© Swiss Group

Personnal data

In these difficult days, with the spread of the Coronavirus disease around the world, efforts are required from everybody to change their lifestyles. It's complicated for some, very hard for others: between concerns for loved ones and grief over the loss of a loved one.

However, we should not forget the war in Syria, where the increasing number of residents and refugees are also affected by the Covid-19.

Swiss-Group and all its team would like to let you know of their support and wish to be by your side during this period of crisis, hoping that it will further encourage solidarity between people.

Mar Apr

2020

Our actions:

• Distribution of meals in Idlib

• Coal distribution

• Distribution of meals to 230 orphans for several months

Jan

2020

Our actions:

• Distribution of meals in Syria for the months of May / June

• Distribution of $50 to 200 families

• Distribution of clothes and meals in Gaziantep

• Rent and supplies for the families of Gaziantep orphans have been paid

Jul

2019

Our actions:

• Fuel distribution in Syria

• Distribution of winter clothes for children

• Distribution of charcoal + wood

• All water heaters ordered in December for fifteen families have been paid for and installed

Apr

2019

Our actions:

• Regular distributions of various financial supports

• End-of-year actions for 2018

• News from our orphans

• Swiss-Group trip November 2018

• Medical funding

Dec

2018

Our actions:

• Ramadan distributions in May and June

• Winter actions and emergencies

• News from Rime

• Naïma and Barra

• Our various projects

Jul Aug

2018

Our actions:

• Regular distributions of various financial support

• End-of-year actions for 2017

• News from Rime

• Our various project

Jan

2018

Our actions:

• Regular distributions of various financial support

• Summer actions

• News from Rime

• Our various projects

Jul Aug

2017

News

Although hostilities have declined significantly since the ceasefire in early March, the humanitarian situation in North-western Syria is dire. People continue to be very affected. The poverty and insecurity are aggravated by the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, by a serious economic slowdown and by fires that devastated 85,000 hectares of crops in 2019.

Swiss-Group distributed emergency aid from January to early June to meet basic food needs by distributing ready meals to displaced families. A "Covid-19" hygiene kit was also distributed, along with training by health professionals. The beneficiaries of this intervention are all displaced persons.

Jun

2020

THANKS

Dear donors,

We thank you once again for your generosity. Thanks to your donations, we were able to distribute 15,400 crates of bread to 2,250 displaced families, who are currently living in camps in the Maaret Tamisrin sub-district in the Idlieb region of Syria.

Even if it is still too little, this bread helped improve the extremely difficult living conditions of the refugees for a few days.

"It was merely a bit of bread

But it had warmed my body through

And in my soul, it burns on still

In the way a great feast would do. "

Georges Brassens - Song for the man from the Auvergne

Once again, thank you for your support and loyalty.

Aug

2020

On the eve of the sad 10-year anniversary of the war in Syria, we would like to share with you, news of our actions during the winter of 2020/2021.

Unfortunately, the winter has been extremely difficult for the orphans and refugees. It has been particularly cold in Syria and Turkey this year.

Refugees in Idlib's are in Syria are living in makeshift tents where living conditions and hygienic standards are deplorable, allowing the Covid 19 epidemic to spread. They suffer from hunger and cold. They do not have access to infrastructure like hospitals and children are out of school. Furthermore, the Covid 19 epidemic has made it even more difficult to provide aid.

In Gaziantep, the orphans have been in lockdown. Swiss-Group, who was supposed to go to Gaziantep in Turkey, could not get there due to the epidemic. But we remain in close contact with our orphans thanks to on-site volunteers and thanks to new technologies. Whenever the children needed help, Swiss-Group was there.

This winter, Swiss-Group provided emergency aid in order to meet the so many needs of orphans and refugees as much as possible. The aim of our actions was to fight against the cold, the hunger and to provide medical aid.

Mar

2021

Since the last news in March, Swiss-Group has continued to sponsor orphans. It has also been very active by leading numerous actions in Turkey and Syria. But above all, Swiss- Group was finally able to return on the field in Gaziantep to see the orphans. This trip was filled with emotion and allowed us to better asses the orphans’ needs and to set up various medical and psychological assistance.

Here is a summary of our actions in the recent months:

April :

- Sponsor a school in Gaziantep (math, Turkish lessons, etc.)

- Emergency distribution of clothing and supplies.

- Food distribution throughout the month of Ramadan in the Idlib region (Syria) and Gaziantep (Turkey).

- Gifts for orphans

May :

- Swiss-Group team’s trip to Gaziantep, including a doctor, to meet the orphans.

- Sponsor several families and orphans with medical problems.

- Funding a full-time nurse to visit the orphans

- Distribution of clothing and equipment in emergency

- Funding psychological assistance for orphans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

June :

- Funding hearing aids for the hearing impaired.

- Financial assistance for graduation exams.

- Funding medical treatments, surgical operations, dental care, etc.

- Support in specialized schools for blind / visually impaired children.

