"This relaxing site helped us to see Zaatari camp in a positive way. It helped us see the bright side of things.” Syrian case managers from Zaatari camp recently traveled with Questscope staff to Ajloun forest in northern Jordan for team building and training that focused on counseling, family guidance and psychological first aid. . Surrounded by a forest of green, fresh air and peaceful quiet, the setting provided a welcomed departure from the barren refugee camp.
Case managers play a key role in Questscope’s mentoring program. Syrian youth in Jordan have experienced the trauma of war, and now encounter an unfamiliar reality. Having lost their homes, their community, their education and any sense of normalcy, they need someone to trust in. They need a friend, who understands how they feel.
In Zaatari camp, 14 Syrian case managers facilitate activities and foster adult-youth relationships between mentors and youth that restore humanity and a sense of purpose for hundreds of young refugees. Our case managers are committed to building more than a community—they are devoted to building a family.
Training sessions are integral not only for developing skills for case managers, but for strengthening the relationships they have with each other. The sense of family among the case managers helps them create the same community of friendship for youth in the program.
This unique opportunity to spend time outside of Zaatari together fostered team building and also helped strengthen their sense of purpose.
“On the last day of the training, we could feel the happiness radiating from the participants’ eyes, reflecting the considerable effect of this training on their psychological condition and their feelings towards others,” said Ashraf, Questscope project manager.
For the participants, the training offered important tools to help rebuild the next generation of Syrian youth.
“This training changed my life significantly,” said one of the case managers. “It helped to rebuild my own psychological status, so that I can help the youth in Zaatari do the same.”
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Questscope mentoring programs are funded by the EU and coordinated by UNESCO.
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