups, with a focus on linking acquired skills to employment opportunities and market demands, contributing to economic recovery and more sustainable livelihoods.

Dan for Relief and Development Foundation, in partnership with World Vision International (WVI), has completed its support for collective enterprises in Al-Karama area, rural Raqqa, by delivering equipment and productive assets to two groups comprising 33 beneficiaries, with the aim of enabling them to launch their enterprises and move into the operational and production phase

The handover, carried out on 3 August, included a diverse range of large-scale agricultural and construction equipment, reflecting the scale of support provided to the enterprises and their potential to generate collective and sustainable sources of income.

Agricultural and Construction Equipment to Launch Two Collective Enterprises

The first group, comprising 14 beneficiaries, received an integrated package to launch a collective agricultural enterprise. The package included an agricultural tractor and its attachments, including a plough and disc harrow, as well as repair and maintenance tools, a hydraulic jack, and a grease gun. Safety equipment was also provided, including a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

These assets will enable the group to provide agricultural services in the area and operate them collectively, creating income-generation opportunities while strengthening the sustainability of the enterprise.

The second group, comprising 19 beneficiaries, received productive assets and equipment to establish a collective enterprise in the construction sector. The support included a dump truck for transporting construction materials, block-making machines, multiple molds for producing blocks in different sizes, and a generator, in addition to quantities of cement, white gravel (Gharabia), and black Euphrates sand, as well as safety equipment.

These assets will enable the group to begin production and provide construction-related services, creating new opportunities for its members to generate income and work collectively.

During the next phase, both groups will focus on operating the assets, organizing work and management mechanisms, and developing relationships with local markets. This will help ensure the optimal use of the equipment and support the long-term sustainability of the enterprises.

This intervention reflects the project’s approach of moving beyond direct assistance toward empowering communities to own productive assets and manage income-generating enterprises, while simultaneously strengthening beneficiaries’ technical, managerial, and financial capacities.

Continued Support for Livestock Enterprises

This support builds on the project’s interventions in the livestock sector, where Dan for Relief and Development Foundation supported nine productive sheep- and cattle-rearing enterprises, benefiting nine groups out of the 12 groups targeted.

The support package included 283 sheep, 10 lambs, and 5 rams, as well as 9 cows with their calves. It also included operational supplies and feed, consisting of 5 tons of hay, 6 tons of white barley, 8 tons of black barley, 2 tons of yellow corn, 7 tons of white bran, and 3 tons of compound feed.

A total of 200 heads of household benefited from these enterprises, with each group comprising between 15 and 20 members.

From Assistance to Economic Empowerment

Through these interventions, Dan for Relief and Development Foundation, in partnership with World Vision International, reaffirm their commitment to supporting economic recovery in Al-Karama and strengthening the capacity of local communities to develop more sustainable sources of income.

The interventions go beyond addressing immediate needs by enabling communities to access productive assets, strengthen self-reliance, and contribute to the local economy

The Dan Relief and Development Foundation, within the framework of the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Hasakah” project in partnership with NPA, concluded the vocational training program in the field of sewing, which targeted 25 women and girls from the most vulnerable groups, including survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk, in the city of Raqqa.

The training was implemented in cooperation with the Bahar Organization, inside the Women’s and Girls’ Safe Center (WGSS), and lasted for three months, during which the participants received practical and theoretical training on the basics and skills of sewing, enabling them to practice the profession and opening up opportunities for them to enter the labor market or launch their own projects.

This activity comes within the Foundation’s efforts aimed at economically empowering women by providing them with sustainable vocational skills that align with local market needs, thereby enhancing their financial independence, contributing to improving their living conditions, and reducing their exposure to gender-based violence.

The program witnessed great commitment from the participants throughout the training period, and concluded with a ceremony during which training completion certificates were distributed to the trainees, in appreciation of their efforts and perseverance in acquiring professional skills.

Dan is also preparing in the coming phase to distribute sewing tools and supplies to the graduates, with the aim of supporting them in starting their home-based projects or joining the labor market, thereby enhancing their opportunities to achieve sustainable income and build a more stable future.

This training comes within the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Hasakah” project, which aims to support the most vulnerable women and girls, enhance their economic and social capacities, and link vocational training to real opportunities for sustainable livelihood.

The Dan Relief and Development Foundation, within the framework of the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Hasakah” project in partnership with NPA, concluded the vocational training program in the field of pastry and bakery production, which targeted 25 women and girls from the most vulnerable groups, including survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk, in the city of Raqqa.

