Play space project in Jordan
We Play, Masahit Alhayy Placemaking and Mateen Education Centre finished in July 2024 the project: 'Harakeh: Belonging through Play'. The project was implemented in a so-called 'informal tented settlement (ITS) for refugees close to the capital city of Amman.
In Jordan there are more than 2 million refugees from different countries, including Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Many of them live in official refugee camps, but most of them reside outside of the camps in urban and rural areas. There is also a range of refugees that stay at informal settlements. These are mostly located in rural or peri-urban areas. The inhabitants are often poor and lack access to basic facilities, such as adequate shelter, water, food, sanitation, education and healthcare. In particular for children life is hard at these settlements. The Jordanian government in cooperation with UNICEF, the EU Trust Fund and some non-governmental organizations tries to provide support services to the settlements throughout the country.
ITS 631 is located at Madaba, southwest of Amman. Around 340 people live here including 190 children under 18 years old. There is hardly any access to education for the children. There are no safe play spaces. Mateen is the only organization working at the ITS. It manages an educational centre where children receive basic educational training.
Takteel Initiative, a Jordan architect and designer, helped Masahit Alhayy and Mateen to design and built an open and safe play site. The community and in particular the children were actively involved in the design and building process. Local builders and materials were used. The play area includes a special play construction made by earth materials, It is the aim of We Play and Masahit Alhayy that the local community supported by Mateen will maintain the play space in the future.
The project lasted for six months and received financial support from the Netherlands among others. The official opening was on 11 June during the first UN International Day of Play.
Thanks everyone who supported the play space project in Jordan! if you want to know more about the results, please contact us.
More info at: www.weplayfoundationln.org
We Play is committed to support the design and construction of safe, accessible and sustainable play areas for children worldwide.
