Jordan. Inclusion starts by playing together on a football field
In Aqaba, five days of football games and trainings were organized in collaboration with the Italian Footballers' Association under the Mujtamai Amani project, funded by AICS
For five days the football pitch in Aqaba became a special place of social inclusion and integration, welcoming 25 young coaches, 50 children and their families, all of them of Jordan or Syrian nationality.
From July 25 to July 29, they were involved in many educational and recreational activities revolving around football and aimed at creating closer bonds within the community, that were carried out with the collaboration of the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) under the Mujtamai Amani project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented in partnership with Terre des Hommes.
The 25 aspiring coaches were selected among vulnerable Jordanians and Syrians in five different locations in Jordan - Aqaba, Qweirah, Zarqa, Russeifa and Mafraq - on the basis of their ability and interest in becoming youth coaches. Their task will be organizing sports activities for kids in every area of intervention. Throughout the week, they could count on the support and teachings provided by the coaches of the Junior Department at AIC, who alternated training sessions in class and on the field.
“Our philosophy goes well beyond winning or losing. The most important thing for us is to develop the skills and talents of everyone involved. A team is the result of a long process of growth and the victory is not the goal of the game itself," explains an AIC coach.
The future youth coaches had the opportunity to learn many useful things, related not only to the technical aspects of the game, but also to the psychosocial development of the kids. Furthermore, they reflected and debated on the role that communication plays in the interaction with children. They underlined the importance of establishing a healthy and trustworthy relationship with the children, as they must feel free to be themselves without being afraid to be judged. In addition, the AIC and aspiring youth coaches prepared together several games to later share with the children on the field.
The children, on the other hand, had the chance to spend time with their families and peers, playing together and learning the fundamentals of football through educational games. These activities were aimed at strengthening both their physical and social skills.
"It was one of the best days of my life. It is very important for us mothers to have beautiful moments with our children, like the ones we had today," says Amal, 31 years old, who participated in one of the activities with her son Houssam. Playing let her rediscover her inner child after a long time.
The project also included an Aqaba city tour for the 25 aspiring youth coaches, who could explore the city and spend some time all together.
In addition, with the support of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), a beach clean-up was carried out at the Al-Ghandour Beach to turn it into a more pleasant and safer place for everyone. At the same time, it aimed at raising the awareness of the beneficiaries and the local community on the importance of keeping public spaces clean and taking care of the environment. The group was not left alone in their endeavour: as soon as other people saw them collecting trash and cleaning up the beach, they asked for gloves and bags in order to join in.
All of these activities were intended to help the people who participated to develop new skills, so that they would become active members in their communities and be the drivers of the positive change they would like to see in the world.
News Correlate
-
News 26 Febbraio Feb 2020 1032 2 years agoJordan. Kick off of the Youth-Led Football Program
AVSI and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation join forces with the Italian Footballers' Association to supp...
Giordania -
News 18 Giugno Giu 2021 0957 11 months ago#FleetingDetails: drawings of the little things that make refugee children feel at home
For World Refugee Day this year, we asked refugee children in the countries where we work to draw something represent...
Libano Giordania Ecuador Kenya Uganda Brasile Messico -
News 29 Marzo Mar 2021 0952 one year agoV Brussels Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region": AVSI launches an appeal
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the war in Syria, a clear call and some proposals on how to set up an act...
Siria -
News 18 Novembre Nov 2020 0013 one year agoThe Child Protection during COVID-19 emergency: “inseparable from education”
AVSI’s experience in Lebanon, Kenya, South Sudan, Mexico, Uganda and Jordan presented at the annual meeting of The Al...
Italia -
News 16 Luglio Lug 2020 1020 one year agoSyrian refugees and Jordanians turn abandoned parks into social hubs
Improvement of green infrastructure through cash for work: a story of income enhancement, social cohesion and climate...
Giordania