The AMAL Project GLOBAL CITIZEN FOUN DATION A SMALL WORLD

Transcription

1 GLOBAL CITIZEN FOUN DATION A SMALL WORLD

2 Together, let s bring Amal to kids in need! Nadine Arton, Founder, GlamOnYou 2

3 Syrian Refugee Crisis Regional Displacement Map IN 628,175 JORDAN IN JORDAN ,352 IN IRAQ IN IRAQ IN 1,078,338 LEBANON IN LEBANON ,375 IN EYGPT IN EGYPT ,938,999 IN TURKEY IN TURKEY 3

4 WHAT IS AMAL? We know how much children need to play and feel their childhood, this aspect is almost neglected when it comes to refugees as people tend to focus more on the basic needs, such as food and shelter. We, in The Amal, believe that providing children with as many normal activities as possible, doesn t only put them in a healthy environment, but also focuses on their mental wellbeing that is almost forgotten in major conflict zones. Our mission is to bring hope (amal from Arabic hope ) to thousands of children in refugee camps. We buy caravans and turn them into spaces filled with toys, books and various games by providing a safe environment where children can play and learn. The Amal supports children s development as well as helps them to overcome psychological traumata. 4

5 THE CAUSE Children in refugee camps have to grow up fast, it s difficult for them to imagine a future elsewhere. We decided to try and give the children from the camps a safe haven where they can enjoy learning, drawing and making friends. The Amal specifically targets children at the age of two to six, or until they start getting a formal education. This age group in refugee camps is often neglected, although a rapid cognitive, emotional, social and motoric development takes place at this age and appropriate stimulation plays a crucial role. At this age children continue to develop their language, they develop memory and imagination, learn to understand past and future as well as engage in make-believe. This is why reading, drawing and playing various games with peers is so important for children s development. We believe that giving children the oppotunity to come and play in one of our caravans will help them with their social integration and will create a good base for entering school. NADINE ARTON AT AL AZRAQ CAMP - JORDAN 5

6 JORDAN General Information * AL AZRAQ CAMP Date of opening: April 30th, 2014 Capacity: 50,000 People Size of camp area: 14.7 km Total persons of concern: 54,750 Children under 12 : 45.1% AL ZAATARI CAMP Date of opening: July 28th, 2012 Capacity: 79,900 People Size of camp area: km Total persons of concern: 79,326 Children under 12 : 41.4% JORDAN *Source UNHCR the UN Refugee Agency, 04 July

7 THE INITIATIVE The project was born through a collaboration of GlamOnYou with Muna Harib s Breathing Numbers initiative. Breathing Numbers, thankfully, paved the way for us to build the first two recreational caravans last August 2015 in Al Azraq camp and one more was launched in Zaatari last September as well. It all started with helping refugees, but our vision is to give a helping hand and make a difference in the lives of all kids in need no matter where they are. 7

8 WHAT HAS BEEN DONE We started in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan, but we are working on spreading activities to various parts of the world to help as many kids in need as possible. Three caravans have been launched already in both Azraq ana Zaatari, where more than 80 kids enjoy the activites provided on a daily basis. 8

9 THE CARAVAN AL AZRAQ CAMP - JORDAN THE PLAN Our plan is to buy more caravans, cover them with joyful drawings, furnish them as a kids corner, fill them in with tables, books, colorful pens and pencils, toys, games, etc. The logo of each donor organization will be added to the outside drawings of the caravan. Information on each contribution made will be included in the press releases for magazines, newspapers and websites. Let Kids be Kids Again! Jobs will be created for people in the camp in order to look after the caravans, the children and the overall maintenance. 9

10 Existing in Zataari Camp Amman-Jordan OASIS UPCOMING CARAVAN DESIGNS VILLAGE UNDERWATER 10

11 THE COST PRICE - USD $ 9810 $ price is variable as it depends on the availability and season. 11

12 12

13 WHY? Because they need a safe place to play. 13

14 IN THE PIPELINE WHITE HANDS VILLA SCHOOL Al Mafraq Governorate - Jordan October 2016 Because refugees are not only in the camps, we had partnered with Catherine Ashcroft s Helping Refugees in Jordan (HRJ) and Mercy Corps, to build up a school in the Mafraq governorate. The White Hands Villa School will have a full floor designated for The Amal project that is identical to the caravans we inaugurated in both Al Azraq and Al Zaatari camps. A place where kids can draw play, paint and dream of a better tomorrow. 14

