29/09/2022

North and East Syria non-profit DemoS Organization implements service project in Syriac village of Shalhoumiya

SHALHOUMIYA, Syria — North and East Syria-based non-profit DemoS Organization concluded its project “We Are All Part of a Whole 2”, which lasted for three months and included three phases.

The first phase included training for 12 youth and women from different ethnic groups, including Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), and Yezidis, on facilitating dialogue and managing group sessions. The second phase included holding dialogue sessions with the targeted communities in cooperation with the 12 volunteers. The third phase included the implementation of initiatives that resulted from the session’s recommendations.

The project aims to enhance community cohesion by implementing women and youth-led initiatives that benefit thousands of peoples, including Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs (Arameans-Chaldeans-Assyrians) and Yezidis, in marginalized areas of North and East Syria.

The project worked on six initiatives focusing on the rehabilitation, maintenance, and afforestation of three schools, two football stadiums, a church yard, and a bus station in marginalized areas within Zalin (Qamishli), Amuda, and Qabre Hewore (Al-Qahtaniyah).

The rehabilitated church yard is in the Syriac village of Shalhoumiya in the countryside of Qabre Hewore, according to DemoS project manager Ebas Musa.



In comments to Suroyo TV, Musa said that this project targeted several communities and ethnicities of the region.

“DemoS’s team met with the villagers and discussed with them several axes to consolidate coexistence,” said Musa, indicating that the yard rehabilitation included afforestation, laying tiles, adding an external door and lighting, in addition to providing a generator for watering trees.

Fareed Gawrieh, who is in charge of the church of Shalhoumiya village, expressed gratitude to DemoS for the rehabilitation service it provided to the church and surrounding community. The rehabilitation was welcomed by the residents of the village as well.

Gawrieh also thanked those in charge of the project for implementing such initiatives that seek to enhance coexistence between the ethnic groups of the region.

The first iteration of the “We Are All Part of a Whole” project implemented six similar initiatives, which included maintenance, rehabilitation, and afforestation in schools, football stadiums, and a church yard in Zalin, Dayrik (Derik, Al-Malikiyah), and Qabre Hewore.