The Minister of Social Development, Mr. Ayman Al-Mufleh, handed over certificates of participation to the participants in the first youth camp launched by the SOS Children's Villages Jordan, with the participation of 26 youth age 14-18 years from the three villages in Amman, Irbid and Aqaba, in addition to two young men from the Umm Al-Hussein Foundation in the presence of the National Director Rana Al-Zoubi and Director of the Hassan Youth Award Samar Kaldani.
The camp, which was inaugurated on behalf of the Minister of Social Development, Mahmoud Jabour, Assistant Secretary-General, and Ahmed Al-Zaben, Director of the Juvenile Department, was held for five days in the Al-Hassan Forest in Tabarbour, in cooperation with a number of partner institutions, namely the Al-Hassan Youth Award, and the “Nahno” platform - the national platform for youth volunteering and participation. One of the programmes of the Naua Initiative, (one of the initiatives of the Crown Prince Foundation), the Steps Foundation, and UNICEF. The camp was supported by the Integrated Car Trading Company, believing in the importance of supporting young people and developing their life skills. The charity seeks to establish this youth camp on an annual basis, so that participation is open to young people from all segments of society.
The National Director of SOS Jordan, Rana Al-Zoubi, expressed her happiness at launching the youth camp, which aims to expand the horizons of young people and enrich their life experiences through practical experiences, develop relationships, and develop their knowledge, skills and positive values by focusing on leadership skills and planning skills to implementing youth initiatives, as well as enhancing meanings and belonging. Active citizenship and its embodiment, and finally deepening the values of discipline, self-management, responsibility, participation, cooperation and teamwork. She pointed out that this camp is part of the plans to prepare young people for a life of independence after leaving the SOS care programs.
The camp included interactive workshops, practical sports activities such as hiking trails, landing and adventure, and dialogue meetings with different speakers. Young Kamal, from Irbid Youth houses, expressed his happiness to participate in the camp. He said: "For me, the camp is wonderful, distinctive, and different from the usual activities. I liked the idea of the camp and hope it will continue permanently. I participated in all activities, including the walking activity, first aid activity and the map activity. Compass and mountaineering activity”.
This camp, which lasted for five days, is followed by a second camp that is being held this week to ensure the participation of all the youth of the organization in this activity, along with a number of young men and women from care homes of the Ministry of Social Development and youth from the Umm Al Hussein Foundation.
It is worth noting that the SOS Children’s Villages Jordan is a non-profit national organization established in 1983, working in the field of social development and providing care for two hundred and sixty (260) orphans and young men and women who lack family bonds in family and community houses in Amman, Irbid and Aqaba, and in the youth houses. Also provides support to young men and women up to the age of 23 to help them reach the stage of independence. The alternative family care model in children's villages is characterized by providing integrated care for children and youth covering care, food security, housing, education, health and psychological care, empowerment, economic security, protection and community integration.