DAMASCUS PE CONDUCTS WORKSHOP ON DIGITAL MARKETING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND PHOTOGRAPHY, TO NON-PROFIT SYRIAN BEES QUILT, UNDER PH-SYRIA MOU ON MSME PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT

On 01 October 2022, Damascus PE attended the Syrian Bees Quilt Exhibit at the Wathiqat Wattan (مؤسسة وثيقة وطن ( headquarters in Abu Rumanneh, Damascus, Syria. The exhibit featured the artworks fully created from recycling garments and materials. These were upcycled into household items such as table runners, coasters, quilts, and tapestries, among others. The artists behind the crafts are women who lost their family members during the war and joined this women led micro-enterprise.

Damascus PE, through CDA Vida Soraya Verzosa, met Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban,Political and Media adviser to the Syrian President and head of Wathiqat Wattan, the organization supporting the Syrian Bees Quilt exhibition. Dr. Shaaban shared that the challenge for the non-profit micro-enterprise is the marketing and product photography of the artworks, citing that the members, mostly women, have limited know-how. Then, CDA Verzosa offered the assistance of the Embassy through providing a workshop on digital marketing, graphic design, and smart phone photography. Dr. Shaaban gladly accepted since this is under the auspices of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Promotion and Development signed in 2009 in Boracay, the Philippines.

On 06 October 2022, Damascus PE returned to the Wathiqat Wattan headquarters to conduct the workshop that would help the administrators of Syrian Bees Quilt launch their online presence through technical assistance of the Philippines. CDA Verzosa imparted her knowledge and skills in photography for product styling of their artworks with the use of their mobile phones. The Cultural Officer, Ms. Girlie Corpin, delivered a presentation on digital marketing. Then, translator and Cultural Assistant, Ms. Salma Hourani, demonstrated the most useful tips and tricks in graphic design using the Canva application. All presentations were done in English and Arabic for this inaugural MSME development workshop.

After the workshop, the Damascus PE team assisted the participants in applying their lessons by doing actual product photography of their artworks at the headquarters. Everyone also enjoyed the pastries brought by Damascus PE during breaktime. The workshop is a technical assistance project implementing the MOU to jumpstart the cooperation in this area of economic development. -END