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Jamil is 18 years old and lives in the densely populated and under-serviced low-income Safh el-Nuzha neighbor-hood in east Amman. Many young men like him in this community have become hardened by their environment, and are used to living a very rough life. Most are school dropouts, and move in gangs. They earn their living on the streets. Sociologists describe this community as "fractured", since its inhabitants feel they have no say in the decisions taken regarding their society, and many do not feel that they have any definite roles to play in it.
Just over a year ago, Amman Municipality constructed the Jordan Highway that cuts through this area, replacing a small stream that used to flow there. Like many in this harah (neighborhood) Jamil and his family feel frustrated and angry that they had no say in this decision, and were not consulted. The small living room in the one-bedroom house is devoid of any furniture save for the frayed mattresses used for sitting on and sleeping. Towards the ceiling a small window allows a little mid-day sun to seep in. The stone embankments that prevent rocks from falling down on the house provide an uninviting view of metal, rock, and tar from below - a scene that Jamil and his family have been looking at for a year now.
As he sat in his gloomy home, with his ten brothers and sisters and his 52-year-old unemployed father, Jamil recounted his life in Safh el-Nuzha. He dropped out of school when he was in third grade because "I didn't like school, I didn't want to study."
Jamil works whenever he can find a job, which might be "for one month in the year, and then I could be without work for several months after that, or even for a year. Sometimes I leave this area and go far away to find work outside this harah. I worked as a carpenter, blacksmith, and at other tasks, but these jobs never lasted so I came back home."
Working through the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, a British non-governmental organization initiated "pro-social" community programs at Safh el-Nuzha for children and youth in particular. At first this organization was attacked by angry children and youth who threw stones at its staff and tried to vandalize the building it worked from, which belonged to the Corporation. It later became evident that the building had been built on what once had been the children's only playground."
We only want a clean place where we can play," said one child. After understanding the problem, the British NGO worked on building bridges of trust and confidence with the youth. It uses an approach which acknowledges the vital role and rights of the child as a maturing individual, and fosters positive feelings towards himself/ herself and society.
The NGO offered 17 boys between the ages of 11 to 18 years the chance to participate in the Prince Hassan Award for Youth through a six-month program. This scheme focuses on encouraging the young's leadership skills, responsibility, and potential. Jamil considers himself lucky to have taken part in this program. He said, "I participated in a five-day camp and was trained in various skills such as map reading, rope climbing, and how to set up a tent."
He feels that above all he learned discipline: "I learned how to sleep early and wake up early and to organize my life better," he said with a smile. He says that in the past he used to stay up late until the early hours of the morning with his friends smoking cigarettes, a habit he picked up when he was 14. He would wake up around mid-day, since he had nothing to do with his life."
The NGO promised to help by enrolling me at a pastry making course. I'm still waiting," shrugs Jamil, partly hopeful, partly unsure of his future prospects. |