[Media Project]No.8 Her Clock Stopped

Janis Mahameed is a 18-year-old Syrian girl.
Her physical growth stopped when she was 10 years old due to growth hormone deficiency.
For more stories and information, go to www.zaatari-media.org
Director: Johayna Mahameed, Yuki Saito

[Media Project]No.7 Syrian Refugee Theatre Company by Disabled Kids

 

The 7th episode of “IN TRANSIT,” Syrian Video Project in Za’atari refugee camp.

One of the most famous guy in Za’atari refugee camp is Mr. Hamzeh Hussein, 22 years old. Even though he has impairments with his legs and it is not easy to walk around the bumpy ground of Za’atari, he is often going out and join various events and activities. This is a story about Hamzeh and the theatre company he is engaging now.

Queen Rania Award

In Jordan, there is an event that honors persons who contribute to the field of education called the “Queen Rania Award”. The purpose of this award is to shed light on the educators who make a great contribution to education and to express appreciation for their leadership and service, as well as to promote these good practices and recognition to the public.

Three different awards are presented at this event. One award is presented to an “outstanding teacher”, a second award for an “outstanding leader” and the third is for an “outstanding school president”.

In 2015, JEN worked at more than 100 public schools to restore water and hygiene facilities, as well as to promote  hygiene education and practice.

In a school in Tafilah, where we carried out these activities, school teachers played an active role with Jen in promoting these practices. This improved not only the practices and attitudes of the students but also the situation of the Mosques and surrounding areas.

JEN’s hygiene promotion team was able to witness these changes firsthand during monitoring periods.

Great changes were seen. More than 90% of students now clean the school restrooms, classrooms and hallways. They also hand-create posters about cleanliness. One teacher said to us that the, “students started to make so much effort for the school. It looks like they are now feeling responsible for maintaining the facilities and having autonomy”.

Moreover, teachers asked and helped students to clean inside the mosque. Also students’ fathers came to help rebuild school facilities and gather piles of trash scattered around the school grounds. Further parents operating a bakery began making sandwiches for students who cannot bring lunch with them to school.

After this success, two schools in Amman also started to clean their facilities on their own. Changes to the students’ practices and attitudes in these schools have also been witnessed.

JEN is looking for a way to spread these practices in schools nationwide by spreading information about the changes in these schools. To do this, we suggested to the organizing group of the Queen Rania Award to establish a new award of “Outstanding school” to recognize and thank the efforts made by schools. We believe that this can help motivate those people who are making efforts. Also children in other schools can use their competitive spirit to bring changes to more schools.

Now that we have an opportunity to explain our ideas and reasons in detail to this organizing group we will continue talking with them for the improvement of schools nationwide.

The official website which organizes the Queen Rania Award can be found at the following link:

Ala’a Al-Kurdi, Program Assistant

[A teacher teaching students about hygiene]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[A girl cleaning the restroom at a school in Tafila]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

【JEN is now accepting donations. Your help would be very much appreciated.
DONATE here】

[Media Project]No.6 6 Rules of Ramadan Fasting

 

During Ramadan, Muslims retain from eating, drinking, and smoking from the dawn to the dusk. Fasting is one of the most important custom for Muslims, though many people do know the detail of the fast. So, Mohammed Shawamreh, a director from IIN TRANSIT decided to visit an Imaam to ask questions about the fast.

Festive Nights in Za’atari During Ramadan

 

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, started on June 6 this year.

To enhance their sense of faith, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, refraining from taking any water or food. This practice also has the purpose of experiencing what it is like to be hungry or poor and strengthening compassion towards people in poverty.

In Jordan, the daytime temperature has recently been rising above 35 degrees Celsius. Residents of the camp stay in caravans during the day to avoid thirst, leaving the streets mostly empty.

【Empty streets in the daytime】

 

 

 

 

 

But after sunset, the Champs-Elysees becomes full of people. During Ramadan we see a lot of women, who usually do not walk around at night.

【Crowded Champs-Elysees during Ramadan at night (photo by Husam Al-Yousif)】

 

 

 

 

 

The meal after sunset is called iftar, and the meal before dawn is called suhoor. People celebrate Ramadan through the night praying or joining parties held with relatives and neighbors.

【Suhoor, the meal at 3 o’clock in the morning (photo by Ehkalas Sakar)】

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

【JEN is now accepting donations. Your help would be very much appreciated.
DONATE here】