SSCh – Who they are and what they do

Support and Sustain Children Onlus (“SSCh”) – is an independent, non-profit organisation based in Verdellino (Bergamo, Italy), operating since 2013. Its mission is to support children and young people orphaned or affected by the Syrian conflict, addressing their primary needs and working towards their social and economic rehabilitation.

Leveraging its experience in Jordan, Iraq, Greece, the Balkans, and Romania, SSCh provides aid not only to children but also to Syrian refugees and displaced persons in spontaneous camps on the Turkish border. SSCh is characterized by its physical presence in intervention areas. Monthly field missions document all activities, ensuring constant monitoring of local partners, proper resource allocation, and aid distribution.

Among the victims of the war, many women are left alone and without any means to support themselves and their children. Often, victims of abuse, violence, and harassment need a social protection network and psychological support to help them gain confidence and full autonomy. The AMAN Project run in Syria at the IDP – ‘Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps of Kafaldin and Atma in Idlib, provides support, shelter, and assistance to 280 women, 360 girls, and 90 children through programs and activities focused on socialization, education, and introduction to work. Through this project, SSCh indirectly supports 1,400 families.

What NEF does with SSCh

In 2024 NextEnergy Foundation is supporting SSCh’s AMAN project by funding the installation of an 8kWp Solar PV system that will ensure a uninterrupted energy supply essential for daily operations, education, and community engagement. The Solar PV system aims to make the center independent of the Syrian energy grid, reduce energy consumption, and decarbonize the building’s energy needs through renewable sources. The project includes the supply and installation of the photovoltaic system, an energy storage system with lithium-ion technology, and an emergency electric generator. Savings will allow SSCh to expand and diversify its activities to meet community needs better.

The installation will be completed over the next months and an update on social and environmental positive impacts on the community will be provided shortly afterwards.