Hashemi Shamali Center

Everyone here knows Karam. He’s been a community member, a volunteer, and now an intern at our Hashemi community center. He sat down with us to share about a passion (and great talent) of his–music! Check out his story below, and listen to a few of his favorite songs. We hope they will bring some […]

So what’s been going on at CRP, you ask? How is your support making a difference for people in our community? Let me just share a bit of what’s been going on to give you an idea: This winter we have prioritized providing emergency assistance to the most vulnerable families in our community and getting […]

At CRP, the vast majority of our staff are local, and share a connection with our community members that includes custom, tradition, history, and most importantly. . . food! Recently we caught up with Ghaith, a key member of our Downtown Center team. He was kind enough to share with us the recipe he uses to […]

Many of the families who come to CRP are dealing with trauma that risks seriously affecting their interpersonal relationships. The majority initially came to Jordan as refugees and often struggle to cope with the practical and emotional challenges of displacement. At CRP, we strive to provide programming which addresses participants’ psychological distress, as our community […]

CRP has had an active presence in Jordan since its founding in 2006. In this time, we have witnessed many changes in the country, as it adapted to economic upturns and downtowns, large refugee influxes, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Today’s blog will shine the spotlight on the experiences of our Jordanian beneficiaries. Although their needs […]

Ravaged by the Civil War that broke out in 2014, Yemen is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time.The suffering has been unprecedented; an estimated 377,000 Yemenis have died due to the conflict and resulting food and medicine shortages. Unsure where else to turn and desperate to reach safety, Yemenis have […]

The Syrian Civil War: Origin of a Protracted Displacement Crisis Syria’s Civil War, which began in 2011 and continues until this day, traces its origins to the Arab Spring protests. These were a series of popular revolts which spread throughout the MENA region in the early 2010s, as citizens expressed their discontent with issues ranging […]

Somali Refugees in Jordan: An Overview Following Somalia’s 1991 civil war, the country has suffered greatly from political instability and violent conflict between opposing factions. In recent years, environmental factors such as flash flooding and drought, both of which lead to food insecurity, have added to the already growing number of Somalis who find themselves […]

Jordan has long served as a point of first arrival for refugees coming from neighboring countries, and in recent years has absorbed several waves of Iraqi refugees. A majority of Iraqis currently living in Jordan entered following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Additionally, the most recent surge of Iraqi refugees entered Jordan in […]

If you have followed our social media platforms in the past months, you can’t have missed updates about the #enhancingselfreliance project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Jordan (AICS AMMAN) and implemented by UNDP and CRP. The project, called ​​Enhancing Self-Reliance and Inclusion Prospects for Displaced-Affected Communities (Vulnerable Iraqi and Host Communities), […]

CRP was founded in Jordan in 2006 to serve Iraqi refugees fleeing violent conflict and continues to support this community, which makes up the most significant proportion of our beneficiaries. Our mission is to promote social cohesion, strengthen communities, and foster resilience by creating an environment that supports individual growth and economic opportunity. CRP’s holistic […]

As part of the Heart of Amman initiative to enhance self-reliance, CRP, in partnership with UNDP Jordan and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Jordan, conducted a Community Dialogue and Needs Survey.   The Survey asked a diverse range of questions about the lives of those who participated, from basic facts such as […]

Who would have thought that something out of a Hollywood movie or teenage nightmare would manifest into a fantastic fundraising initiative? But it was precisely this that our own Rob Hamilton could achieve as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a solo row. The first time Rob saw a rowing boat was in 2008 when […]

Long-time beneficiary Ehab Talal* speaks to CRP about his journey from Syria and how he escaped torture and death. Discussing how CRP helped him, Ehab also uncovers the damaging personal effects of the human rights abuses he endured. Ehab Talal is a husband and father, just like so many other refugees. His story is a […]

April 2021 marks 15 years of Collateral Repair Project’s work in Amman. Staff members tell us about the history of CRP, what the organization means to them, and how they envision its future.  CRP was founded in 2006 in Amman, Jordan, by two American women. Wanting to connect the citizens of coalition countries with Iraqis […]

A massive thank-you to our donors, funders, and the wider community in Amman! Since March 2020, daily life in Jordan, much like the rest of the world, has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following strict lockdown rules, CRP closed both its community centers and moved its programs online. Though difficult, CRP has managed to maintain […]

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” -Frank Smith CRP is pleased to announce that we received a funding grant from the U.S. Department of State in October 2020. Awarded through the U.S. embassy in Jordan, the grant supports volunteer-led English language and computer skills training […]

In the words of former UN Secretary Gender Kofi Annan, ‘[Sport’s] values are universal. It is a global language, capable of bridging social, cultural, and religious divides.’ This belief, that sport contributes to personal development and growth, and above all creates pluralistic bonds of unity, is something that Iraqi refugee and Taekwondo black belt Majed […]

CRP is proud to announce that it is working in partnership with UNDP Jordan on a project that will enhance the self-reliance and inclusion prospects of displaced-affected communities in Amman. Part of the Heart of Amman initiative and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the project aims to create employment and entrepreneurship […]

It’s been almost a year since the Coronavirus turned into a global pandemic. The Jordanian government imposed a total lockdown on March 17, 2020, and declared a state of emergency two days later. As the whole world is still struggling to adjust to the pandemic, refugees in Jordan face significant financial, mental and, social difficulties, […]

Falah, a University of Jordan graduate, with a diploma in marketing, discusses his experiences participating in the Gender-Based Violence, and Emotional Intelligence courses offered at CRP.  Originally from Syria, Falah has been taking part in CRP courses and events for the last five years. Most recently, he completed the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Emotional Intelligence […]

In January of this year, Jordan became one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating refugees. In a global race to fight the pandemic, nations have prioritised vaccinating their own citizens. Jordan’s decision to include refugees, not only emphasises the country’s humanitarianism, but also sets an example for the rest of the […]

Adventurer Rob Hamilton is rowing the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for Jordan-based NGO Collateral Repair Project. When you see a picture of 29-year-old former army-officer-in-training Rob Hamilton, arms crossed with feet planted firmly on his one-man rowing boat the Atlantic Titan, staring unflinchingly down the camera barrel with the ocean stretching out behind him, […]

