Help Syrian Women Rebuild Their Lives

Dear Supporter,

In moments of crisis, people do not always need someone to solve everything.

Sometimes, they need someone who knows how to listen, respond calmly, and avoid making a painful situation worse.

On the second day of Freedom Jasmine’s Training of Trainers program in Daraya, participants focused on psychological first aid—one of the most practical and essential skills in humanitarian response.

The session helped participants understand the difference between specialized psychological care, which must be provided by trained professionals, and the immediate, compassionate support that community workers and volunteers can safely offer during a crisis.

They explored when psychological first aid is needed, who may benefit from it, and how to provide support in a way that protects dignity, reduces distress, and avoids causing further harm.

A key part of the training focused on distinguishing psychological first aid from longer-term psychosocial support. This difference is critical in the field, where even well-intended actions can be harmful when the wrong type of intervention is used at the wrong time.

The learning did not remain theoretical.

Through role-playing exercises, participants practiced responding to realistic crisis situations. They made mistakes, received feedback, adjusted their approach, and tried again.

This practical process gave them the confidence to move beyond knowing the right principles and begin applying them safely.

Your support is helping women become better prepared to respond when someone in their community is overwhelmed, frightened, or in immediate distress.

Thank you for helping build a network of trained women who can offer calm, respectful, and timely support when it is needed most.

Dear Supporter,

Real protection does not begin only when a crisis happens. It begins much earlier—by equipping local people with the knowledge and confidence to recognize risks, respond appropriately, and support others.

On June 14, Freedom Jasmine launched a Training of Trainers program in Daraya designed to create exactly this kind of long-term impact.

The program brought together women activists and volunteers between the ages of 20 and 40, all of whom already had experience in humanitarian work across Damascus and its surrounding areas. Rather than offering one-time assistance, the training aimed to prepare these women to become protection trainers themselves, enabling them to pass their knowledge on to the organizations, groups, and communities they serve.

The opening session focused on establishing a strong foundation.

Because participants arrived with different levels of experience and understanding, the program began with a pre-assessment to identify their existing knowledge and determine where further support was needed.

The first day then introduced the principles of psychosocial support and the concept of well-being—what it means, how it affects individuals and communities, and why it is central to effective protection work.

From the beginning, the room was filled with energy and engagement.

These women already had the commitment to help others. What they needed were stronger tools, clearer frameworks, and practical knowledge that could turn that commitment into informed action.

Your support is helping build local capacity that will continue far beyond a single training session. By investing in women who will train others, you are helping create a wider and more sustainable network of protection within the community.

Thank you for helping women in Daraya become not only participants, but leaders, trainers, and a first line of protection for those around them.

With sincere gratitude,