Riham

War has been raging in Syria since 2011. More than 1,660,000 people have fled to neighbouring Jordan. Despite the government’s efforts to overcome the crisis, the situation in Jordan is tense, especially in the north of the country, where around 90% of all refugees live. The traumatic experiences during the war have left them with deep scars. With the Goals for Peace project, SA4D and the local partner organisation Al Bireh support people in dealing with their war trauma and better coping with everyday life as well as rebuilding social cohesion. using sport and play. The project has been running since 2020 and aims to promote the psychosocial well-being and integration of 1,000 Jordanian and Syrian children and adolescents through football and other activities. Through peacebuilding and sport and play-based activities, the project participants acquire important life skills. The positive experiences with people from a wide range of backgrounds are particularly important in dealing with trauma, but also play a significant role in restoring social cohesion and promoting mutual respect and conflict prevention.

Ambassador for peace

The 25 year old Riham is Syrian and works as a coach in the project. In 2013, she arrived as a refugee in As-Salt, a town in western Jordan. She learned about the new activities through her mother. “I love sports and wanted to help children”. She was already able to gain experience in dealing with children in refugee camps during her flight. She really likes her job as a coach. “Seeing the children so happy makes me feel positive. Watching them build self-confidence and good relationships with the other children is enriching.” Even the children’s parents report very positively back to them. The project gives many people hope again, she says. She especially enjoys planning and implementing the games. After each activity, she notes what went particularly well and what she wants to improve next time. “The fact that I am Syrian helps Syrian parents develop the confidence to send their children to our sports and games activities. This way I can build a bridge between the children from Syria and Jordan.” What impresses her most is that through sport and games, children learn much more than in the traditional way. “They ask me at every session what we will discuss today and what games we will do. For the children it doesn’t feel like learning, but a lot of things stay in their minds. I think the sport and play approach is great!”.