Changing the lives of Syrian children.
Supporters like you have played a key role in lifting the spirit of Syrian children and to helping them believe in better times ahead. Step inside our education projects in Jordan to see how your support is making a life-changing differences.
The activity centre
In the camps and host communities of Jordan – where families who have fled from war are rebuilding their lives – we run multi-activity centres, drop-in centres and kindergartens. In Makani (My Space) Centres, children take part in basic and advanced literacy and numeracy sessions, lessons on life-skills and outdoor activities.
The kindergarten
Besides being a place where children can feel safe, comforted and part of a friendship group, it’s important they continue to learn in the same way they would if they were home. Our Early Learning Centres are well-stocked with games, crafts and learning tools to help keep young minds playful and busy.
The school bus
Many Syrian children seeking refuge in Jordan live in host communities, rather than in refugee camps. A bus brings them to the Makani Centre where Save the Children runs classes for 6 to 17-year-olds. Some have lived through experiences they’d rather forget. The activity centres – and the bus rides – help take their minds off the past and gives them a place to make plans for a brighter future.
The teachers
On the left (in the photo above), we have Rasha and Raya who teach four-year-olds in the kindergarten in Zaatari Camp. On the right, Abeer and Hanen, who both teach three-year-olds. These Save the Children staff travel for an hour and a half each way to work with children in the kindergarten – children who are too young to have ever lived in Syria, but still experience the repercussions of the war.
The parents’ room
The kindergartens also provide programs for parents. Parenting Skills sessions are held for both mums and dads, and in the Early Learning Centre there is a room for parents. In the early days, it became known as ‘The Crying Room’ because parents could share things with each other that they couldn’t share in front of their children.
The space to play
Children who have had to flee violence, or cope with the family’s struggle to adapt and survive bear tremendous trauma. That’s why psychosocial support and life skills activities are crucial. Recreational activities also help build self-esteem and reduce stress levels – and give them a chance to play with other children.
At the start of the year, we launched our Back to School Appeal – because even when conflict has turned their lives upside down, kids deserve to keep on learning. In fact, education can be a powerful thing in an emergency – it brings hope and a sense of normalcy, even in the most unusual circumstances.
Your support helps children caught in conflict continue to learn.
Header image: Chris de Bode/Save the Children
All other photos: Lucia Zoro/Save the Children or Chris de Bode/Save the Children.