This story has an incredible opening line: Did you know that more people have climbed Mount Everest than rowed across the Atlantic Ocean? Even more importantly, this story has one incredible man at the center of it: Rob Hamilton. This December, Rob will embark on his journey to solo row across the Atlantic as part […]

Over 3,800 applications, 154 humanitarian professionals, and 48 countries: this is the scope of work of National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership (NNPHL), a consortium consisting of Concern Worldwide, The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and International Medical Corps, funded by the US Agency for International Development Office of the US Foreign Disaster Assistance. We are proud […]

I have been managing CRP’s youth programs since 2017. My role focuses on supporting the education and wellbeing of refugees and vulnerable Jordanian youth. We offer a variety of programs for youth of all ages that include early childhood education, daycare, After School Club, SuperGirls, teen leadership and community service, vocational skills training and Sports […]

Collateral Repair Project (CRP) is pleased to announce that we have been selected to receive an award of $25,000 from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan through the Julia Taft Refugee Fund. The Fund, awarded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, aims to address gaps in refugee protection and assistance […]

This has been a long and difficult summer since the coronavirus upended everything, not only for CRP but for everyone in Jordan and in the world. I have been with CRP for nearly two years as the Partnerships and Grants Officer. Since April, I work from home. I really miss the community and the atmosphere […]

CRP is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) from the Embassy of Canada in Jordan and Global Affairs Canada. This funding will support CRP Gender-Based Violence Awareness and Prevention (GBVAP) activities to address violence, harassment, and discrimination in the local community. CFLI provides […]

Dear CRP supporters, A big hello to you! I’m writing with heartfelt and warm thoughts that I’m sending your way in a time that seems challenging everywhere I turn. I hope you’re managing ok and continuing to keep the faith that we’ll get through the difficult hand we’ve all been dealt this year. Every day […]

Love Life, Love Learning – the Mantra of Every Refugee at CRP “We spend hours reminiscing about good old days in Syria,” said Essam, describing his family’s day-to-day routine during the COVID-19 outbreak. Fueled by hopes of returning home and staying safe in their own lands, our community members are standing strong against the novel […]

Noor is an ambitious young lady who’s been a great participant in so many programs which CRP offers, such as Painting, English, Calligraphy, Wood Carving, and Glass Engraving. “Painting Class is my favorite! It has been my hobby since I was a child, and when I knew that CRP is running a painting class where […]

Every donor is very important to us. Your kindness and generosity means the world to us. We want to thank you for your constant support because we really wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you! You are all incredible and we’re very grateful for you! Thank you from the bottom of our […]

My name is Allison Monroe, and I am a member of CRP’s Board of Directors. I would like to take a minute to share my story of how I became involved with CRP and all the important work we do. Shortly after 9-11, I moved to Jordan to work as a Peace Corps Volunteer until […]

Supergirls is a leadership program at CRP for girls ages 6 to 12. It provides girls with a friendly space to talk about their emotions and teaches them techniques, like yoga and meditation, to deal with stress and anger. The program also helps girls build up their confidence, learn about their cultures, and become proud […]

Barbershop helps community members fill their days while waiting for possible resettlement. Learning new skills allows the men to feel as though they are not wasting their time and could potentially lead to a source of income in their futures. These new skills can help community members access the informal market or barter their skills […]

One of our most unique programs is Diwaniya, a support group for men that meets once a week. CRP is one of only a few NGOs in Jordan that provide psychological support specifically geared toward adult male refugees, many of whom are struggling to provide for their families in a place where they are not […]

No topic is off limits during our Women’s Empowerment classes. Stereotypes, sex, domestic violence, trauma, self-care, problem-solving, emotional maturity, anger managment—they talk about it all. Each class is led by a facilitator, called a trainer, who guides the group through a variety of discussions. Laylah and Khaleeda, who are both refugees from Iraq, each graduated […]

This winter, we will be publishing a collection of recipes for holiday desserts. These recipes are all homemade and shared with us by members of the CRP community. Each week we will be posting a recipe from a different country, so by the end, you will have a selection of delicious multinational sweet treats, perfect […]

A refugee’s sense of self-worth can sometimes diminish after years of being unable to work or support themselves. But Hope Workshop offers women the opportunity to regain some independence and bring in a little income for their families. Hope Workshop is a craft collective that meets in the women-only section of our community center in […]

Dinner should be a relaxing time for families; a chance to talk and connect while enjoying a good meal together at the end of the day. But for all too many refugees, it’s only a source of stress. It’s challenging to afford groceries when you aren’t allowed to work, and many find it demoralizing to […]

This winter, we will be publishing a collection of recipes for holiday desserts. These recipes are all homemade and shared with us by members of the CRP community. Each week we will be posting a recipe from a different country, so by the end, you will have a selection of delicious multinational sweet treats, perfect […]

Hope Workshop is a craft collective that allows women to express their creativity while also earning a little extra income for their families. Held in the women-only section of our community center in Hashemi Shamali, it also offers women refugees the chance to relax together and make new friends. Although the workshop primary focuses on […]

CRP decided to take action after recent studies found high levels of malnutrition among Somali, Sudanese and Yemeni refugees. Last year, we started a nutrition program at our new downtown center in Amman, which primarily serves these specific refugee communities. Our nutrition classes explain the importance of healthy eating, what a balanced diet entails, and […]

CRP’s educational consultant is a finalist for the AidEx Humanitarian Hero of the Year Award, which celebrates individuals for their remarkable contributions to the humanitarian aid and development community. Beryl, a former teacher, spent decades developing early childhood education programs in trauma-impacted areas throughout the United States, South Africa, the Philippines and the Middle East. […]

  Michael remembers feeling helpless the first time he saw images on the news of refugees in ramshackle boats washing ashore in Greece. “I realized I didn’t really even know what was going on with the refugee crisis,” he said. “I was so frustrated because I wanted to learn more and help and do something.” […]

About 200 students study English at CRP each semester. Classes are taught by a diverse group of volunteers who come from a variety of backgrounds. This week, we asked two current volunteers to share their experiences. Sandhya Why did you want to volunteer to teach English at CRP? I’m interning with the grant team and […]

