AMMAN
— Earlier this month, the European Union (EU) decided to fund UNICEF over the
next two years with 10 million euros to improve the education and well-being of
vulnerable children and youth in Jordan. This support will be explicitly
directed toward enhancing the inclusion, learning, and overall well-being of
children in Makani centers and schools based in refugee camps.
This
initiative, known as “Education and Makani Programs for Vulnerable Syrian
and Host Community Children in Jordan,” will focus on providing
high-quality education to over 36,000 children and adolescents living in Syrian
refugee camps. Furthermore, about 9,000 disadvantaged children and youth of
various nationalities in Jordan, including Syrians, would receive a complete
package of learning support, child safety services, and skill development
through Makani facilities.
H.E.
Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, the EU Ambassador to Jordan, emphasized the
significance of this project, saying, “Today, we are confirming our strong
and valued collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and UNICEF, which
has lasted a decade. With this new 10-million-euro program, we hope to provide
educational opportunities for 45,000 Syrian refugee and Jordanian kids in camp
schools and Makani centers. Youth are our most valuable asset.”
Philippe
Duamelle, UNICEF Representative in Jordan, emphasized the importance of the
EU’s support, saying, “We are grateful for the continued support of the EU
to help us provide vulnerable children and young people in Jordan with the
learning, skills, and protection they need to build a successful future.”
The
Makani program, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), aims to improve the well-being of Jordan’s most vulnerable
children and adolescents by establishing a network of centers that provide
integrated services such as early childhood development, child protection,
learning, adolescent and youth engagement, and skill development. UNICEF
collaborates with the MoE to increase Jordan’s education system’s capacity to
accept Syrian refugees and deliver excellent education in public schools.
Since
the Syrian conflict began in 2011, the EU has been a major backer of UNICEF’s
efforts to improve the lives of Jordanian children.
UNICEF
revealed in an exclusive interview with Jordan News that, over the next two
years, the EU will provide 10 million euros to UNICEF to assist school
operations in refugee camp schools and Makani centers in host communities
across Jordan. This money will assist UNICEF and national partners, notably the
MoSD and local non-governmental organizations, in providing learning
assistance, child safety, and skills development programs to 9,000 children and
young people at Makani centers around Jordan. It will also help provide quality
education for almost 36,000 children and adolescents in formal and informal
settings in Syrian refugee camps, where UNICEF collaborates with the MoE.
They
stressed that UNICEF programs serve the most vulnerable children and young
people in Jordan, regardless of nationality or status. For example, Jordanians
comprise over half of the children who receive comprehensive social protection
services in 114 Makani facilities nationwide.
In
recent years, UNICEF has also collaborated closely with the National Aid Fund
to guarantee that children from enrolled families can access Makani services.
UNICEF collaborates closely with the MoE in refugee camps to improve
educational quality, provide programs for at-risk children and adolescents to
recover learning and stay in school, and provide livelihoods for Syrian
refugees through the incentive-based volunteer program, which allows them to
support school operations as assistant teachers.
“The
EU’s ongoing assistance will allow UNICEF to provide crucial services to 45,000
vulnerable children and adolescents of all nationalities over the next two
years. UNICEF is actively seeking additional funding to continue the quality of
services it offers to children and young people.
“Over
the next two years, UNICEF and its partners will deliver crucial services to
45,000 children of all nationalities. This comprises an integrated package of
social protection services given through Makani centers across Jordan, as well
as enhanced access to quality education for Syrian refugee children living in
camps.”
As
previously stated, vulnerable children and young people, regardless of
nationality or status, will benefit from an integrated package of social
protection services provided by the Makani Centers, including learning support,
early childhood development, protection, and skill building, to improve their
well-being and help them build a bright future.
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