Discussion session hears of success stories of women, girls from Zaatari camp

AMMAN — On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Blumont, an NGO that works for the benefit of refugees and host populations, has held a virtual discussion session to champion and empower women at the Zaatari camp as part of the Community-Based Protection Programme supported by the UNHCR.

Enhancing women self-esteem, helping them envision brighter future, developing inherent potentialities and empowering women economically, are among many topics that were discussed thoroughly during the session, according to a Blumont statement.

Caroline Hadad Ayoub, Blumont Jordan country director, said: “As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we renew our commitment towards women empowerment and sustainable development. We are proud of Blumont women and their achievement.”

The session featured Omar Al Bdour, London Arabia Organisation CEO and a human rights activist, as a guest speaker and 17 women from the camp attended the session; 14 of which are participants of the “These Inspiring Girls Enjoy Reading” (TIGER) project that targets girls and boys aged 12–17 and bridges gaps in education and encourages academic advancement.

Bdour said: “It was a great privilege and an honour to have the opportunity to speak to the incredible young girls and the very inspirational women at the session.  I enjoyed hearing their stories as much as they seemed to enjoy hearing about my experience. They asked excellent questions — ones that made me stop and consider certain practices in my life. Having to explain these practices gave me new awareness of how to see myself and the world differently.”

Three women working now at Blumont shared their inspiring stories of how they overcame the challenges of displacement and became productive and independent.

“I lost my husband when my kids were young…I wanted to give my children proper education, a chance so I fled to Jordan. I used to be a stay at home mom in Syria, but when I lost my husband and was left alone to raise my children, I wanted to change, to work and to be independent,” Khaleda said. 

“Blumont enrolled me in different training courses, later on I started working with them as tailoring trainer, and now I supervise the work of women at Blumont face mask production facility,” she added.

The London Arabia Organisation presented an honorary award in 2017 to the TIGER girls after participating with them in some activities in the camp.

Blumont implements TIGER project as part of the Community-Based Protection Programme supported by the UNHCR. In 2021, it will target 400 students in Zaatari camp. TIGER consists of five interactive components: The TIGER life skills curriculum, community service, access to English and Arabic courses, and access to e-learning services, according to the statement.

Students will also have access to life-skills development in support of their future aspirations, capabilities, and interests for which students will receive assessments on their skill development, according to the statement.