The Mandaeans are a small ethnoreligious group who were living exclusively in the south of Iraq and Iran until they recently had to flee their homelands. Today we will be looking into who they are, why they left, and a snippet of their beliefs

CRP has a new TEFL coordinator. Yasmin, a former student and intern, took the helm this week! Read our Q & A to learn more about her path from student to leader. You started out as an English student at CRP. Did you ever think at the time that you would eventually lead the English […]

Megan wants every student at CRP to love learning English. The TEFL coordinator recognizes that students who enjoy class are more likely to continue their studies, which is why she recently designed a new engaging curriculum. “I’m excited about it,” she said. “I really hope the students will like it and I hope that it […]

Local aid workers are on the front line of the world’s crises, even if they’re frequently overshadowed in the global humanitarian sector. We spoke to three of our staff members to learn about what it’s really like to be a humanitarian. “It can be emotionally draining to work in the humanitarian sector. However, there are […]

Sara’s family loves to cook dinner together. “It’s a good time,” she said. “One of us will prepare the salad, and another cooks while someone else prepares the table. It’s our family’s time to talk and laugh.” Every dish doesn’t turn out perfect, but Sara said that’s just part of the cooking process. “If they […]

The Grants Team at CRP is responsible for pursuing funding opportunities from larger organizations such as corporations and foundations. The team gathers every Monday afternoon, ready to identify, discuss, and pursue the funding opportunities CRP needs to keep it going. These weekly meetings, while casual in nature and within a small team, are crucial for […]

As part of our nutrition week™ at CRP, we asked some of our E-Learning Language Exchange partners to spill the beans about their favourite foods, recipes, and a typical ‘day-in-the-life’ of meals in their country. We found that although E-Learning partners are often separated by continents and oceans, they have a lot in common! Carol […]

CRP is very sad to be saying goodbye to one of our long-term interns and volunteers, Salem. Salem has dedicated close to 2 years to CRP, working as the Volunteer Coordinator, with the TEFL team, the Youth team, and the Communications team. He was an all-rounder who always did whatever needed to be done for […]

Jordan has seen an influx of Yemeni refugees in the past five years due to the recent war in Yemen. In 2016, 5,218 Yemeni nationals made the journey to Jordan – by 2019, this number had increased to 14,631. Whilst Yemeni nationals face the same difficulties all refugee groups in Jordan experience, there is a […]

It’s difficult to plan for the future when you aren’t sure how much money to expect in your bank account from one month to the other. That’s why monthly donors are a crucial part of the CRP community, according to Asha, the community center programs manager. “We’ve been losing monthly donors and that’s incredibly dire,” […]

Listen to Our Previous Episodes on iTunes! We are back from the summer break with a brand new podcast episode!  You have a lot to look forward to. Along with some changes in the podcast team, the podcast structure and sound have changed as well, so make sure to give it a listen!  With the [...]

“Before coming to CRP, I had never met people from different nationalities. I had never met refugees! My favorite memory from CRP is my first day here, when I first encountered beneficiaries from Iraq and Syria. I had so many questions to ask them about their culture, traditions and lives. Learning about beneficiaries, their experiences […]

Since opening our Downtown centre, we have been serving communities in Amman’s city centre, including Sudanese, Somalian and Yemeni refugees as well as Jordanians. We hope our community centre can promote understanding and tolerance between these different cultures, enabling host and displaced communities to learn from each other and build new friendships. After a Gender […]

Meet Nawal.  Nawal joined Hope Workshop over 3 years ago. She has grown along with the workshop. “It taught me how to feel powerful, how to talk to people and grow my social skills. I’ve learnt English and many other skills,” says Nawal. “I was scared to do almost anything, but I learned how to […]

Meet Haifa. Haifa joined Hope Workshop in September of last year. She had always enjoyed Sewing and practicing embroidery ever since she was in school. She heard about Hope Workshop from one of her classmates at the computer literacy program and her interest was immediately piqued.  “It’s fun, I’m learning new things, and it’s an […]

Collateral Repair Project is home to a diverse community of urban refugees who practice a wide variety of faiths. Regardless of any individual’s religious beliefs or ethnic background, all people in need are welcome to attend our programs. One such beneficiary who found a home at CRP is Yasmin. She is a member of the […]

Words and pictures in the presentation below. Click “View Fullscreen” for best effect.   [pdfjs-viewer url=”https%3A%2F%2Fwww.collateralrepairproject.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F07%2FHorizons-Project-Saloni-6-1-1.pdf” viewer_width=100% viewer_height=1360px fullscreen=true download=true print=true]

“People who love sewing don’t just want to sew. We have a passion that we have to nourish. Any human with a passion they cannot nourish, it will disappear.” Zenah has been passionate about sewing since she was a young girl living in Baghdad. “When I was little, my mom would buy fabric for the […]

It’s July in Amman and a group of beneficiaries, volunteers and a couple CRP interns are sitting in a conversation club. Although the topic is holidays and celebrations, the discussion soon turns to the resettlement process and, in particular, the Muslim Ban in the United States. “Everyday is like a holiday for us,” says Majed, […]

Read about our current interns below: The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising, and CRP’s newest interns are coming in hot! Hailing from around the globe, this group of summer interns is working hard behind the scenes to ensure that CRP programs and logistics run smoothly! The following Q&A gives you a glimpse into […]

CRP is lucky to host volunteers from all around the world that bring fresh, exciting activities to our centers. Most recently, both our youth and adult programs were invigorated by a meditative form of martial arts taught by a high-spirited, quirky volunteer named Roxey.  Roxey is originally from the United States but now lives in […]

  The Downtown center is a hub of activity on Wednesday morning, as CRP staff get the space ready for the day. Floors are swept, water coolers filled, doors unlocked and the tea is poured. Meanwhile, volunteers begin to arrive: there are the English teachers, and a Tai Chi teacher! Summer Camp starts at 10.30 […]

Often, people search for ways to make meaningful impacts while doing something they love.  It may be difficult to do both in tandem, though not impossible. CRP is grateful for and inspired by Rob Hamilton’s ability to break this barrier. Rob, also known as the “Atlantic Titan”, was born and raised in the UK. He […]

Listen to Our Previous Episodes on iTunes! In our tenth episode, we're talking about English. English is a cornerstone of opportunity for refugees at CRP and all over Amman. Our first interview is with Sameer, 20, from Homs, Syria, who began taking classes at CRP almost two years ago and is now nearly fluent. We [...]

