Project Amal ou Salam

Project Amal ou Salam is a grassroots organisation dedicated to empowering Syria’s children to rebuild their country and work for peace. It believes that every child has the right to an education, to a childhood free from trauma and violence and to the hope of a peaceful tomorrow.

Image credit: Project Amal ou Salam

Activities

Project Amal ou Salam holds day camps with Syrian children in Jordan and Lebanon, donates goods (such as colouring books, games, toys and sports equipment), holds holiday events, and provides monetary support to schools and learning centres both inside and out of Syria.
It uses music, arts, sport, photography and team-building activities to teach children about trust and unity, and to help them deal with the trauma they have sustained.

These provide open dialogue, giving the kids a safe space to tackle the issues that they face and develop their own ideas and visions for the future of Syria.

This year, Project Amal ou Salam also started a career day project for older children (aged 14 to 18) to ensure they are aware of the career paths they can pursue and encourage them thinking about their own future.

Project Amal ou Salam’s workshops are run by volunteers from all over the world. Since its establishment in 2013, it has supported over 6,000 children in four different countries: Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

The organisation partners with George Mason University's Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution to send graduate students to Syria’s neighbouring countries to work with children.

In January 2016 its work in Syria expanded to Aleppo (Beit Amal ou Salam). Unfortunately, their underground centre was forced to suspend its activities due to the worsening situation and was turned into a shelter.

Schools

Amal ou Salam fully funds and runs a refugee school in Jarash, Jordan, and also supports schools and learning centres in Syria and refugee areas in neighbouring countries.

For example, it provides transportation to a learning centre in Irbid (Jordan) for over 70 kids and supports Tastakel learning centre for girls in Gaziantep (Turkey).

The Amal ou Salam school plays an important role by filling a gap in the education system: Syrian children are not allowed to enrol in Jordanian schools until they are able to pass tests at their appropriate grade level.

The Amal ou Salam school prepares students to pass those and ensures they can perform as well as their Jordanian peers in their new classrooms.

Several dozen students from the Amal ou Salam school have already successfully made the transition to public schools.

This year, the Amal ou Salam school started providing afternoon shifts for Syrian and Jordanian kids who need some extra help with their homework or simply want to take part in fun activities such as music, arts and sports.

Also, Amal ou Salam school began working with the mothers of the students who have requested English and Arabic lessons.