Syrian refugees break routine at Azraq camp by taking up jobs through CARE

AZRAQ CAMP — When Manal Ammour arrived in the Azraq Refugee Camp three months ago, she was looking for a job to meet her family’s needs.

“I didn’t want to stay in the trailer all day doing nothing and feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to find a job to forget the problems and suffering we have been through,” she told The Jordan Times.

The mother of five found a job at a centre affiliated with CARE, working with Syrian children residing in the camp.

The centre provides children with entertaining activities that suit their ages.

Ammour is among thousands of Syrian refugees who benefit from the services provided by the international organisation CARE.

Malik Abdeen, the organisation’s case management coordinator, said the CARE centre serves as a hub of social services for Syrian refugees in the camp.

Azraq camp, which hosts 10,489 refugees and consists of four villages, opened in April this year, according to a senior external relations officer at the UN.

The camp, 100km east of Amman, also houses two schools that receive 5,000 students, the UN official noted.

The total number of registered Syrian refugees in the Kingdom stands at 606,000 so far, according to UNHCR figures.

The refugees are among 1.42 million Syrians registered by name in Jordan, according to official government figures.

Abdeen said the centre links Syrian refugees with organisations that help the camp residents.

“There are a number of case managers working in several rooms where Syrians come to tell them about their problems and needs. They first go to a reception room from where they will be transferred based on their cases,” he told The Jordan Times.

Once briefed on the refugees’ problem, the case managers contact the organisation at the camp that can resolve it.

Problems related to bread delivery, shelter maintenance, job opportunities and voucher distribution are some of the issues CARE staff deal with every day, Abdeen said.

Suhaib Jizawi, one of CARE’s case managers, noted that he learned about the services several organisations provide at the camp through a number of training courses.

“Each organisation has different services and we should know about them so that we can talk to refugees and guide them to the right NGO,” he added, noting that the meetings are closed to protect the privacy of refugees.

He said they face some obstacles because procedures take time.

CARE also provides psychosocial services for refugees when they first arrive to help them adapt to life in the camp.

“We register refugees who want to work at the camp as well,” Jizawi noted, adding that around 1,500 Syrians are registered with CARE, hoping to find a job in the camp.

Around 60 employees and volunteers are working in the camp under CARE.

Children also benefit from CARE’s services in the camp.

Ammour said the centre affiliated with CARE offers Syrian children activities that suit their ages.

“They play chess and table tennis, and draw... Children aged between two and 10 can go from 9am until noon, while those in the 12-19 age bracket are received at noon and stay till 3pm.”

Ammour noted that her job helped her break the routine.

“It gives me the chance to be more proactive and make new friends,” she said.