The SuperGirls meet twice a week in CRP’s ‘elephant room’, where they sit together in a circle, play games, sing songs, and talk about their lives. Many of the girls fled their homeland with their families because of conflict, and are dealing with trauma. Here are the stories of three of CRP’s SuperGirls... Sana’ Sana’ [...]

After-School Club is one of the most popular programs at CRP, giving kids the opportunity to learn new skills and make friends, through a variety of fun and educational activities. After the kids have spent their time reading, learning english, or playing chess, we hand out healthy food. At CRP, we believe that it is [...]

CRP opened its Downtown Center in October 2018. It gave us a chance to help even more families than before. By assessing the vulnerability of refugees who register for the emergency-assistance programs, CRP is able to identify the families who are the most in need. The most vulnerable go on our monthly list. Food assistance […]

Listen on iTunes here! For this special holiday episode, we have four, shorter interviews with beneficiaries and volunteers at Collateral Repair Project about their own traditions and takeaways concerning the month of Ramadan. We focus on the differences on Ramadan in Jordan versus their home countries as well as their own exploration of what giving [...]

The ways families choose to raise their children varies from one to the next, but what if your family is unconventional? Kids growing up in Jordan might take access to education for granted or expect their homes to be warm during the cold winter months, but for children of families living in the poor neighborhoods […]

With few opportunities to earn money, refugees living in Jordan are often unable to buy fresh and healthy food for their families. Without healthy food options, the risk of developing health issues increases. Recently, subsidies for health services granted to Syrian refugees ended, leaving Syrian refugees to make tough decisions about where their finances can […]

The After-School club program is one of the most popular programs at CRP. Kids from ages 6-12, have the chance to enjoy different activities after school, make new friends, and have fun in a safe environment. The activities at ASC vary from educational to artistic. Before, the kids used to start dancing Zumba sometimes when […]

To help others is significant, and important for Collateral Repair Project. To help urban refugees and needy Jordanians to heal, grow and rebuild their lives is our philosophy as an organization. Five years ago, Lamia, fled from the civil war in Syria with her husband and two sons. When she was living in Syria, she […]

Yemen’s capital city Sanaa’ has been inhabited for nearly 2,500 years. The small country lies to the south of Saudi Arabia with a sea border between the eastern and western civilizations that have made it a historic cultural hub. The country has four registered UNESCO World Heritage Sites, three of which are man-made, but is […]

Being a teenager is hard, but for refugees, it’s even harder. Not only do they have to explore their identity and make important life choices, but they also have to battle mental and emotional traumas that result from fleeing war and waiting for resettlement. But Wesaal and Essam have found the hope to navigate these […]

Listen on iTunes here! For the eighth episode of the Collateral Repair Podcast, we talk about Christian refugees in Iraq who had to flee their homes due to religious extremism. We sit down with Nasir, who was given three options when the Islamic State invaded his home of Qaraqosh; pay a tax, convert or be [...]

Raa’d is an English teacher at CRP. He originally started as a student in the English program’s advanced level. His English improved to the point of being able to teach the beginner level. Raa’d fled from Iraq because of the extreme discrimination he and his family went through. Under ISIS, they were bullied, treated as […]

Computer skills may not seem like something that is necessary to refugees, and it definitely isn’t something that they can easily have access to. “Some of the women who started the first ICDL class didn’t know how to hold a mouse, let alone work a computer, but the improvement we’ve seen with these women is […]

CRP invites you to take the time to get to know our beneficiaries in their own words, so that you can hear the stories of the people here. We created our podcast to tell these stories in a longer, more intimate format. So often the stories we tell at CRP about our community must be […]

Last week, a group of psychologists from Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation, commonly known as GIZ). set up a three-day training program at CRP that focuses on ways to support staff members and build a healthier work environment. This training consisted of many different sections such as discussing challenges that […]

Listen on iTunes here! In our seventh episode, Waseem, a Sudanese refugee from Darfur, tells his story of leaving his home in 2003 before finally making it to Amman over a decade later. Sudanese refugees are some of the most underserved refugees in Jordan, particularly because the conflict in Darfur receives little media attention. We [...]

One of the biggest issues that refugees face is lack of access to health care, with all the expenses piling up: rent, heat, and food. Refugees are not able to afford to go to the doctor for regular check ups or get medicine for chronic illnesses. “Refugees don’t get any sort of medical support and […]

The After-School Club program is one of the most popular programs at CRP. Kids ages 6-12 enjoy different activities after school, make friendships, and have fun in a safe and productive environment. Activities at ASC vary from physical to educational to artistic. “The kids come to ASC to have and explore their hobbies and talents, […]

One of CRP’s core principles is to help anyone in need, regardless of nationality. Read on to learn how Hope Workshop has helped a Jordanian woman find a new hobby and a community of like-minded sisters. . .

Thanks to the Mandala Project, our beneficiaries have been using yoga to strengthen their body and mind and finding ways to cope with their PTSD for years. The program is very popular, and some of the students have even gone on to do formal training of their own and have returned to CRP as teachers. […]

In the sixth episode we talk about winter. Munah, an Iraqi refugee who came to Jordan with her two sons a few years ago, talks to us about her experiences of trying to settle in a new country during winter, and the stresses it induced in her family. Following that, we talk to a team of mental health professionals from Médicine Sans Frontières about mental health challenges refugees suffer, which are exacerbated during the winter months.

What is a refugee? A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. Kamal used to be a peaceful Shepard in Darfur, Sudan. But then things changed when he and his family were hit with an unnatural disaster. “I was caring for […]

Read how this friendship grew despite ethnic differences and why CRP has grown its diversity and representation of refugees in Amman.

When Haifaa started talking to volunteer Susan over Skype a year ago, she was shy and barely managed to form a correct sentence. A year later, she is an advanced speaker and writer of English and thinks about studying at university. Read on to find out more about the eLearning program and how you can sign up to help people like Haifaa!

