Update VII - March 2019
Amanda Lane, Executive Director
Collateral Repair Project
2019 • So Much is Happening ...
The winter period can feel quiet in many workplaces - but not so for us here at CRP. We had a restful holiday break, but CRP’s staff and volunteers have come back for the new year and are busier than ever with emergency assistance and community center programs at both our Hashemi Shamali and Downtown community centers. In January, just shy of 2,500 beneficiaries took part in community center programs--an incredible testament to CRP’s reach, even in a month with time off for the holidays.
One of the most exciting developments so far in 2019 has been that in February, CRP began implementing community center programs at our downtown center, only a few months after we began emergency assistance distributions there. The new center focuses on providing basic needs assistance and trauma-sensitive programs for vulnerable Somali, Sudanese, and Yemeni refugees, most of whom are too far away to reach our Hashemi center. Staff members are embracing the challenge of serving CRP’s rising number of beneficiaries, and we are continuously encouraged by the growing impact that CRP is having. FAWCO has been instrumental in supporting CRP’s expansion in 2018 and 2019, and we cannot stress the value of your partnership enough.
At the end of January, CRP launched our inaugural ICDL coding course, with 12 women registered. This new coding course, made possible by support from FAWCO, allows past participants from the basic computing skills course to learn two coding languages, HTML and CSS. At the completion of this course, participants will receive certification of their new skills. Running in conjunction, our basic ICDL course has progressed smoothly since its start in December, with almost 20 women attending twice a week. We love how these courses meaningfully contribute to women’s technical skills and employability, as well as provide a sense of purpose and achievement for these women, and we thank you for your support of these programs!
Participants of our Leadership in Action program have been hard at work planning their upcoming projects for the course. The projects will focus on child labor, domestic violence, and cybersafety. Throughout February, the men and women brainstormed how they will implement their projects with two CRP staff members in a focus group. We cannot wait to see the projects that these groups produce in order to increase community awareness of the aforementioned issues.
We are looking forward to graduating another two cohorts of Super Girls this March. We have watched for several months as they delved into their shared Arab heritage and divulged their dreams for the future. December saw the Super Girls purchase their own healthy snacks from a local market and learn about financial responsibility. The girls made delicious, healthy food at the community center, including hummus, salads, and more. In January, the Super Girls built clay houses which represent their dreams and aspirations for the future. They discussed tools necessary for moving forward despite traumatic pasts. Now, in February they have been working as a team to create a gallery of drawings and artwork for their parents to see at their graduation next month.
Women’s Empowerment 101 and Gender-Based Violence courses continue to draw high attendance numbers. The new trainers that took part in November's Training of Trainers (ToT) helped us recruit new faces to participate based on their personal networks. This was very beneficial since before the ToT we were struggling to find men who were interested in participating in the GBV courses--now the class is full and even has a waitlist!
February has also seen the incredibly exciting start of planning for a new playground at our Hashemi community center. We are consulting with various vendors that can provide us with high quality equipment which will include new slides, a merry-go-round, and synthetic sand for kids of all ages, as well as a nice sitting area with benches for the parents. We cannot wait to break ground on this new project, as we know how excited the youth at our Hashemi center will be to see this development. Because it is open to any members of the community, our playground is a fantastic example of CRP’s focus on social cohesion, especially among youth.
As you can see, both of our community centers have plenty of new and ongoing activities happening. This is a testament to the impact that FAWCO is having on the lives of our many beneficiaries. All of the above programming has been made possible because of the amazing support we have received in 2018 and 2019. Hope Beyond Displacement is truly impacting the lives of thousands of refugee women and girls, and for that we just can’t thank you enough!
I’m looking forward to heading to New York to speak on a panel with FAWCO members at the UN Convention on the Status of Women. It’s always great to spend time with FAWCO members and to let people know what a huge impact FAWCO is making on the lives of women and girls here in Jordan!
- Amanda Lane, Executive Director
Collateral Repair Project
