Empowering Women Through Heritage

A Strategic Shift from Craft to Entrepreneurship

The "Women's Capacity Building Through Heritage" program is a transformative initiative designed to empower Syrian women, enabling them to transition from simple hobbies and manual crafts into the realm of professional entrepreneurship and business management. This comprehensive training system elegantly bridges historical authenticity with modern administrative practices. It is specifically tailored to equip the women of Homs with the practical tools necessary to reclaim their vital economic and social roles within the community.

Program Overview

• Duration: 12-day intensive program.
• Target Audience: Women between the ages of 30 and 65.
• Cohort Size: 28 to 30 women selected from a rich diversity of educational, social, cultural, religious, and professional backgrounds.
• Program Benefits: The initiative is fully funded and free for participants. Graduates receive official certificates authenticated by the Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor. Furthermore, participants are granted the opportunity to showcase and market their products at the foundation's community bazaars.
• Sustainability Integration: To promote environmental awareness and support traditional crafts, each participant receives an eco-friendly, pure cotton tote bag adorned with heritage motifs using traditional Hama block printing, discouraging the use of single-use plastics.

Our Experts and Lecturers

The program is guided by a distinguished multidisciplinary team, including Dr. Lama Aboud, Eng. Nazeeha Al-Qabbani, Eng. Suzy Al-Hisni, Ms. Ola Aboud, Eng. Abdulhadi Najjar, Dr. Nazih Badour, Dr. Samar Hanna, Eng. Abeer Abdal, and Eng. Rami Qarnoub, working alongside a select group of master craftsmen.

Core Educational Tracks

The curriculum is built upon three foundational pillars designed to foster holistic personal and professional growth:

1. The Cultural and Heritage Track
   • Heritage Foundations: Principles of Cultural Heritage First Aid; Readings in the History of Homs; Introductions to Tangible and Intangible Heritage; and the Concept of Value in Heritage Work.
   • Artisanal Reality: Lectures analyzing the current state of traditional handicrafts.
   • Field & Practical Application: An educational tour through the old markets of Homs, coupled with a hands-on study of traditional crafts through direct engagement with experienced artisans.
   • Interactive Networking: A dedicated session featuring an interactive dialogue with 8 expert craftsmen to exchange insights.
   • Restoration & Environment: Principles of Restoration (using the Orthodox Theater as a traditional case study) and Environmental Heritage (covering traditional agriculture, home composting, and climate change mitigation), supported by a practical agricultural activity.
2. The Psychosocial Support Track
   • Personal Development: Training in effective communication skills and sound decision-making mechanisms.
   • Resilience: Strategies for stress management, conflict resolution, and active peacebuilding.
3. The Entrepreneurship and Business Management Track
   • Business Foundations: Defining the successful entrepreneur, exploring different project types, and analyzing target markets.
   • Heritage Integration: Strategic methods for seamlessly linking business ideas with cultural heritage elements.
   • Financial Planning & Marketing: Preparing comprehensive feasibility studies, analyzing customers and competitors, employing the marketing mix, calculating costs, and determining the return on investment (ROI).
   • Final Deliverable: Crafting the ultimate financial study for individual projects.

Specialized Joint Lecture

A unique highlight of the program is a collaborative lecture that merges administration and heritage, exploring the fascinating "History of Business Administration in the City of Homs."

The program concludes with a formal presentation where participants showcase and defend their final project proposals before a specialized evaluation committee. This is followed by a graduation ceremony to distribute their officially authenticated certificates, marking the beginning of their new entrepreneurial journeys.