Wardeh is a 43-year-old widow: she lost her husband during the Syrian conflict. She lives with her four children in Eastern Ghouta, a countryside area that surrounds the city of Damascus. It is her home, where she was born and raised. Here, gender roles are fixed: men are the financial providers, while women are the nurturers. And so it was for Wardeh and her family.
Wardeh’s life changed dramatically when her husband died. Wardeh had no working experience. Immediately after his passing, the help provided by neighbors and relatives allowed Wardeh to keep going, but she knew that was not going to be enough. Wardeh knew she needed to find a way to support her children. A strong and determined mother, she had to start her own business.
In 2019 AVSI launched the project GOAL (Ghouta, Orti, Allevamento e Livelihood) funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented in collaboration with SARC (Syrian Arab Red Crescent) to improve food security in Eastern Ghouta.