Our daily program teaches young refugee girls how to cope with the effects of trauma thanks to support from FAWCO and their educational experts. Read about how these girls made a huge comeback over the course of the Supergirls program!

Educational programs at CRP’s Daycare help refugee children learn important skills for their future and introduce healthy living habits for their daily well-being.

For most of our beneficiaries, settling down in Jordan isn’t an option. Unable to acquire a work permit that could build careers limits their ability to build a stable life. Going through the resettlement process, however, takes years and in the end, a staggering percentage of 2% worldwide will ever be resettled to a Western […]

One of the biggest issues that Sudanese and Somali refugees face, as well as any person with a darker complexion living in Jordan, is racism. It’s all-too common throughout the Middle East, including refugee communities. Racism makes it difficult for Sudanese and Somali refugees to connect with other people from different refugee communities such as […]

We want to thank all of you, our donors, for your generous gifts during our campaign. We were able to raise a substantial amount of money for our beneficiaries, and we will put it to good use in 2019!

“I’m 60, although I don’t look like my age,” laughs Kareem, who came to Jordan in 2011 after having fled the war in Yemen. “But here, when you are over 35, people think that there is no use for you anymore,” he says. Many refugees in Jordan live in precarious financial situations. Elderly refugees often […]

Receiving a food voucher means that a family can feel at ease for some time because they know that they will have enough food to get by. But apart from that, food carries a lot of cultural meaning. Read more about the significance of food vouchers for refugees here. . .

“What I like most about Christmas is going to Church,” says Jamal, who comes from Iraq and takes part in CRP’s After-School Club. “I always like going to Church because I like the singing, it’s the best part.” Jamal goes to Church every Saturday with his grandmother and aunt because Sundays are working days in […]

CRP’s new downtown center opened recently to provide a safe space for neglected refugee communities. Read more to learn what kind of classes beneficiaries are most excited about!

For our last episode of the year, we sit down with Amanda Lane who is the Executive Director at Collateral Repair Project, and reflect on how far the organization has come since her arrival. We also talk about CRP’s future plans, the new center, and what’s in store for 2019.

Refugees in Amman are often living isolated in their own national and sectarian communities. CRP provides a place where they come together and learn from each other.

CRP’s Mind-Body Medicine program is a way for people to connect with their own emotions, open up about their feelings and heal their trauma. But it doesn’t just help the individual participants. Read more to find out how it benefits family, friends and the whole community. . .

Childcare is not only a space where kids can play, learn and grow. It is also crucial for mothers who need someone to look after their children when they want to engage in the center’s activities.

Without their husbands or wider family support, women being the only heads of households often face social isolation in displacement. CRP provides a space for them to get to know other people from the community.

Calligraphy is an ancient art form with a lot of tradition in the Middle East and beyond. Read how CRP’s recently implemented Calligraphy program helps beneficiaries to calm down, express themselves creatively and learn a valuable new skill all at the same time. . .

Essam and and his son Maher fled Syria to Jordan and are learning to cut hair at CRP’s Barbershop program. Designed to increase refugees’ livelihood, the program also gives people back a sense of purpose. . .

English classes not only provide language skills to our community members—they are also a space of laughter, joy and new friendships.

CRP is honored to welcome back Beryl Cheal, our education consultant, this month who is here to check up on us and help us improve our youth programs. With her invaluable 60 years experience working with children, CRP is lucky to able to benefit from her expertise. Beryl visited CRP last fall through a grant […]

In our Fourth episode of the Collateral Repair Podcast, we examine the daunting challenges refugees go through when looking for work. Emad, a Syrian who crossed the border into Jordan in 2012, walks us through his job hunting experiences in Amman. After that, Anas Al Chalabi, who is an NGO consultant with UN, explains the […]

“I love taking pictures, usually I use my phone but this is so different and much more fun because there are so many options and so many different things to think about while taking pictures,” says Jenan, one of the teens attending CRP’s new photography class. This month CRP started a photography class for the […]

With the increasing number of kids’ programs we have at CRP, we decided that it is necessary to include parents in the educational process. For the past year, CRP has been holding monthly parents awareness sessions to talk about different topics relevant to our style of education as well different struggles that refugee parents might […]

The first thing that sticks out about Kareem is his accent. When meeting the 20-year old at CRP, one is immediately struck by his good English. Where did the Iraqi, who arrived in Jordan three years ago, get his American accent from? The answer tells a lot about daily lives of young Iraqi refugees in […]

Many refugee teens are out of school and unable to work legally. This combination means they have many, many hours to fill on their own.

Staff training’s are an important part of CRP’s work ethic. They are held every couple of months with different topics including culture and education. A good way to address the whole of CRP’s staff all at once—to underline the importance of the topic—these trainings are conducted bilingually if needed. “As CRP grows, it’s important that […]

Read how a self-programmed app, developed with guidance from our partners at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), helps us assess refugees’ nutritional needs. . .

CRP introduced a new educational program aiming at increasing social cohesion between different social groups in Amman. It brings togeher Jordanians and refugees in order to discuss important social issues.

Domestic and gender-based violence is a serious problem amongst families in displacement. A new bookchapter by our board president Melinda Wells and consultant Suhail Abualsameed explores root causes and strategies CRP is persuing to help our community fight against it.

Listen on iTunes here! The third episode of the Collateral Repair Project Podcast sheds light on an important issue that Refugees go through; starting a family in a host country. To start with, we talk to Sara from Syria about her experience of motherhood in an unfamiliar environment. Then you'll hear from human rights lawyer [...]

Listen on iTunes here! In our second episode of the Collateral Repair Podcast, we discuss orientation and identity in the refugee context. We explore challenges refugees face and hear from Waseem, a young man who fled Iraq and is trying to build a life as he comes into his own here in Amman. You’ll also [...]

Kids love to run around, play, and do sports. Since there are no adequate facilities around Hashemi Shamali, CRP partnered up with the American Community School and Blossom Hill to create a regular sports program at the ACS facilities . . .

Meet the two young professionals who will be running CRP’s new downtown center focused on supporting the Sudanese, Somali and Yemeni communities.

