Jordan

Skate Beyond Borders: Meet Mona*

alyssa — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:13:30 +0000

Skate Beyond Borders: Meet Mona* alyssa Mon, 11/21/2022 - 16:13

Mon, 11/21/2022 - 12:00

Around half our students are girls and we strive every day to keep this at 50% or even higher.

This story is part of a series in our latest fundraising campaign called 'Skate Beyond Borders'.

Mona* is 12 years old and lives in Irbid, Jordan.

Located in northern Jordan, Irbid is the second largest city in the country after the capital, Amman. Eight kilometers west from Irbid, you can find rural Deir il Se’neh, a small village where Mona and her family live. Although neighbouring the second largest city and characterized as a historical area with many archaeological sites, its inhabitants remain relatively close to the poverty line, underserved, and marginalized.

7hills for Social Development has been implementing programs with Skateistan across two locations in Jordan - Zarqa, and Irbid for the past year. Our joint sessions focus on girls’ inclusion, empowerment and integration between different communities. In Irbid, one of these programs is run in the local community of Deir il Se’neh.

Mona lives in the community of Deir il Se’neh with her family, her parents and her two sisters. As the middle sibling, she used to annoy her older sister because she didn’t want to take responsibility for her actions. Thinking back, her older sister would get upset when Mona would forget about a plan they made together with their youngest sister, continued to show up late to meet them, which impacted their relationship as siblings.

To join in on community activities, she would have to travel a long distance with her family. This made it rare to have a chance to play and learn about herself and her interests.

Jordan

"Before this program came to Deir il Se’neh, we did not really have accessible places and activities to go to. My mom used to have to take us to far places in order for us to play. When you [7hills x Skateistan] started coming my mom started letting us come to the program because the center is nearby. We were not really allowed to go out without her or my aunt, but she trusts you and this program”.

Mona

Irbid, Jordan

Throughout the past nine months, Mona and her two sisters (aged 14 and 5) have been attending 7Hills X Skateistan sessions once a week on Tuesdays. They are residents of the village and also attend public school in the region. The most important thing for Mona is that the programs come to her, and that she doesn’t have to rely on external support from her family to leave her community to access spaces to play and enjoy her childhood.

Before Mona joined the program, her sister said, “she used to always just sit around the house and not move”, that she wasn’t an active child in general. So when she first joined the program, Mona didn’t feel comfortable with peers her own age, she felt shy and self conscious. In both the Creative education sessions and the Skate sessions, she would need direct one-on-one guidance to participate in any activity. Even then, she would not fully engage and would remain withdrawn in the classroom or in the skatepark.

The 7hills x Skateistan curriculum starts with a focus on mutual respect, proper code of conduct, students responsibilities within the sessions, appropriate methods of communication and conflict management, and fostering an understanding of children’s rights to be heard, respected, and supported. These methods are incorporated into every lesson plan, and they are commonly turned into an art project, a collage, a small play, or a drawing that focuses on using their creativity.

After months of creative learning, the team at 7hills noticed that Mona had become more confident and comfortable within the sessions. Not only does she now take initiative and is eager to participate in all the activities, she also began to assist in the sessions and support the trainers with the newcomers to the program.

When asked if she has noticed a change in herself since the launch of the program she said “I mean of course I can skate now and that was not something I could do before, but I also learned how to enjoy shared public spaces and keep them clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy.”

When asked how this change makes her feel about herself, she responded with “I feel like my personality is stronger. I am more confident and creative. You taught us a lot in this program and I hope it goes on forever!”

Her sisters further added that they observe Mona taking responsibility for her actions, and that she needed a safe space in order to grow into this. “She became punctual and more aware of her time, which was the reason why we always fought. For example she now knows that every Tuesday she has a skating session and she comes on time.”

*Mona’s name has been changed in accordance with Skateistan's child protection policy.

In the Skate Beyond Borders campaign, our aim is to provide safe environments for students to grow up free from fear, violence and to develop their full potential to contribute to a better future for themselves and others.

By making a donation to the Skate Beyond Borders campaign, you can help provide safe spaces for children like Ahmad to build a better future in which they can thrive.

Yes

A new chapter for Skateistan

jess — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:12:07 +0000

A new chapter for Skateistan jess Wed, 11/17/2021 - 15:12

Wed, 11/17/2021 - 12:00

Skateistan is embarking on a new chapter. One which will see us expand around the world to reach thousands more children. Find out how the Skateistan story continues.

A crisis in Afghanistan

In August 2021, we suspended our programs in Afghanistan for the first time since 2009, when we first opened the doors of our Skate School in Kabul. For over a decade, thousands of children in Afghanistan had found a safe space at Skateistan, where they could play, learn and dream. Now our future in Afghanistan is uncertain. Many of our staff have fled the country, but we’re determined that we’ll keep supporting the children of Afghanistan in any way that we can. We hope to restart programs there soon, but for now, that chapter of our story remains unwritten.

A New Chapter

The crisis in Afghanistan and the suspension of our programs forced us to rethink our model. We want to be able to reach as many children as we can, and we know there is a need for our programs all over the world. So now we’re embarking on a new chapter. This new chapter will see us expand rapidly, to 20 locations by the end of 2022. We aim to reach 4,500 students each week by the end of next year. We’ll do this by working in partnership with other organizations, by experimenting with different types of programming and always striving to reach children who are often forgotten and left behind.

We’ve already begun!

It sounds ambitious, but we’ve never been scared of a challenge. And the great news is, we’ve already begun! In just the last few months, we have already started working in Jordan, Bolivia, Atlantis (Western Cape, South Africa) and Kenya, in addition to our long-standing Skate Schools in Cambodia and Johannesburg.

