As part of its efforts to promote recovery and community reintegration, the DAN Foundation for Relief and Development continues to implement activities under the RISE project (Reintegration and Support for Empowered Returnees) in the Al-Sabha area and its countryside in the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, using an integrated approach that combines psychosocial support with economic and vocational empowerment.

The project aims to support women returning from Al-Hol camp by providing a safe environment that helps them regain self-confidence, enhance their capabilities, and prepare them to engage more stably within their local communities. The project is built on the vision that psychological recovery forms an essential foundation for transitioning toward sustainable livelihood opportunities and achieving self-reliance.

As part of this pathway, the foundation implemented a vocational training program in hairdressing and skincare within the Women’s and Girls’ Safe Space (WGSS), targeting 20 women returnees from Al-Hol camp. The participants were selected after having taken part in organized psychoeducation sessions and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs, ensuring integration between recovery needs and economic empowerment requirements.

The training lasted for a full month, from mid-June to mid-July, and focused on providing participants with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to practice the profession competently. The program covered a range of training modules, including:

· Hair care skills, including cutting, coloring, highlights, color stripping, and styling techniques.
· Fundamentals of professional makeup and skincare applications.
· Salon management skills, customer service, and delivering services according to professional and business standards.

At the end of the training, each beneficiary received a comprehensive professional hairdressing kit, aimed at supporting their transition from training to practical application, and enabling them to start small projects that help improve their livelihoods and strengthen their economic independence.

This step is part of the DAN Foundation for Relief and Development’s vision of supporting women and girls through programs that combine protection, psychosocial support, and skills development, contributing to reducing vulnerability and strengthening the ability of individuals and families to build a more stable future.

The foundation emphasizes that investing in women’s empowerment is an investment in social cohesion and the community’s capacity for recovery, and that providing safe and sustainable opportunities for women is a cornerstone of reintegration and local development efforts.