“I come here every once in a while to update CRP about my situation to see how they could help me,” says Sana’. She comes to update her situation at Muraja’at roughly every six months.CRP holds Muraja’at a few times a week. It is a drop-in session for beneficiaries who want to update their current […]

Our newest addition to the educational programs at CRP is the I Read Arabic program. The program is based on the mobile application I Read Arabic. At CRP, there are many kids who lack literacy and numeracy skills, because of their inability to enroll in schools due to various circumstances. So CRP developed this program […]

As the new school year kicked off this month, CRP also started a new semester for our very popular After-School Club (ASC). At ASC, kids experience a variety of activities ranging from physical to educational to artistic. “I’ve seen how this program helps kids break out of their shell, giving them a canvas on which […]

We’aam’s journey from Syria to Amman is turbulent, but it is not unusual for someone fleeing the chaos of the Syrian civil war.

At CRP, we make sure to provide nutritious food to every child in our programs. Parents are thrilled when they see their kids eating healthily, because it’s an even bigger challenge for them at home.

Hope Workshop is one of our most popular programs. It gives refugee women the chance to learn skills, support their families, and meet other women in a safe environment. The women in Hope Workshop make crafts, which they sell in local markets or through special orders abroad. A few times a year, they collaborate on […]

For the past month, it has been nearly impossible to get a seat at the Shoman Library in downtown Amman. The library’s usual population of book browsers have been replaced by teens bent over textbooks, reciting flashcards, and highlighting study sheets. For those familiar with the Jordanian education system, this demographic change sends an expected […]

Eid al-Adha marks the beginning of the new year and is the most important holiday in Islam. During the holiday, CRP will be closed. This gives our Muslim staff members time to observe the holiday, and everyone (regardless of religion) gets a much-needed rest!

A few months ago, CRP nominated two of CRP’s Syrian staff members, Aseel and Hesham, to attend a three-week leadership exchange program in the United States. Eventually they got the word that they’d both been accepted into the program!

“If it wasn’t for the food vouchers, I couldn’t manage in my day-to-day life,” says Fareed, whose family receives food vouchers from CRP. “The food voucher filled a large gap in our nutrition. We rely on it.”

CRP’s Education Specialist, Karam, developed the Teen Leadership Training Program last year. The course aims to promote teen leadership, provide spaces for teens to act as mentors to younger children, and take responsibility in their community.

“In Syria, I owned stores, I had six cars, I held millions with this hand,” remembers Hashem. “Now it’s all gone. And we became refugees.”

Each year, we assist hundreds of families in sending their children back to school. Back-to-School vouchers provide children with necessary school supplies like backpacks, uniforms, and textbooks, all of which are often financially inaccessible to refugee families.

Aseel moved her fingers back and forth to mimic to the movement of scissors. “I like the hair cutting. When I started I was really not good but now I am very good,” she shared with a confident grin.

Hashemi Shamali, the neighborhood where CRP operates, is a diverse one. At CRP, Syrians, Iraqis, Jordanians, and others get the chance to meet, make friends, and build community.

Nada’s journey from Syria to CRP is harrowing, but not unordinary for someone displaced by the Syrian Civil War.

CRP offers Zumba as an exercise class for women who are looking to maintain their physical health or let off steam. Drawing from the rhythms of salsa, hip hop, ballroom, and other dance styles and techniques, Zumba is part cardio workout and part creative expression.

Like many refugees, Noor hopes to improve her English skills. CRP’s English Classes, one of our most popular programs, give refugees that opportunity.

Keystone’s atmosphere is cheerful and fulfilling, raising the men’s self-esteem and also expanding their awareness about many topics—which helps them acclimate to the difficult nature of being a refugee.

By offering GBV groups specifically for men and teenage boys, CRP works to prevent further instances of gender-based violence towards women through community building and education.

CRP’s Summer Camp, open to children ages 5 to 14, meets every weekday throughout the summer. It educates children, both refugees and Jordanians, on teamwork and cooperation, all in a fun, open setting.

On some weekends, CRP brings teenagers to Amman’s 7Hills skatepark. Everyone is welcome, from experienced skateboarders to complete beginners.

This episode marks the launch of the Collateral Repair Podcast, a new platform to tell the stories of refugees living in Amman. We begin with an episode on education, a critical and complex factor in refugee children’s lives after displacement.

CRP has recently opened a daycare center for children between 9 months to 6 years old. It offers a wide range of services for children to play and learn, so that their parents can attend programs at our community center.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, Eid al-Fitr in Jordan will last from Wednesday, June 13, to Saturday, June 16.

Every Saturday, teens gather at CRP to listen to speakers, partake in activities, and sometimes just to hang out. The meetings, sponsored by Rotary International, are designed to encourage creativity and foster friendships.

Chair yoga involves various movements and stretches, all from a seated position. The class was designed for refugees who have experienced trauma.

For refugees living here in Amman, Ramadan celebrations will be less festive than in the past, because they are so far from their friends and family.

Many refugees who arrive at CRP bring considerable emotional baggage with them. They are eager to put the turmoil of their home countries behind them and begin new chapters at CRP.

While primary healthcare services are provided by the UNHCR in refugee camps, the lack of available facilities in urban areas is a major concern for displaced and stateless individuals.

Our new glass-drilling class allows refugees to carve decorations and engrave their names on glass pieces. It aims to develop artistic skills while giving the refugees practical, hands-on experience.

CRP’s extra food-voucher distribution will include beneficiaries that require savings for other purposes. Refugees have many bills to pay, like rent, school supplies, electricity, medication, and even surgeries.

Hadeel fled Iraq and came to Amman hoping that she would be able to reconstruct a life, but conditions remain difficult, and recovering from the trauma of displacement is a long, hard process.

CRP’s class on the mind and body has been a success, giving refugees a base upon which they can talk and heal from their traumas. Calming their mind, relaxing their body, the class had been an important asset for its members.

Reem has been with Hope Workshop since the beginning. Though she lives far enough away that she has to take a taxi to get to CRP, she never misses a meeting.

At CRP, we give children various activities and organized events that will teach them to love and respect each other, themselves, their families, and the people that surround them.

Whether in school or out of school, refugee or Jordanian citizen, the first thing that draws teens to CRP is the promise of English and computer classes.

Professional classes, such as the new cellphone repairing class, aim to teach refugees important skills that they can replicate outside of CRP, enabling them to build their home-based businesses so that they can and make a living out of it.

