In the heart of Deir EzZor, eastern Syria, 22-year-old Mona watches over her flock of goats with a smile that radiates pure joy. “These are my life. I feel at peace when I am with them,” she says, treating her animals like beloved children. Mona’s journey, shaped by her experience with Down syndrome and societal misconceptions, has been transformative, thanks to her involvement with the Inclusive Junior Groups project.

Mona joined the Al-Rayan youth group, a team of 20 individuals with disabilities, where she received six months of training. The program focused on social inclusion, economic empowerment, and psychosocial support, helping Mona regain her self-confidence and challenge the biases she faced in her village.

The Inclusive Junior Groups project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Syria with support from the Government of Finland, has empowered 240 individuals across three governorates: Raqqa, Deir EzZor, and Homs, with a particular emphasis on persons with disabilities and their caregivers. Comprising groups of young men and women aged 18 to 35, the project encourages collective saving of small amounts of money- agreed upon collectively- in a social fund for six months. This fund serves as a catalyst for positive change, fostering collaboration, mutual support, and social awareness while enhancing the social and economic well-being of both group members and their communities. The project has provided training, financial grants, and essential mobility and hearing aids, enabling participants to establish their own businesses. So far, Mona’s group members have launched 26 community initiatives across Deir Ez-Zor, demonstrating the project’s tangible impact on inclusion and economic empowerment.