July :

- Food and water distribution in the Idlib region (Syria).

September:

- Funding of medical treatments, surgical operations, dental care, etc.

Syria is currently facing an outbreak of Covid 19 cases. The situation is very worrying in the camps for the displaced. With winter approaching and the epidemic, we are organizing a charcoal distribution campaign. If you wish to contribute, you must put the mention "WINTER" on the payments.

There are also still many children to sponsor.

Oct

2021

With this spring 2022 edition, we are giving you news of our actions:

- Our trip to Gaziantep in March 2022

- Ramadan 2022

- Winter actions and medical emergencies

- Distribution of food parcel in the Idlib region

- Swiss-Group School in Gaziantep

- Installation of water filters in all families sponsored by our association

- Our various projects

SWISS-GROUP AWARDED BY THE NGO MASRRAT

First, here is some  good news: at the end of our trip last March, the Swiss-Group Association was rewarded by the NGO MASRRAT, which works in Gaziantep and northern Syria.

We would like to share this award with you for your participation making this possible.

Thank you again.

Apr

2022

In May 2023, the Swiss-Group Association went on mission in southern Turkey with an emergency doctor, a psychologist and a translator, as well as a member of the committee. On site, we carried out the visits in collaboration with the local NGO MASSRAT, with whom we have been working since almost the beginning of Swiss-Group. It is made up of 2 orphan leaders, two nurses and a driver. The association has visited more than 55 families and we received news from around 150 children. We also visited the Hatay region, the epicentre of the earthquake. We saw a devastated region and considerable damage.

Despite the terrible earthquake of 6 February 2023, our orphans are back in relatively "good" conditions. Some orphans lost their homes, but thanks to your generosity in the aftermath of the disaster, we were able to rehouse them temporarily or permanently. We inspected the homes that were still intact. Despite this, they have suffered a great deal of damage and we have found cracks in almost all the houses. We are continuing to look for permanent accommodation for some families, but there is a shortage of homes, and we need to be patient. Some families, although living in accommodation that was already too small, have taken in other families who lost theirs in the earthquake. We were very touched by this solidarity, and we in turn

offered to provide them with financial and/or medical assistance.

May

2023

As part of the humanitarian care and orphan sponsorship program, the Swiss-Group association is implementing a therapeutic monitoring project. The project aims to provide medical care to orphans and improverished families in Turkey (Gaziantep) and Syria (Al-Bab and Soran).

During the project period, medical follow-up and surgical expenses were provided

to address over 213 urgent and critical medical cases:

1. Treatment of congenital anomalies.

2. Treatment of war injuries in orphaned children, including amputations and removal of shrapnel fragments.

3. Conducting plastic surgeries to restore skin and certain organs in some orphaned children who have suffered third-degree burns due to chemical ombing, helping them resume a normal life.

4. Providing long-term treatment for two orphaned girls suffering from chronic pemphigus for three years by providing medication, dressings, and home baths on a weekly basis.

5. Conducting therapeutic sessions (cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological intervention)

JAN

2024

Here is our newsletter for the beginning of the year 2024 to keep you informed of our latest actions.

In February 2023, following the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, we appealed urgently to your generosity. You responded massively to our call and once again showed exceptional generosity. Thanks to you, we were able to finance tents, food, mattresses, blankets, and urgent care. We even helped the employees of our partner who had lost their homes. Despite technical and logistical difficulties, we maintained continuous communication with our partner on the ground.

Swiss-Group financed food distributions during the month of Ramadan in northern Syria and southern Turkey.

We also made a new trip to Gaziantep last May. We visited over 215 orphans and their families. We went with a doctor, an interpreter, a psychologist, and a committee member. Each visited family received a $50 food card. We also paid for rent, mattresses, blankets, and water heaters. We visited the sick and set up a follow-up system for people suffering from post-traumatic stress.

During this trip, we were immensely moved and joyful to see the progress of some of our orphaned children with health problems. Some even started walking, thanks to funding for physiotherapy sessions!

But we also met new orphans or families living in appalling conditions (unhealthy apartments, rats, lack of heating, etc.).

JAN

2024

A team made up of our emergency physician, psychologist, translator, and president traveled to Gaziantep to visit our orphans. The objective was to provide material, emotional, and psychological support to the orphans and to continue implementing our medical and psychological support project.

Around forty orphans and their families were visited. Unfortunately, the political and economic context is

challenging for displaced people. Since the earthquake, there has been a housing shortage in Gaziantep.

Additionally, the economic situation in Turkey is difficult, which has led to increased violence against Syrians, as well as more identity checks aimed at deporting them to the border.

During our meetings with the orphans and their families, we distributed small gifts. We also conducted individual consultations to better understand their psychological needs, along with medical check-ups. Moreover, during this trip, Swiss-Group met with several local partners, including our official partner UOSSM International, to work on future collaborations and determine priority actions. These discussions were extremely productive.

SEP

2024