Along the Turkish-Syrian border there are refugee camps without any official support and recognition.
In these contexts of extreme degradation, children are the most exposed because they lack the essentials: water, food, medical care, shelter and education.

Syria

The Syrian civil war, which began on 15 March 2011, has caused the flight of over 6 million people, of which 4.5 million are dispersed in areas where there is a lack of reception facilities and subsistence goods. SSCh has decided to support two projects in this tormented country: the pediatric clinic inside the Bab Al Salam refugee camp and the AMAN Project dedicated to women left alone and unable to provide for themselves and their children.

Ongoing projects

The clinic where we currently operate in Syria is located in the Al-Resala camp and consists of several rooms. Our team is made up of two doctors and a nurse. The care provided is completely free. If for any reason the clinic is not accessible, the doctors reach those in need thanks to a fully equipped ambulance that moves between the various camps in the Azaz area.

Among the victims of the war, in territories tormented for over ten years such as in Syria, there are women who remain alone and without any possibility of providing for themselves and their children. Often victims of abuse, violence and harassment need to be able to count on a social protection network and psychological support that allows them to gain confidence and full autonomy. The AMAN Project supports, welcomes and helps 280 women, 360 girls and 90 children with socialization, education and introduction programs and activities to the world of work. With this project SSCh indirectly supports 1400 families.

Since the earthquake in Syria on February 6, 2023, we support 150 families divided into three camps bearing our name. We regularly supply water tanks and continue to distribute food, blankets, and other necessary goods. Last autumn, we opened an office (a Help Point) that serves as an assistance point and listening center for the local community. We provide milk to 640 children, a continually growing number, many with serious illnesses, and assist over 100 orphans in need of care. Our commitment in Syria is constantly evolving and knows no pause. Neither do we.

Turkey

Turkey hosts more than half of the 6 million Syrians displaced by the war. There are refugee camps financed by UNHCR and managed by Afad, the Turkish government agency whose assistance programs nevertheless meet the primary needs of approximately 300,000 Syrians. The most difficult situation is that of those who live outside the official camps.

SSCh has been operating for 10 years in one of the spontaneous camps that arose along the Turkish-Syrian border. These camps differ from government ones due to the total absence of humanitarian aid. The living conditions are unimaginable. SSCh is the only company that takes charge of these ‘invisible’ places by entering and operating directly on site. It takes care of over 900 families for a total of 6000 people of which 4000 are minors. Among these, several hundred are orphans.

Ongoing projects in the spontaneous refugee camp

SSCh takes on the enormous difficulties of those who live in the camp in dramatic conditions on a daily basis. In this context, emergencies are countless and all of them are priorities. Dedicated resources and careful management of each individual aid are necessary in order to guarantee refugees – and children in particular – dignified living conditions. To achieve this objective and guarantee its continuity, projects are active which concern various areas of intervention: from food supplies, to medical care, to the management of cases of malnutrition and fragility, to education, to the procurement of basic necessities and any other emergency that may arise over time.

SSCh deals with purchasing and distributing food and basic necessities on site – tents, blankets, mattresses, wood, winter clothing – essential to ensure minimum living conditions in a context of absolute desolation and poverty. SSCh provides every month, in particular , to deliver over 900 food parcels, one for each household registered. The food parcels are ordered from Italy from local suppliers – supporting the small local economy – and then delivered by the SSCH team during on-site missions.

Until 2019, the camp lacked any source of clean, drinkable water. Two wells have been dug which distributes water throughout the camp through five fountains. Periodic monitoring and control of water quality remains essential to guarantee the hygiene and health of all inhabitants.

Since September 2019, a small school called the “Rainbow Tent” has been set up which hosts over 200 school-age children from the camp. Every month SSCh provides the teaching material and provides the salary of the two teachers who alternate in educational activities, agreed with the SSCh team. An educational twinning project has been active since the 2020/2021 school year between the tent school of the camp, the SSCh urban school on the Syrian border, and the Don Murialdo primary school in Turin with the aim of promoting relationships between children who pass geographical and cultural borders to promote the culture of peace and mutual respect.

