Rebuilding Syria Through Sustainable Humanitarian Action: Reflections from Syrian Hands End Year Meeting 2025
Syrian Hands End Year Meeting 2025 in Tokyo with members and Toyo University’s Syria Support Team, reflecting collaboration and long-term humanitarian commitment.
After more than a decade of conflict, displacement, and institutional collapse, rebuilding Syria is not a short-term humanitarian challenge—it is a generational responsibility. This understanding framed the Syrian Hands End Year Meeting 2025, held under the guiding question:
“How do we rebuild a country after decades of destruction?”
For donors and supporters, the meeting was an opportunity to review impact, assess accountability, and reaffirm a long-term commitment to sustainable humanitarian action.
Fourteen Years of Consistent Impact (2011–2025)
Since 2011, Syrian Hands & Japan Islamic Trust have evolved from emergency response into a structured, program-based humanitarian initiative. This transition reflects a widely accepted lesson in post-conflict recovery: emergency aid saves lives, but institutions rebuild societies.
Core Long-Term Programs
Syrian Hands’ work has remained intentionally focused on three areas where sustained intervention produces measurable, long-lasting outcomes:
1. Orphans Program (since 2012)
Japan Islamic Trust & Syrian Hands currently support around 200 orphaned children through monthly sponsorships, ensuring continuity of education, basic needs, and psychosocial stability. In a context where family structures have been severely disrupted, this program addresses one of the war’s most enduring consequences.
Orphans Sponsorship — Syrian Hands
2. Women Empowerment Program (since 2013)
Through vocational training in embroidery and sewing, Syrian women are supported to generate independent income with dignity. Evidence from post-conflict societies consistently shows that women’s economic participation accelerates household stability and community recovery.
Women Empowerment — Syrian Hands
3. Education Program (since 2014)
With approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugee children out of school, education remains the single most critical investment in Syria’s future. Syrian Hands continues to support access to education, particularly for vulnerable and orphaned children, recognizing that recovery without education is unsustainable.
Kids' Education — Syrian Hands
Emergency Support with a Recovery Lens
While long-term programs form the backbone of Syrian Hands’ strategy, emergency response remains essential in fragile environments. The End Year Meeting reviewed key interventions, including food assistance, winter aid, medical support, and earthquake response.
A defining feature of Syrian Hands’ approach is the transition from relief to recovery. This was particularly evident in the response to the 2023 Syria–Turkey earthquake, where emergency shelter support evolved into permanent housing solutions—demonstrating a commitment to restoring stability, not just survival.
In 2014, Syrian Hands & Japan Islamic Trust completed a 3-story residential building with 12 apartments, shifting immediately from emergency shelter to permanent housing.
Transparency and Financial Accountability
For donors, trust is built on transparency. The meeting presented a clear financial overview:
Total donations (2011–2025): ¥170,428,000
Total donations in 2025: ¥17.7 million
Emergency donations (2025): ¥8.9 million
These figures reflect not only generosity but sustained donor confidence—an essential condition for long-term humanitarian impact.
Infographic Summary of our Emergency responses during 2025.
Strategic Direction for 2026
The End Year Meeting also included a strategic discussion regarding Syrian Hands’ direction for 2026. In line with responsible nonprofit governance, this discussion focused on overall orientation rather than operational details.
The organization confirmed that the 2026 strategic plan is currently under internal review and will be finalized by mid-January, following further consultation and alignment.
Why Long-Term Donor Support Matters
One conclusion emerged clearly from the End Year Meeting:
Syria cannot be rebuilt through isolated projects or short funding cycles.
Meaningful reconstruction requires:
Consistent access to education
Protection and care for children
Economic empowerment of women
Transparent and accountable institutions
Long-term donor trust
Syrian Hands’ 14-year journey demonstrates how sustained, community-based humanitarian action can move from emergency relief toward recovery—and, ultimately, rebuilding.
Standing with Syria—Together
The End Year Meeting 2025 reaffirmed Syrian Hands’ commitment to dignity, sustainability, and long-term social recovery. For our donors and supporters, your continued trust is not just financial support, it is a direct investment in stability, resilience, and hope for future generations.