CRP has partnered with PopSockets to design an exclusive grip. Half of the proceeds from these PopSockets will be go straight to our food-voucher program.

CRP organized a staff outing to Jerash and Ajloun, for both our foreign and community staff. This time off was valuable for everyone to clear their minds and experience an environment that’s different from the demanding work of CRP.

We first developed our GBV course after hearing that many men in the community felt depressed or angry due to their inability to legally work in Jordan and unstable financial situation. This was leading to more fighting at home.

Every year Claire, a professional yoga instructor from Ireland, comes to CRP to help train instructors in trauma-sensitive yoga and hold classes and give guidance to participants.

CRP has added a Zumba class to its programming! Led by a professional fitness trainer, Zumba is a latin music-based, dance-aerobics routine. The class has quickly become a popular program among women of all ages at CRP.

On March 4, the Ministry of Interior and the UN Refugee Agency launched a new campaign to formalize the status of Syrian refugees living informally in Jordan’s urban areas.

By bringing your family and friends together to raise money and awareness about CRP’s work, there are many ways to fundraise. Hosting an event is an easy way to help us.

Just like team-building and staff-training sessions you might find in any office in America, our recent Arabic-language-staff training started with an ice breaker: two truths and a lie.

Nawal feels like she can’t go out without becoming a victim of racism. People hurl racist epithets at her as she walks down the street.

We’re giving you, our supporters, a huge round of applause. Thanks to you, we managed to raise $92,000 during our campaign “One Small Act Can Change a Life.”

We’re thrilled to say that we are about to launch a new eLearning language exchange program over Skype! Thanks in part to a grant, we’re expanding our ESL classes.

At CRP, we’re committed to protecting the dignity and privacy of our beneficiaries. To do this, we always change their names when we bring you their stories.

Ruba tells us how excited she is each Saturday afternoon to head to Women’s Art Club at CRP and express her creativity through painting.

Most people think of Jordan as a warm, parched, desert landscape. But, during the winter, heavy rains trail freezing temperatures, and stone buildings provide little in the way of insulation.

Ameera faces financial barriers in Jordan and can’t afford a tree or stockings, but Ameera is determined to celebrate Christmas this year.

No food, no school, no ordinary life. Young Emad and his family were forced to flee Syria in the wake of bombings and destruction. Since coming to Amman, life has not been easy either.

The barbershop serves as more than just a teaching tool. It’s also a place men of the community can gather to have conversations and bond.

Jenan was a normal sixth-grade girl in Syria. One day while in the garden, alone, Jenan’s home was hit by a bomb. She passed out because of the many broken bones in her face and body.

Currently, CRP distributes food vouchers to the Sudanese community. However, the neighborhood is already highly underserved by aid organizations and CRP’s funding is limited.

Over the course of the computer class, Mr. Ivin’s patience, encouragement, and simple program illustrations have provided Haneen with new-found confidence.

In CRP’s community center, things like religion, political ideologies, and nationalities are left at the door. And a community is being built by those without one.

The Sudanese have a far more difficult time providing for their families, having to face discrimination and the constant threat of being deported.

Nadia’s journey to CRP has been rough. Facing war and religious persecution, Nadia’s family is one of many who have recently fled Iraq.

Every December marks the beginning of our end-of-year Campaign. This year, our aim is to raise $85,000 and add 40 new Partners in Repair (our monthly donors).

The vast majority of refugees in Jordan live in urban areas, like Amman. Unfortunately, most international aid goes towards camps. Urban refugees desperately need help.

We are so excited for the start of CRP’s program, SuperGirls! SuperGirls provides a safe place for young, refugee girls to talk and heal from traumatic experiences.

For the past couple of months, the hallways around CRP have been noisier. Kids sitting around drum circles banging away with all their might. But we’re not complaining.

On World Refugee Day last June, we raised $10,000 to expand our popular women’s craft collective, Hope Workshop. Since meeting our goal with your generous help, we’ve been able to add an embroidery program.

In preparation for the new Super Girls program, our education consultant held trauma-sensitivity training for CRP’s staff early last week. The two-day program taught us how to spot and appropriately react to signs of trauma.

The bus leaving from CRP’s main building had barely pulled off before the driver turned on the music, and what seemed like a quiet bus ride erupted into rhythmic claps and singing. The teenagers are excited.

Some of the most important donations Collateral Repair Project offers are the annual heaters and kerosene for the winter. For many beneficiaries at CRP, the insulation in their apartments isn’t sufficient to keep them warm.

On any given weekday at CRP, you’ll find plenty of noisy playrooms where kids are just being kids. But sometimes the brightest smiles come from the parents lined up to greet them after activities are over.

Adnan is one thousands of refugees in Amman who are patiently waiting to find out whether his UNHCR refugee application will be accepted. If so, he will hopefully be able to travel to the United States.

CRP is lucky enough to bring Beryl Cheal on as an education consultant through a grant from FAWCO! Beryl arrived the beginning of September and immediately got to work designing our new Super Girls program.

CRP’s Men’s Group resembles any other ordinary counseling session you might come across in the U.S. However, what isn’t ordinary, are the stories these men come to get off their chest.

On Sundays, women from our community gather at CRP for an hour and practice art. Sara, the volunteer art instructor, plays Fairouz and brings treats.

CRP offers an acupressure program to help our beneficiaries cope with stress. Many of the refugees who come to CRP’s activities have been affected by trauma, and all have been affected by loss and by separation from loved ones.

Though the weather in Amman remains hot and sunny, summer at CRP is coming to a close. This month, we said goodbye to Tim Loh, our former Programming and Administrative Manager, and welcomed in Lilly Crown.

Three years ago, CRP began offering professional crash courses in the barber trade. Because refugees are largely not allowed to work in Jordan, learning skills that they can barter or use in informal employment settings is important.

CRP holds beginner, intermediate, and advance level English courses all five days a week. Each class meets twice a week, for one hour.

Thanks to individual donors, as well as donations from CIEE and a grant from Rotary International, we have updated our computer lab with all-new equipment. Most of the refugees in our community do not have computers at home.

Family separation is almost universal among the refugees in our community. Though most families hope for resettlement, they know that it is rarely a solution to the fracturing of their families.

