Locations"This job gave me back my dignity" — How a UNDP project in Rural Damascus helped Munther rebuild his life
July 8, 2025
When Munther Haidar, 31, returned to his hometown of Al-Moadamiyah in Rural Damascus after being displaced multiple times, he had no stable income, no job, and no sense of direction.
“I was unemployed for a long time,” Munther says. “After being displaced and going through so many hardships, I had lost hope.”
That changed when UNDP, with support from the Government of Japan, launched a solid waste management project in areas affected by the Influx from Lebanon. The project aimed at removing 30,000 tons of waste from areas with high concentration of refugees and returnees across Rural Damascus, Tartous, Homs, Ar-Raqqa, and Hama Governorates. Approximately 20,000 Lebanese refugees, Syrian returnees and members of host communities are benefiting from the intervention. In addition, the project is creating short-term job opportunities for 300 people ( at least 25% women) across the Governorates.
Munther was hired as part of the team, given work gear and tools, and immediately began his duties as a sanitation worker.
“This project came at the right time,” he explains. “It gave me purpose, stability, and the ability to provide for my family.”
Munther, who has a primary-level education and suffers from an undiagnosed internal bleeding condition, now uses his income to buy medicine, support his loved ones, and cover daily needs.
“Now I can buy what I need, help my family, and afford my treatment,” he says. “This job brought back my self-worth. This opportunity changed everything for me,” he says. “It was not just a job—it gave me stability, confidence, and the chance to rebuild my life.”
“It was not just a job—it gave me stability, confidence, and the chance to rebuild my life.” Munther Haidar, Rural Damascus
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