As part of the SDG2030.me ‘dynamic storytelling team’ for International Women’s Day, I contributed to the event which was broadcast across social media and on public access television in the US. I was also a guest on MESPERO’s radio series on resilience issues and strategies for humanitarian workers in Syria.
Layla Barakeh
Social Value Communications Professional
Social Project Management Specialist
Layla Barakeh is a Social Value Communication professional and Social Project Management expert from Syria and based in Germany. She specializes in mental health and psychosocial support and livelihood training, promoting social value by means of effective communication tools and strategy. Layla is the Director of Humanitarian Community Life (HCL) and designs its training program and related material. She graduated from the Faculty of Media, Communication and Public Relations at Damascus University.
These are my Core Skills:
Effective Social Communication
Turning strategy into action, by connecting people to a commonly shared direction and putting social value at the heart of a brand story
Mental Health,
Psychological
First Aid
Equipping people with the tools and channels to help them use their resources and promote resilience
Life Skills
Using effective communication strategies to enhance people’s skills to participate positively in society
PR & Disaster
Management
Combining PR roles and Disaster Management steps in preparing, responding to and learning from the effects of crises
SDG Promotion
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (esp. SDG 3, SDG 5, and SDG 13) in achieving social communication aims
I put them in practice via:
PROJECT COORDINATION
I collaborated with SDG2030.me on a project called “MHPSS tools for health workers, IDPs and others in Syria”. In addition, I attended COP27 in Egypt as youth delegate and part of IFOUND’s intergenerational and multidisciplinary team.
CONTENT CREATION
I develop and create written content, as well as multimedia content such as videos and social media graphics. Please visit our Facebook page: Humanitarian Community Life.
2025: Having gone to Syria to support with family issues, I also established Uns&Anis: an initiative to promote dialogue and to reject violence in Syria. The aim is to build a culture of peace and to promote education about community initiatives.
2025: Returning to Germany once again, I was reunited with my sister after eight years apart. As Nour is now a naturalized citizen of Austria, I have learned a lot from her about integrating into the EU and thriving in my new life here.
2025: As I focus on learning the German language, I am discovering more about Germany’s rich cultural heritage. Simultaneously continuing my peace-building activities, I am happy to have been chosen for the Tabadol program for social entrepreneurs.
2024: Moved to Germany to continue my studies of the language and culture. Very interested in learning more about Europe and eventually contributing to multinational collaborative initiatives.
2024: In Germany, I discovered more about the experience of Diaspora communities and incorporated that element into my Humanitarian Community Life activities. Social integration is a key component.
2024: Continued my public speaking activities on topics connected to effective communication and building capacity for life skills. I enjoy sharing information and connecting with others.
2023: Aided those affected by the 2023 earthquake in Syria by providing initial psychological support and emergency mental health support workshops in cooperation with local organizations.
2023: Developed the HCL initiative into an academic project in the field of public relations, social marketing, and effective communication at Damascus University and attained my BA.
2023: At Damascus University, I held workshops on skill-set optimization. This was aimed not only at capacity building but also at identifying potential areas of development for virtual-learning material.
2022: At the COP 27 Climate Conference in Egypt, represented Syria in discussions on climate justice, humanitarian engagement, and women’s vulnerabilities.
2022: Provided mental health and psychosocial support consulting for a World Day against Trafficking in Persons event in London held by the International Forum for Understanding.
2022: As HCL Director, I continued organizing and conducting PFA training for humanitarian workers and the general public online, locally in Syria, and remotely in Yemen.
2020: As a field officer with OXFAM, I helped launch educational initiatives, focusing on livelihood, hygiene promotion, and public health projects, further enhancing public awareness on critical issues.
2021: Drawing on the foundations of social marketing, I created the Humanitarian Community Life (HCL) initiative to share the concepts of Psychological First Aid and Remote Life Skills with people in Syria and Yemen.
2021: HCL began collaborating with the International Forum for Understanding, our sponsor and mentor, on the creation of virtual-learning materials for Psychological First Aid and further capacity building.
2019: As a Field Officer with Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) in Damascus and its countryside, I played a crucial role in implementing livelihood restoration activities with community-based and localized solutions.
2019: I organized induction courses with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in Organizational Structure, Field Communication and Employee Management, enhancing organizational acceptance and confidence among target audiences and partners.
2020: I played a key role in advocacy campaigns, boosting awareness and support for crucial issues. Collaborating with UNICEF, I organized the initial life skills and PFA training in central Syria’s old Homs area, eight years after the area had been closed.
2016: As Project Manager of the bread distribution initiative, I led the first relief intervention team and aid convoys with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) to the conflict areas near Damascus, which had been under siege for four years. This operation was conducted in cooperation with UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria.
2016: I achieved the first-place in Syria through my participation in the initial Training of Trainers disaster management and Psychological First Aid training, which took place after the onset of the conflict in Syria. This training was organized by SARC and IFRC in Lebanon. In the same year, I was nominated to represent my SARC branch at a field communication workshop with ICRC.
2018: As Project Manager of the bread distribution project, I was responsible for planning and implementing relief efforts; this entailed working closely with my team during the largest evacuation and shelter operations in Syria in 2018. This operation was conducted in coordination between SARC, ICRC, and UN agencies. I was also selected to oversee SARC’s initial disaster management trainings in closed areas of rural Damascus.
2012-2013: I volunteered with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) as part of the response team for the initial displacement waves from conflict areas in the Damascus countryside of Syria. My first experience in a management role was serving as a Response Officer at the shelter centers.
2014: I achieved effective communication with diverse cultures and communities during my initial role as a Reporting Officer in Rural Damascus with SARC. I supervised small groups, overseeing 30 distribution points and 30 distribution officers, despite the challenges posed by the armed conflict.
2015: I was selected by SARC to manage a bread distribution project, which involved overseeing a large group of people – around 65 individuals including volunteers and employees. This project was considered one of the most crucial initiatives of that year, especially in closed areas.