AVSI launched its project “Allevamento e Agricoltura per Aleppo” in the North of Syria in 2021. The initiative financed by AICS - the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented in collaboration with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent aimed to support local families to expand and diversify their businesses, developing sustainable tools to increase production and, consequently, reduce poverty. The project embraced three main activities: the offer of training on agriculture, poultry, and micro-management; the distribution of agriculture and poultry kits, with also laying hens and chicken feed; and the counseling visits on the field from technical experts, with the distribution of additional material to support selected beneficiaries.
From the initial stage to its end in August 2023, the project has reached 1,941 individuals, organized into 400 families. Among the beneficiaries, 43.75% lived with a low income, 23.25% had women per head of household, 17.25% had a disabilities-chronic illness, and the remaining 15.5% were composed of families with more than seven individuals.
Thanks to the AAA project Rokaia Gheli improved her agricultural business in Haritan (Goverment of Aleppo)
Rokaia Gheli is one of the beneficiaries who received AVSI support. She lives with her four daughters in Haritan, a village in the Government of Aleppo. Since her husband passed away, she has been raising her children as a single parent. The type of relationship that Rokaia has with her land is something special that goes beyond mere economic interest.
"The land is everything to us, the day we do not visit our land it feels like we are missing something. Even if we go down for just a walk, not just to work".
Because of the critical financial situation in Syria, Rokaia and her family were facing severe difficulties in securing fuel, seeds, and the operativity of the irrigation system. AVSI assisted Rokaia in the process of expansion of her business, providing the needed seeds, irrigation systems, and chickens.
In total, AVSI has distributed 7,985 laying hens and 120.000 kg of chicken feed to the 400 families involved in the project. According to the data collected in December 2022, the egg production was 34 eggs per week per family.
AVSI came and supported us with the needed seeds and irrigation system and we praise God. We have expanded our cultivation with an additional income. Also, we have been supported with chicken distribution, and we began to produce eggs and now our children began to eat, we put eggs for them on the table.
Rokaia Gheli, beneficiary of the AAA project
In addition, Rokaia has also attended an AVSI training on micro-management addressed to diversify and increase the business of the participants and to guarantee them better living conditions.
