13 Salti al-Ibrahimi St
Hashemi Shamali
Amman 11118
Jordan
- Democracy and community development
- Gender
- Human rights
- Youth and education
Collateral Repair Project (CRP) is a community based organization in Amman, Jordan. It is a registered non-profit organization in the United States with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and is registered as an international organization with the Ministry of Social Development in Jordan. CRP runs an Emergency Assistance Program providing basic needs such as food vouchers and medical referrals to refugees and impoverished Jordanians. CRP offers programs to help refugees to rebuild social ties and develop new skills. Educational and skill-building programs build knowledge and practical skills to alleviate conditions of economic insecurity. Trauma sensitivity in all CRP’s programs helps those affected by violence to process their experiences. CRP is funded through private donations and grants. Annual operating budget is around $1 million.
CRP assists refugees from Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, as well as impoverished Jordanians. The majority of refugees in Jordan have been displaced for at least 5 years and are likely to remain in Jordan for years to come. More than 80% of these refugees live in poverty and are unable to legally work in Jordan. They face chronic socio-economic vulnerability and remain poorly integrated with the Jordanian host population. CRP seeks to help these vulnerable people by providing basic necessities first and then offering education and trauma-relief programming on top of that foundation. All of CRP’s activities take place in the city of Amman in two community centers, one in in the Hashemi Shamali neighborhood and a second in the Amman Downtown.
Basic-Needs Assistance Program provides assistance in the form of food vouchers to the most needy refugee families. Food vouchers gives refugees some independence and a feeling of control. CRP’s Basic-Needs Assistance Program also includes medical referrals and seasonal aid. For example, in the winter CRP distributes winter clothes, blankets, heaters, and heating fuel. Youth Programs include an after-school program for children 6-12, a summer camp, a special after-school program for girls, and a number of programs for teenagers that cultivate a spirit of community service and leadership. Many refugee children have missed years of school and are behind in their learning. Our youth programs incorporate varied educational methods to empower them to meet challenges and grow as individuals. Educational Programs and Livelihood Programs for adults deliver practical skills that may help to generate income and build confidence. These include a robust English language program, computer education, and some vocational training such as repairing mobile phones, men’s barbershop, and women’s beauty school. Many of these programs are led by either foreign volunteers (English classes) or beneficiaries who have risen to leadership positions and want to give back by sharing their skills with the CRP community. Leadership Programs such as Women’s Empowerment and Men’s Leadership promote awareness of human rights, issues in society, and seek to reduce the incidence of violence within families and against women. Community members are encouraged and enabled to become advocates for their community and to volunteer at the community centers. Trauma Relief Programs include psycho-social wellness activities such as sports, yoga, music and art therapy, and teaching relaxation techniques and conflict resolution techniques. Trauma sensitivity is integrated in all of CRP’s programs including those for children.
Collateral Repair Project works to build resilience in the refugee communities we serve. Our beneficiaries represent a diversity of cultures from Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and other countries. With our programs we seek to enhance the social cohesion between refugees and the host community in Jordan. CRP and its dynamic community centers in Amman facilitate dialogue between cultures and a respect for human rights. We can contribute to the Anna Lindh network in many ways. We have a long track record of community engagement in the Hashemi Shamali neighborhood of Amman and deep roots into the refugee communities there, and now we are working from a new community center in the Amman downtown to build a network that incorporates refugees from Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen as well as Jordanians. CRP has expertise in data collection, analysis, and monitoring, evaluation and learning as we continually seek to improve the results of our community center programs. We are interested to work with counterpart organizations and individuals in the city of Amman to improve and enhance the social and cultural environment of the city and to create opportunities for fruitful social and economic exchange between all the people living in Amman.
We want to join the ALF Network because we believe it will bring more opportunities to our beneficiaries to engage in the Jordanian and regional society. At our community centers we work hard to offer opportunities for learning and personal development to our beneficiaries of all ages, and we are particularly concerned to encourage refugee families to enroll their children in school and support their studies through the secondary level. We hope, through the ALF Network, to find more opportunities for our community members and particularly our youth to engage with like-minded others and to be exposed to a diversity of cultural and scientific opportunities for learning. Some of the refugees we serve in Amman will be resettled to third countries, some may choose to return to their country of origin, and some will choose to remain in Jordan. We want to prepare our beneficiaries for the future by giving them skills, resilience, and hope. We believe that cooperation with the ALF network in Jordan will enrich what CRP can offer at its community centers in Amman, that we can help people to move past mistrust and sectarianism and help both Jordanians and refugees in Jordan to participate constructively in in a larger civil society.