Abed Al Massih Attieh was a high-flying builder, but his life turned upside down when his son was born severely handicapped. He says his own grief made him sensitive to other people’s misfortunes:

“My wife and I went round the villages and saw how disabled people lived, with our own eyes. We wanted to change their lives; we tried to make them feel wanted.”

Al Ard doesn't just help those with mental difficulties. Many women in rural Syria get little education and have poor economic prospects. The founders planted a vineyard which now provides employment for the locals.

Workers get over 200 dollars a month- a good wage locally. It's a truly sustainable enterprise, with profits from wine sales going back to help the children. And the red wine it produces is among the best in the region.

The wine may flow, but the funding doesn't. Al Ard's future depends on donations, hoping one day to break even.

But if it doesn't, while some will lose a job, those with mental disabilities will lose much more – the only place for them where care and expertise is available on tap.