Homeland Projects
Changing Lives.
Preserving a Civilization.
For over 40 years, the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) has stood with Arameans in the homeland — rescuing families, reviving communities, and safeguarding a 3,000-year-old heritage.
During the darkest hours — famine, persecution, war, and earthquakes — WCA was there. Providing food to families, freeing people from imprisonment, and restoring dignity. Giving Arameans a voice, a clear identity, and their pride back.
From humanitarian emergency aid to long-term development, the projects below represent only a fraction of what WCA has accomplished — made possible by a loyal base of members, sponsors, and donors to whom we will always be deeply grateful.
If you are not yet part of this mission — join us and be part of making a lasting difference.
TourAbdin — Homeland of the Arameans
Where Aramean civilization has endured for millennia
TourAbdin in southeast Turkey is the cradle of Aramean Christianity — home to monasteries dating back to the 4th century, villages where Aramaic is still spoken, and a community of roughly 2,000 Arameans who remain the living guardians of an ancient heritage. Today, this historic heartland is increasingly encroached upon by Kurdish tribes — some attempting to drive out or even kill the last remaining Arameans, again seen in the attack on the 91-year-old father of WCA’s Vice President — making WCA’s presence and advocacy here more vital than ever.
UNESCO World Heritage Nomination
Following years of sustained advocacy (see here, pp. 4–5), Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism added 9 Aramean monasteries and churches to UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List — including Mor Gabriel Monastery, the Saffron (Mor Hananyo) Monastery near Mardin, and historic churches in Hah, Urnus, Kfarze, and more.
Watch the beautiful photo impressions of this historic trip between WCA and delegations from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism from Ankara and the municipalities of Midyat, Mardin and Diyarbakır:
Scholarships for Aramean Students
For years, WCA has run a scholarship program for Aramean students in TourAbdin. We gave them financial support to pursue higher education while staying connected to their homeland.
Every recipient pledges to give back to the Aramean community after graduation.
Sports Court in Arkah (Harabale)
During a WCA Youth Trip in 2022, over 100 Aramean children in Arkah — one of TourAbdin’s last purely Aramean villages — were asked what they needed most. The girls answered unanimously: a basketball and volleyball court! Despite delays caused by the 2023 earthquakes, WCA delivered — and today, the court is a vibrant gathering place for Aramean youth.
Village School of DeirQubbe
DeirQubbe is home to just two Aramean families, fighting to preserve their village against all odds. WCA sustains their village school — paying the salary of the schoolteacher to keep educating children in their Aramaic mother tongue. We’ve also sponsored the furniture for its church hall and the class, from tables to couches and more.
Community Hall — Ehwo, Tour-Izlo
In the beautiful village of Ehwo in Tour-Izlo, TourAbdin, a new community hall was built by Arameans from the diaspora (photo: WCA President and its village leaders) — and WCA supported its air conditioning system, ensuring the space serves families year-round.
Midin Pizza
A new pizzeria supported by WCA to increase employment among Arameans from Midin — one of the last remaining exclusively Aramean villages — and its surrounding region. Photo: the owner of the pizzeria together with the WCA President, CFO, and Secretary/Director of UN Affairs.
Bush Fire Relief — Tour-Izlo
Nearly every summer, bush fires destroy the harvest of Aramean farmers in Tour-Izlo. WCA, together with its local member association Abgar Rijssen in the Netherlands, raised funds to equip Arameans with firefighting tools to protect their ancestral lands.
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Help preserve the Aramean heritage in TourAbdin.
A Lifeline Through War & Ruin
Aleppo · Qamishli · Northeast Syria · Hama · Maaloula
Amid civil war, economic collapse, and devastating earthquakes, WCA has maintained an unbroken lifeline to Aramean communities across Syria — delivering emergency food aid, installing solar energy systems, launching vocational training and microfinance programs, and investing in agricultural development.
Through tireless advocacy, WCA and its Federation in Germany have, since late 2013, secured a humanitarian program that has continued through 2026. It has provided more than €50 million in humanitarian assistance from the German Government for Arameans in Syria and Iraq, delivered to the St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee. This historic achievement has been acknowledged and praised by
We express our appreciation and recognition of your exemplary services. It has resulted in opening a unique door for humanitarian aid, directly through the Foreign Ministry of Germany, that provides the basic needs of thousands of displaced and destitute families.