In Jordan, Bolivia and Kenya we have three amazing new partners, who are now running Skateistan programs (7Hills Skatepark, Ayni Skate Project and Project Elimu respectively). This new model of working together with other organizations means we can expand our programs faster, while benefiting from the expertise and experience of these incredible organizations. Check them out!

In Atlantis, we are running programs in public schools as an expansion of our South Africa Skate School. It’s amazing to see so many children enjoying a completely new activity.

How can you help?

There are lots of ways that you can help Skateistan to write the next chapter of our story.

You can support ‘A New Chapter’ right now!

You can also share our campaign with your friends and family through social media.

Why not host your own fundraiser? It’s super easy to ‘add fundraiser’ on Instagram and Facebook. Contact us if you’d like help to get started!

And lastly, watch this space! We will keep bringing you updates on the campaign and the exciting developments at our new expansion locations. And when we have news from Afghanistan, we’ll be sure to share it here.

Yes

A New Chapter in....Jordan

jess — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 15:23:26 +0000

A New Chapter in....Jordan jess Mon, 11/15/2021 - 16:23

Thu, 11/25/2021 - 12:00

Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations around the world. And the good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Jordan.

Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations around the world. By the end of 2022, we aim to be operating in 20 locations and reaching 4,500 students each week. And the good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Jordan.

Location: Zarqa and Irbid, Jordan

Partner: 7Hills Skatepark

Average number of weekly students: 21

Girls’ participation: 26%

Programs running: Skate and Create

A few months ago, we started a partnership with long-term friends of Skateistan, 7Hills Skatepark. 7Hills are based in Amman, Jordan and have been running community and skate programs for years. They focus on inclusion and integration and have a wealth of experience in working with refugees, who make up a large proportion of Jordan’s population. Here at Skateistan we’ve always been inspired by the work of 7Hills, so we were stoked to be able to start working together this year. Currently, 7Hills staff are running our Skate and Create program in two new locations - Zarqa and Irbid.

Jordan is just one of four new Skateistan locations. Watch this space for news of the others, and join our campaign to begin A New Chapter for Skateistan.

Yes

Zarqa

jess — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:38:28 +0000

Zarqa jess Wed, 07/14/2021 - 15:38

Jordan currently has a population of over 10 million people. In 2018 more than 70% were under 30 years old with youth (15 - 24 years) making up 22% of the overall population. Yet Jordanian youth, and young Jordanian women in particular, are largely marginalized and face poor social, economic and political opportunities. Youth centres outside cosmopolitan areas receive little funding and are underutilized.

Additionally, over 690,000 refugees are currently registered with the UNHCR in Jordan and actual numbers of refugees are likely to be higher. The number of Iraqi, Sudanese, Somali and Yemeni individuals registering with UNHCR is expected to continue growing. Over 80% of refugees live outside of camps, primarily in the north of Jordan (where Skateistan runs its programs) and over 85% of Syrian refugees have been found to live under the poverty line. Many families still face economic hardship and experience high levels of psychosocial distress. Currently about 40% of Syrian children are out of school.

Skateistan started working in Jordan in May 2021, in partnership with 7Hills Skatepark, who have been running skate programs in the capital, Amman for several years. In partnership, 7Hills educators run Skateistan programs in two locations, Zarqa and Irbid. Our aim is to reach 50% girls' participation in both Outreach and Skate and Create programs. Find out more.

https://www.skateistan.org/blog/a-new-chapter/jordan

Bayir
Jordan

Regular students in Zarqa

Female in Zarqa

Regular students in Irbid

Female in Irbid

Off

Skate and Create

The Skate and Create program helps students build life skills through a balance of social sports and structured learning. In the skatepark and in the classroom, Skateistan’s Educators guide activities to promote wellness, equality, creative expression, and knowledge of natural sciences. Four annual curriculums develop a global perspective through local actions. The program is accessible to all levels of literacy and ability. It aims to provide a safe space for young people to develop relationships and skills that overcome deep social barriers to feed positive growth.

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7Hills Skatepark

Skateistan Expansion News: Sessions now running in Jordan with 7Hills Skatepark!

jess — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 10:57:19 +0000

Skateistan Expansion News: Sessions now running in Jordan with 7Hills Skatepark! jess Wed, 07/14/2021 - 12:57

Wed, 07/14/2021 - 12:00

We have some very exciting news for Skateistan fans - our programs are now up and running in Jordan!

Jordan

For a few years now, our friends 7Hills Skatepark have been running incredible skate programs from their unique location in Amman, Jordan. Jordan has an immensely diverse population, with 57 nationalities represented, and is one of the world’s top 10 countries in terms of the number of refugees it hosts.

This is a population that we want to reach as we believe in the power of skateboarding to bring communities together and to overcome barriers. So we were beyond stoked to set up a new partnership with 7Hills to get Skateistan programs up and running in Jordan!

The awesome 7Hills team began running Skateistan programs at the end of May this year and they’re currently running Outreach sessions as well as Skate and Create. These programs are perfect for new locations as they introduce children and the community to the idea of skateboarding as well as offering a creative outlet and a chance to learn some new skills.

The programs are currently running in two locations - Zarqa and Irbid. And we are delighted to let you know that there are already over 200 children attending these sessions each week! For most of these children, this is the first time they have stepped on a skateboard and the expert coaches at 7Hills are already helping them to make awesome progress.

We are super thankful to 7Hills for being amazing partners and helping to get Skateistan off the ground in Jordan. And we’re excited to keep you updated as to how our programs are growing and what the next steps will be for a Skateistan future in Jordan!

Yes