Amid the service-related challenges facing rural areas, community initiatives emerge as a window of hope that restores vitality to daily life and opens the way toward more sustainable development

DAN Foundation for Relief and Development took the initiative to install 40 solar-powered streetlights along the main road of Jazrat Al-Shati village in the Al-Jazrat area of the Deir ez-Zor countryside

The activity was implemented by the Noor Initiative group in response to residents’ suffering from the absence of lighting despite the availability of poles along the road. This step aims to enhance security and safety, stimulate economic activity during nighttime hours, facilitate residents’ movement, and improve the quality of daily life. The initiative also embodies the spirit of community cohesion through cooperation between residents and supporting entities, and represents a model of sustainable development solutions based on clean energy

The DAN Foundation office in the Al-Jazrat area of the Deir ez-Zor countryside operates through three main departments that seek to support the local community across various aspects:

Community Health Department: Works on implementing health awareness sessions aimed at raising awareness and changing harmful behaviors related to public health

Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Department: Provides vocational training in agriculture and modern irrigation methods, women’s tailoring, and veterinary services. It also offers grants for small projects, supports owners of livestock and agricultural land, implements Cash for Work activities, and provides free veterinary examination services through specialized veterinarians to support livestock in the area

Community Protection Department: Implements awareness sessions related to protection from Gender-Based Violence (GBV), in addition to legal protection sessions

Through these initiatives, DAN Foundation for Relief and Development affirms its continued commitment to supporting local communities and enhancing environmental and health awareness, contributing to building a safer, healthier, and more sustainable environment. This reflects the importance of joint efforts between the foundation and the community to achieve genuine and sustainable development

The DAN Foundation, in partnership with DCA, is implementing an integrated agricultural project in the Hjeira Al-Balad area of Darayya in Rural Damascus, aiming to strengthen the capacities of the agricultural cooperative and empower its members to develop their agricultural production and improve their livelihoods sustainably.

As part of its support for agricultural development, DAN is training cooperative members on producing vegetables outside their traditional seasons using greenhouses and agricultural tunnels, through the application of the Farmer Field Schools methodology.

A model field school has been established on one of the farmers’ land, where the foundation equipped it with: an integrated plastic house for producing early spring vegetables, and a set of plastic tunnels sufficient for cultivating two donums of vegetables.

The training is conducted both theoretically and practically under the supervision of specialized trainers, with direct follow-up from the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Damascus Agriculture Directorate, ensuring the quality of training and the application of proper agricultural practices.

In addition to agricultural support, two groups have been formed from cooperative members under the name Disaster Risk Reduction groups. Members of these groups receive specialized training in planning and responding to natural disasters, and supporting farmers in emergency situations, particularly fire risks. They have also been provided with essential tools that enable them to intervene quickly and effectively to protect agricultural lands and livelihoods.

In the upcoming phase, the DAN Foundation intends to rehabilitate the community infrastructure of the agricultural cooperative, including the cooperative’s warehouse and administration office, aiming to enhance the cooperative’s role as an effective community institution capable of providing better services to its members.

These integrated interventions seek to empower the agricultural cooperative in Hjeirat Al-Balad, enhance its technical and administrative capacities, and increase its resilience in facing economic and agricultural challenges, ensuring sustainable income sources and the continuity of its future projects.