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.

December 2025 Updates – The Next Energy Foundation (NEF) funded the installation of solar panels at the AMAN Safe Space and Women Empowerment Centre in Northwest Syria, as part of a wider intervention. This installation, concluded in December 2024, provided stable, renewable energy to the centre, ensuring continuity of essential services for women and children in a highly fragile environment.

Beyond technical improvements, the project empowered 15 women engineers through structured training and mentorship, which included NEF volunteers. These women developed five community-based project proposals, three of which have already secured full funding and are ready to launch. The solar installation not only stabilised AMAN’s operations but also served as a catalyst for a broader programme focused on women-led, green development across Syria.

Key impacts include:

• Improved operational stability and energy security for AMAN, directly benefiting around 320 women and girls annually, with an estimated 1,550 indirect beneficiaries.
• Projected wider community reach of up to 49,000 people, 8,750 households, 24 community institutions, and 73 micro-enterprises through the ESPERO pipeline.
• Empowerment of women engineers, who have transitioned from beneficiaries to leaders, designing and implementing projects that address local needs in food security, education, child well-being, and sustainable livelihoods.
• The initiative has become a model for green, inclusive, and women-led development, now being replicated in other Syrian regions.

NEF’s support has proved to be a powerful trigger for broader social and economic change, demonstrating how targeted technical interventions can support long-term empowerment and community reconstruction.