Since 2012, our aid has been reaching Syrian refugees who have had to flee their homes because of the war, as well as their host communities. We want to reduce the immediate and long-term risks of deep
poverty – whether it is children's lack of education, malnutrition, missing personal documents or mental health problems.
We have been working for a long time in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, where we support the community centre of our partner organisation LWF. In 2020, we continued to support the operation of a full-day kindergarten – the first of its kind there – which we helped build thanks to Lenten fundraising (living containers were provided by our embassy in Amman).
The nursery for 60 children and the playground significantly expand leisure opportunities and take a lot of pressure off the women who can work, address their needs or run their households. With the support of the Ministry of Interior (Aid in placeplace), a project has been implemented to increase vocational skills and promote small businesses and crafts directly in this camp of 80,000 people and also in the town of Irbid. It also included the production of protective cloth masks during the covid epidemic.
In the Zarqá city in Jordan, thanks to the support of the humanitarian programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and again in cooperation with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a community centre is now in its third year of operation.
It provides psychological support, education and various leisure activities for children and adults (English classes, Zumba, sports clubs or therapeutic groups and a ceramics workshop). Last year and this year,
we are paying increased attention to supporting local partners so that they can better provide these services themselves.