In every SSCh mission there is a volunteer doctor who visits and prescribes therapies to children and adults for the entire duration of their stay at the camp. The working conditions are difficult and SSCH’s effort is aimed at improving its operations. SSCh takes care of the purchase of medicines and in the most serious cases takes action to facilitate hospitalization and to provide continuity of care to those who need it.

Food shortages make malnutrition a widespread problem in all the areas where SSCh operates, especially in the camp. Upon indication of the medical staff, identified cases are taken care of and powdered milk for newborns and specific foods for early childhood are regularly provided. There are currently 45 cases followed by SSCh, constantly monitored.

Particular attention is paid to those families who find themselves managing children with serious pathologies or disabilities and have no means to treat them. SSCh is at their side with specific support projects.

A long-distance adoption project is active for 111 families of children who have lost at least one or both parents. The amount donated by supporters is transformed into a voucher that can be spent at retailers selling goods selected by SSCh. The frequency of distribution of vouchers is monthly and is followed and monitored by the SSCh team from Italy and coordinates with local representatives. Upon returning from each mission, SSCh sends the report and photos to each individual supporter.

Fatma, a 15-year-old girl who has been part of the SSCh support programs for 10 years, lives in the camp. Ha chiesto di essere supportata nel suo progetto di creazione di monili. Fatma insieme a due amiche realizzano meravigliosi bracciali, cavigliere, portachiavi e molto altro con perline colorate. SSCh porta in Italia questi monili e a fronte di una donazione vengono regalati ai sostenitori. Il ricavato va interamente a Fatma e alle sue aiutanti nella convinzione che solidarietà e supporto possano affrancarle dall’assistenzialismo e renderle autonome grazie a un lavoro onesto e dignitoso. Un esempio che SSCh spera venga seguito da altri giovani del campo, con nuove idee che consentano loro di aprirsi al futuro e al riscatto.

Madagascar

MADAPROJECT, A DROP AT A TIME

In Madagascar, 75% of the population lives on less than 2 dollars a day. Infrastructure is lacking. Political instability and a weak health system exacerbate the situation. ructure is lacking. Political instability and a weak health system exacerbate the situation. The current drought has caused a severe food crisis, affecting millions of people, including a million children suffering from acute malnutrition. Since October 2023, we bring potable water, our priority. In the near future, we aim to build water infrastructure and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

PROJECT ACTIONS:

The actions we have identified (in an area in the south of the island, about 15 km) aim to address the immediate and long-term needs of the population, tackling both the immediate consequences of the drought and the structural challenges related to poverty and food insecurity.

The distribution of drinking water is crucial to address the immediate emergency caused by the drought. With the regular supply of potable water, communities can meet their daily hydration and hygiene needs, reducing the risk of diseases linked to contaminated water. Mobile tanks will be strategically placed in four villages, ensuring constant access to clean and safe water for drinking, cooking, and other domestic needs.

Building water infrastructure, such as wells and water conveyance systems, is essential to ensure sustainable access to potable water in the long term. Constructing wells in the areas most affected by drought will allow communities to tap into underground water reserves, reducing reliance on surface water sources that can be impacted by lack of rain. The installation of water conveyance systems will also allow for the irrigation of agricultural crops, thus helping to ensure food security and diversify the income sources of the communities involved.

Promoting sustainable agricultural practices such as agroecology and soil conservation is crucial to addressing the structural causes of the food crisis. hese practices aim to reduce dependence on limited natural resources and improve the resilience of crops to climate change. Through collaboration with local and international partners, agricultural methodologies that favor biodiversity, soil fertility, and water resource conservation will be introduced. Training and technical assistance will be provided to communities to implement these practices effectively, thus helping to improve agricultural productivity, food security, and environmental sustainability in the long term.

Gaza

GAZA, HELP NOW

In response to the emergency in Rafah, in GAZA, we are committed to providing vital aid. With our team on the ground, we deliver 500 food parcels weekly despite communication difficulties and risks. Focusing on children, we prepare nutritious meals and strive to distribute fresh vegetables. To address the water scarcity, we are planning the installation of water tanks to ensure an autonomous supply. As long as the conflict and emergency can be said to be over, we will be there.