15 SCHOOL IN RAJAHSTAN India September 2016 Partnership with Aman Resorts Plan: Rehabilitate the existing place to become a proper school Provide them with clean water and heaters. Buy all equipment for the school: tables, chairs, chalkboards, books, stationary, educational material. Produce their uniforms and buy shoes for the 150 students. Paint all walls with colors and drawings. 15

16 16

17 UPCOMING PROJECTS CAMBODIA Date to be confirmed Partnership with Song Saa Private Island Plan: Launch The Amal Rescreational Center UGANDA Date to be confirmed Partnership with Global Citizen Foundation Plan: Helping Sudanese Refugees. 17

18 THE AMAL COLLECTION To help with raising funds, we started producing the Amal dolls and the Amal t-shirts to be sold through retail partners around the world. Currently, distribution is limited to the UAE. 18

19 JOIN THE INITIATIVE There is nothing more important than giving a child a peaceful childhood. By offering them a place where they can play, dream and be creative, we educate them and give them a chance of a brighter future. We let them be kids. You can help build the foundation of a brighter life. NADINE ARTON & LINA BOUALWAN AT AL AZRAQ CAMP - JORDAN 19

20 PROJECT PARTNERS GLOBAL CITIZEN FOUN DATION A SMALL WORLD

21 AMAL PROJECT IN THE PRESS A NEW DAWN The Amal project is plotting a new adventure that will bring hope to thousands of young refugees eet Amal, an innocent Syrian refugee with inquisitive eyes and a wry smile. Like most young girls, Amal, has high hopes and soaring dreams for a happy and stable future - but this will be a challenge for her as she is growing up in a refugee camp. A victim of a shockingly brutal war, Amal is just one of the countless number of displaced Syrians forced to flee her country to find a new home. Global Citizen Foundation, in collaboration with GlamOnYou, a Dubai-based fashion house have been deeply involved with the refugee crisis touched and inspired by Amal, meaning hope in Arabic. The AMAL brings recreational caravans to distressed regions to create an oasis for playing, dreaming, learning, and sharing moments of joy. The project s mascot, Amal, symbolises a journey of a young refugee girl in a foreign place, without a real home and no safe spaces to grow and learn. Designed by GlamOnYou, the iconic handmade doll with apricot hair wears green ribbons, which are a symbol of childhood depression, missing children and environmental concerns. Each caravan has been customised to offer optimum lighting with bright kitted-out interiors. The exterior is covered with joyful drawings with the participation of the children. Each new playroom offers a pathway to education and is filled with books, stationary and toys. With care at its core, the project has also created jobs for women refugees to maintain the caravans, teach and supervise the children. These caravans are so much more than a safe haven away from 50 degree summers and minus 5 degree winters in Jordan; they are part of an ongoing rehabilitation process to help displaced children deal with the horrific experiences they have already witnessed in their young lives and to encourage them to express themselves and, essentially, be children. Being a mother myself, the Amal project is a cause which is very close to my heart. The children s stories are absolutely harrowing. There is just nothing there at the camps. It s a wasteland: no electricity, no shelter, no life. For just two hours each day, water drips from a tap to provide for over 150 children. Even though we have already provided two caravans, some of the children simply couldn t reach them as the walk is just too far, says Nadine Arton, Founder of GlamOnYou and The AMAL. The Global Citizen Foundation, which focuses on sustainable development and education projects in the Caribbean, Ethiopia, UAE and Jordan, has already donated over $40,000 to the AMAL and together they delivered the first set of recreational caravans to the Al Azraq camp in Jordan in 2015, with a further caravan in Zaatari; the largest camp in the country. Inspired by the enormous impact the AMAL project has on children in Jordan so far, the project will expand to helping children all over the world, starting in India in September These projects will make a huge difference to bringing a sense of normality back to children s lives to preserve their precious childhoods. We are extremely delighted to be a part of their future, and look to continue to support further educational initiatives for them, as the most important investment one can make is in education. The next generation will be the leaders of our economies, and by empowering citizens through education, we hope to help to build a more sustainable future for all, explained Arton. To donate or get involved in the AMAL project, please get in touch through Nothing in this world is more pure than the joy in children s eyes. Help us bring it to them. 56 SUMMER /

22 THANK YOU!