“Hope Amid Ruins”
After the catastrophic earthquake, WCA, its Federations and Suryoyo Sat launched “Hope Amid Ruins” — a sustained, multi-phase relief operation. Across eight phases, we delivered food, hygiene supplies, batteries, and household essentials to hundreds of Aramean families in Aleppo.
Hope Amid Ruins — Pt. 2
Gifts to 58 families in Aleppo
Hope Amid Ruins — Pt. 4
Food & hygiene for 800 families
Hope Amid Ruins — Pt. 8
Food packages for 520 families
Food Packages for 400 Families
WCA and its partners provided Easter and Christmas food packages to 400 Aramean families in Qamishli, Northeast Syria.
Christmas Gifts for 428 Children
Gift distributions reaching 428 kids in Qamishli + 350+ in Aleppo.
WCA has donated solar panel systems with a 15–20 year lifespan to churches, monasteries, and community buildings across Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Northeast Syria — providing free, stable electricity that benefits thousands of Arameans. The savings are reinvested directly into the community.
Nusaybin Building — Qamishli
The cultural heart of Qamishli’s Arameans — home to a kindergarten for 125 children, 75 academics, and the Edessa Committee’s Aramaic music — now runs on free solar energy. · ▶ Video
St. Mary Monastery — Tell Wardiyat
Solar energy for monastery near Hasakah
St. George Church — Aleppo
Solar energy gifted by WCA
St. Mary Church — Hama
Energy for the community
St. Mary Church — Aleppo
Solar energy gifted by WCA
Vocational Training & Microfinance
WCA sponsored vocational training for 100 men and women in Aleppo and Qamishli. Following the training, WCA provided startup grants to help motivated Arameans launch their own business. No loan — a gift. Videos include Business Development, Digital Marketing, English and Confectionary courses in Aleppo.
▶ Video 1 · ▶ Video 2
30 Farmers in 11 Villages
30 Aramean farmers across northeastern Syria each received agricultural baskets, including tools, seeds, and supplies. WCA has also launched broader agricultural initiatives for 100 families.
St. Osyo Nursing Home — Qamishli
WCA contributed more than a third of the cost to establish a nursing home for elderly Arameans whose children have fled Syria.
Aramaic Revival in Maaloula
Maaloula — the legendary village where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken — is the site of WCA’s Teacher Training Program. WCA launched a groundbreaking Aramaic teacher training program with 14 committed participants, ready to help fellow Arameans learn and preserve their 3,000-year-old mother tongue.
Sewing Atelier “The Golden Thread”
WCA supports a sewing atelier in Maaloula creating sustainable jobs — primarily for women. With eight employees producing clothing, blankets, and upholstery for customers in Damascus, the atelier has become a pillar of the local economy. Families report that it allows them to stay in Maaloula rather than leave out of economic necessity.
alt=”Generator Maaloula” style=”width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:center;display:block;”>Generator Repair — Maaloula Communications Centre
Responding to an urgent appeal from Maaloula’s mayor, WCA funded the repair of the broken generator at the town’s communications centre — restoring a vital service for the entire community.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to WCA for this noble initiative, which reflects its genuine commitment to the people of Maaloula and their cultural and humanitarian heritage.”
Help preserve the Aramean presence in Syria.
Standing With the Displaced
Mosul · Nineveh Plain · Bartella
When ISIS swept through the Nineveh Plain in August 2014, over 125,000 Aramean Christians were forced to flee in merely a few days — emptying Mosul of its ancient Aramean Christian presence for the first time in history. Although ISIS was defeated in 2017, many have never returned — tens of thousands emigrated or remain displaced. In any case, WCA mobilized immediately to secure emergency housing, medical support, and humanitarian aid.
Community Center in Bartella
WCA partnered with USAID (the US government agency for development aid) to reconstruct a community center in Bartella destroyed by ISIS — a symbol of resilience and return. The center serves as a vital gathering place for the Aramean community returning to the Nineveh Plain. Read more → · USAID recognition → · Video report →
In one day alone, more than 125,000 humans, Christians, were forced to flee and live on the streets. Our hope in humanity was lost.
This hope was renewed by Johny [Messo], Daniyel [Demir], Melki [Toprak] and others working with them, who gave us humanitarian assistance. We worked together — as a team, as a family, as brothers. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank them for what they have recently achieved.
We got half a million euro from the German government. This has enabled us for a few months now to help more than 900 Aramean families with their rent . Because our people are urgently in need of housing.
I would like to state one thing: history records everything; one cannot lie about history. History will record all the extraordinary assistance we received from these young men, the WCA and its Federations.