Eight years of war have destructed Syrian economy. Actually, it turned half of its citizens into evacuees inside Syria and displaced outside it.
Due to harsh conditions, many Syrian families found it difficult to have a job in this harsh situation. Consequently, poverty and neediness spread gradually in the communities formed lately. The head of the family found himself obliged to stand in queues to have food baskets, so they can feed their children.
In the light of deterioration of economic situation, increased percentage of poverty and depending on rescue associations to secure livelihood, “Al- Sham Humanitarian Foundation” (AHF) seek to find an appropriate mechanism to face unemployment and decrease its disastrous effect. This mechanism was through helping potentials and boosting it towards production. AHF has launched Kareem project at the beginning of this year, offering debit services for Syrian families on favorable terms. This project offers an opportunity for those who want required liquidity.
The project is composed of “five lending phases” forming a comprehensive plan to shift those families from extreme poverty state to the middle class. The project target citizens who have the ability and willing to establish their own business. This aid is offered through offering them liquidity required for accelerate business wheel and developing it. Thus, it will help in creating new jobs and increasing client’s income.
The project intend to offer financial inclusion services to 150 client in the first phase. The client’s network is planned to expand to include 195 clients after one year of offering the first loan. The work will be though granting production interest-free loans (service – related, commercial, and industrial) which is fully recovered on monthly basis so other clients can take advantage of this project.
Since this project is targeting poor men and women, so they would not be bothered by traditional guarantees imposed by banks in lending cases such as offering guarantor, transferring salary, mortgage and others. They will resort to what is called social security as an alternative of expensive personal guarantees.
“Kareem fund” project aim at:
- Empowering benefited families of rescue aids and turning it into productive families able to provide a source of livelihood.
- Providing subjective job opportunity for both men and women.
- Contributing in empowering women economically and socially and promoting her role within the family and community.
- Improving the level of health, education and standard of living for all family members.
- Establishing work and production culture and depending self-reliance within benefited groups.
In addition, projects must take into consideration the following standards:
- The project must be societal acceptable and do not goes against prevailing laws and norms.
- The project must have a clear economic usefulness.
- Adequate awareness and experience of execution and marketing mechanism and tools.
“Kareem fund” is considered one of that AHF use to help the largest number of poor people. The foundation aimed at helping targeted families by what offers them an independent income to restore their dignity. The project also will turn them from parasites of society to community builders, following the Prophet, peace be upon him saying, “The most legitimate earning is what man earn from his work.”