In partnership with UNOCHA, Questcope recently completed a pilot mentoring program for youth at risk of violent behavior in Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp. UNOCHA recently reported on the program in the July update for the Syria Emergency Response Fund. The full report is available here.
Zaid*, in the blue shirt, with fellow participants in the Questscope program, pictured with one of the Questscope mentors.
Questscope, a Jordanian non-government organization, is running a program in Za’atari refugee camp targeting boys and girls aged 12-20, funded by the Syria Emergency Response Fund. The program targets youth who may be at risk of developing violent behaviors, given the extreme circumstances they have experienced and reduced support options available in the refugee camp. Questscope takes a dual approach: (a) providing daily supervised activities where children can have fun, learn new skills and meet new friends, and (b) training refugees as volunteer mentors, who work closely with each child to provide more personal support.
Zaid* is a 13 year old boy who has lived in Za’atari refugee camp for 14 months, together with his brother, mother and father. It took about a month to get used to the camp, he says, but now he and his family have adapted. He goes to school in the afternoons, and currently attends Questscope programs in the mornings. Before attending the Questscope programs, Zaid played in the dust and hot sun. If it was too wet or cold, Zaid and his friends had to stay inside. Zaid sleeps early as they have no electricity and there is not much to do at night. Zaid likes that he can make friends and spend time learning at Questscope’s programs. He said he is “happy to stay away from the dust and the sun.” Every day they have a different activity, like sports, movies or computer lessons.
An important element of the program is assigning Syrian mentors to each child who participates in the program. Zaid says he meets with his mentor each day. He said the role of his mentor is to make them forget what they saw back in Syria—all the destruction and the killing. He says he now understands he is safe from all that.
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