EU funds 10M euro UNICEF child protection project in Jordan

4. UNICEF
(File photo: Jordan News)
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.اضافة اعلان

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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