A Revival of Social life in Damascus

Social life with all its elegance  has returned to Damascus .Slowly and with trepidation people are picking up where they left off.Places are re opening and events are again taking place.

The Diplomatic Club of Damascus is comprised of   14 embassies, whose  chairperson is Reneva Fourie of the embassy of South Africa  .

This club has two primary aims.  The first is to promote and encourage a cordial relationship between the spouses of the diplomatic community as well as international and regional organizations accredited to Syria; and the second aim is to plan and realize fundraising activities in order to give small donations to charitable institutions or organizations in Syria in consultation with the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The DCOS has a long and rich history.  Their work was interrupted but resumed in 2019 and they  were able to host a number of successful events since their  reactivation.  Rather than assisting individuals, they direct their  support towards the existing reputable charitable institutions in Syria.

They assist where there is a need; and they allow the beneficiary institution to determine how best to utilize whatever they are able to contribute. (they donated money to the fires that raged in Syria last summer)

This year, they selected the Aamal Association as the beneficiary of this fundraiser. Reneva Fourie says ” Children are the future.  By empowering children that have disabilities, in this instance it is children who have hearing impairments and children with autism, to be integrated meaningfully into society, we are investing in a new generation, a generation that will be expected to build this country.”    

She continues to say ,”Aamal will speak for itself. You will see that they are highly competent, professional and ethical and that the association’s leadership serves with passion and integrity.  This event is meant to showcase the wonderful work that they do and to solicit your commitment to broadening their impact.  Your presence and generosity will make a difference and we are very appreciative of all who have taken time to join us today.

Our event also serves to commemorate International Women’s Day, which was on 8 March. The day is an affirmation that women are valuable contributors to all spheres of life and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Women play an important role in building households and when you make a woman economically self-sufficient, you can be certain that she will share her earnings with all at home.  We have therefore asked seven women organisations to exhibit their work at the entrance.”

Syria times had the opportunity to meet with some of the women taking part in this event

Editor- in -chief

Reem Haddad

The Diplomatic Club in Syria recently held a charity bazaar at Sheraton Hotel in Damascus. The bazaar included food and cosmetic products, handcrafts and cloth. In line with international women’s day celebrations, the DCOS invited associations that provide women with an income. These women  were given an opportunity to exhibit their goods, so as to benefit from exposure to the attendees of the Aamal Fundraising Brunch which revenues will go to the women themselves.

Rania Nasrallah, Administrative Support Director at Amal Organization, talked about the importance of this bazaar: “Holding this event  is a way of introducing the Syrian community to the Aamal Organization and its work in disability fields. The bazaar is important to raise awareness among people.

The Palestine Girls Club participation was through handicrafts inspired from the Palestinian heritage. They participated in this bazaar to support the charitable work and introduce people to their products.

Whereas, Sabaya Maaloula Association, participated in the bazaar to provide support for charitable work and disabled people. They presented sweets and handcrafts.

As for the Youth Charitable Association, their aim in participation in this event was to support the disabled and market their products. They presented handmade crochet works.

 Ms. Miqdad, the wife of the Syrian Foreign Minister, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad told Syria Times: “This is an important bazaar because it is the result of continuous work by the women members of the diplomatic club”.

“This hard work has great impact on charitable associations, such as Aamal, which takes care of people with special needs and should be greatly supported. Today is a wonderful day for Syrian women as it coincides with the international Women’s Day” she added.

“Voluntary work is one of the characteristics of an advanced society. In Syria, we have a lot of charitable societies that work voluntarily to help people and we wish that Syrian women will be more effective in society to match their counterparts in developed countries in the field of volunteering.” she said.

Reported by: Nada Haj Khidr