The training was implemented in cooperation with the Bahar Organization at the Women’s and Girls’ Safe Center (WGSS), and lasted for three months, during which the participants acquired practical skills in preparing pastries and baked goods according to professional methods that take into account the requirements of the local market, contributing to enhancing their opportunities for work and production.

The program aims to economically empower women by providing them with applicable vocational skills that help them establish small projects or work in this field, thereby enhancing their financial independence and supporting their ability to improve their living standards, within a safe environment that takes into account the needs of women and girls.

The program concluded with a ceremony distributing training completion certificates to the participants, in appreciation of their commitment and successful completion of the training stages, in a step that represents the beginning of a new phase of professional and economic empowerment.

Dan is scheduled to distribute work tools and supplies specific to pastry and bakery production to the graduates, helping them to start their productive projects and transform the skills they acquired into a sustainable source of income.

This activity comes within the Foundation’s efforts to enhance women’s economic empowerment and support the most needy groups, by providing vocational training programs linked to labor market needs and contributing to building sustainable livelihoods.

In the Al-Baydar and Al-Alayat areas of rural Raqqa, in partnership between World Vision International (WVI) and DRD Foundation, the Savings for Transformation (S4T) groups continue to deliver a practical and sustainable model for economic empowerment and community resilience, by fostering a culture of saving and investing in local potential

This initiative began with building participants’ capacities through specialized training in savings group management, internal lending, and financial fund administration, enabling them to lead their groups with efficiency and confidence. The project team also provided ongoing follow-up and regular technical support to ensure the smooth functioning of the groups and to enhance their sustainability.

Since the groups were established, 13 regular savings sessions have been held, and the groups continue their work consistently within their operational cycles, with members continuing to save, lend, and repay—a clear indicator of the model’s success and its capacity for sustainability and self-reliance.

During this period, 28 women succeeded in establishing two community savings groups, which mobilized savings and emergency funds exceeding 10 million Syrian pounds, in addition to providing approximately 30 internal loans that supported income-generating projects and addressed urgent household needs. Nearly 70% of participants were able to launch or develop economic activities that contributed to improving their income sources and enhancing their families’ living stability.

These efforts are reflected in real success stories: one participant launched a home-based tailoring project and later expanded it through two consecutive loans; another invested her loan in agricultural seedling production; while another started a layer chicken project that provided an additional source of income for her family. One woman also used the internal lending system to cover essential health needs, before later obtaining another loan that helped her family improve their housing conditions—while consistently repaying her loans on time.

These outcomes confirm that S4T groups go beyond the traditional concept of saving and lending, forming an integrated pathway that strengthens confidence, cooperation, community leadership, and sustainable economic empowerment—rooted in the community’s own potential. They prove that community-led solutions can generate real and lasting change when equipped with the right tools and support.

Within the activities of the “NAF” project, and during the second year of implementation, the Dan Foundation for Relief and Development continues to carry out the “Adaptation” phase, aimed at enhancing the economic stability of the most vulnerable families and empowering local communities to build sustainable and viable business models in the Al-Karamah area of Al-Raqqa Governorate

In this context, during the first phase, the Foundation succeeded in supporting nine productive projects within the livestock sector (sheep and cattle), benefiting nine out of the twelve targeted groups under the project. The support included providing the projects with an integrated package of productive assets and essential operational supplies, consisting of

283 heads of sheep
10 lambs and 5 rams
9 cows with their calves
5 tons of hay
6 tons of white barley
8 tons of black barley
2 tons of yellow corn
7 tons of white bran
3 tons of compound feed

Each group consists of between 15 and 20 members, totaling 200 heads of households, who will directly benefit from the assets and supplies provided, thereby improving their economic opportunities and enhancing their sources of income

The next phase also includes completing the delivery of a set of supporting services and supplies for the projects, including
(Agricultural nurseries – agricultural plowing services – block production factories – construction materials and additional operational equipment)

This intervention is part of an integrated approach focused on supporting collective projects by providing them with the necessary in-kind inputs and assets to launch and develop their economic activities

The support is planned to cover 12 integrated productive groups, along with the implementation of a comprehensive training program aimed at enhancing beneficiaries’ capacities in management, governance, and marketing, in addition to providing specialized vocational and technical training tailored to the nature of each project and its operational needs

During the second phase, the Dan Foundation continues its efforts to complete the provision of the remaining operational assets for the projects, ensuring the sustainability of the production process and improving the efficiency of the projects and their ability to generate stable economic returns over the long term

Through this approach based on economic empowerment and livelihood development, the Foundation seeks to create a tangible developmental impact that contributes to strengthening the resilience of local communities, creating sustainable income opportunities, and stimulating the local economy, thereby supporting development pathways based on self-reliance and community sustainability