Fun is important regardless of age, and though our Teen Group involves fewer games, it still encourages friendship, pursuit of hobbies, and laughter. But how do refugee youth entertain themselves day to day, outside of CRP?

Just like in Western countries, older students in Jordan require separate notebooks for each subject. Even these little expenses can add up, making a painful decision for students and their parents.

Many Syrian and Iraqi refugees at CRP have fled the destruction of their homes, cities, and villages. Uprooting and settling in a new location can sever old networks and destroy former communities and connections.

Many of CRP’s beneficiaries have chronic health concerns, from psychological trauma to diabetes to different forms of cancer. Besides chronic conditions, refugees experience the full range of health needs that any of us face.

Laylah has big dreams and big plans. But most of us have big dreams, just without the enormous obstacles being a refugee imposes. Laylah is not alone in dreaming big; the other individuals who come to CRP every day all hope for a better future.

On Monday, July 3rd we accompanied one of our beneficiaries, Sameer, as he used his food voucher to go shopping for himself and his family. Because refugees in Jordan are not allowed to work, Sameer faces food insecurity and has to mainly rely on CRP’s monthly food vouchers.

Every day at one o’clock, CRP’s staff and volunteers pause their work to gather together for lunch. We paused this practice during Ramadan, when many staff members were fasting, but restarted the first week of July.

The music therapy classes that Helena is currently doing at CRP revolve around percussion instruments. They use drums “because they are less restrictive” and thus allow participants to better express themselves.

While CRP’s beneficiaries are predominately from Syria and Iraq, there has been a growing Sudanese refugee community here in East Amman in the Ashrafiyyeh and Jofeh neighborhoods.

Although we shortened our hours (to 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday-Thursday) through Ramadan, we packed our days with activities at CRP.

In honor of World Refugee Day today, June 20th, we are partnering with the Advocacy Project and Global Giving to raise money for the Women’s Hope Workshop.

Friday, May 26 marked the first day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset in order to mark the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

At CRP, we believe in the potential for the positive impact of psychosocial support programs on health and wellness, and have seen the impact these programs can have on stress-management skills.

CRP is always happy to welcome visitors interested in learning more about our work and the issues facing refugees in Jordan. This week, a group of students from Arab Model Schools in Amman paid us a visit.

Thanks to a grant from Dining for Women, we continue to offer four-week workshops throughout the year centered on women’s self-care, wellness, empowerment, and leadership.

Last month, we ran our spring fundraising campaign, Be A Hero, featuring the stories of the heroes we serve at CRP, to raise $25,000 and sign up 20 new monthly donors.

“Teaching Syrian and Iraqi refugees, my students, was a humbling and incredibly transformative experience. My students were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, with beautiful ideas and dreams.”

Hala and Hind are a mother-daughter pair, who impress us everyday with their commitment to each other and their families and their desire to engage with others around them.

Sami has put his own dreams on hold for his family. He is constantly thinking about how he can be a better version of himself, in order to better support himself, his family, and his home country.

Thamer does not let his own difficult circumstances prevent him from searching for ways to support others. At CRP, he has participated in English lessons, Keystone, gender-based violence training, and the weekly men’s support group.

Nadia, a Kurdish refugee from Iraq, is one of the countless heroes in our community. She believes it is important to attempt to improve not only your own life, but also the lives of those around you.

Emad, a Syrian refugee and one of our heroes here at CRP, searches every day for ways to challenge himself and strengthen community bonds.

Munah is one of the many everyday heroes in our community, who impresses us everyday with her commitment to the community, her family, and to her own personal growth and development.

We often highlight our psychosocial support programming. But the Emergency Assistance Program remains the bedrock of CRP’s work, since it’s impossible to fully engage in CRP’s programs if your basic needs are not being met.

“We’ve found people so receptive to yoga. Right from the start, people would turn up, and interestingly for me, the men’s classes are more attended than the women’s.”

Happy International Women’s Day! Today at CRP we’re celebrating all the women and girls in our community. Wa’ad is one of these incredible women.

Hosting student groups provides CRP with an opportunity to share our organization, our work, and the reality of life for refugees in Jordan. On Thursday, CRP hosted students from DukeImmerse: De-Constructing/Re-Constructing the Refugee Experience.

Today, February 27th, marks World NGO Day, a day meant to highlight the efforts and achievements of non-governmental organizations around the world and the contributions they make to their communities.

As March approaches, grey winter days are slowly being replaced by sunshine and flower buds, the first signs of spring. At CRP’s After School Club, this is a cause for celebration as soccer balls and jump ropes are brought out and the children have an opportunity to release some of the energy they have been […]

Cynthia Van Kleeck is only in Jordan briefly, but the New York-based dancer and social worker decided to make the most of her time in Amman by offering a dance workshop at CRP.

During times of collective stress, CRP’s psychosocial support programming becomes particularly important, offering community members opportunities to provide each other with solidarity, comfort, and laughter.

For the past week, Amman has been preparing for Valentine’s Day. Turn any corner and you will find someone selling giant, bright red teddy bears and boxes of sweets.

Abu Qais is a longtime volunteer at CRP. Abu Qais worked as a lawyer in Syria until 2013, when his ten-year-old daughter, Munah, was badly injured in an attack on their home.

In the past week, we’ve seen the horrendous effects of Donald Trump’s executive order on refugees and immigration on people in our community, their families, and their hopes for the future.

On Sunday, January 29, we held the first session of our new arts workshop, which aims to encourage emotional expression through creativity.

Skateboarding may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Jordan, but it certainly is one of the activities that has proved most popular among CRP’s teen group.

The Hope Workshop brings refugee women together to design and market hand-made crafts in local bazaars throughout Amman. Meet two of its members.

In January, usually the coldest month, the temperature at night often drops below freezing. Many buildings and homes are poorly insulated and lack central heating systems, and families rely on space heaters to stay warm.

On January 11, we hosted 16 high school students from Australia, who were visiting Jordan on a study tour of the Middle East organized by United Nations Youth Australia.

We are so grateful to our amazing supporters for supporting our winter campaign, “What Will You Choose”! Thanks to their generous donations, we not only met but even exceeded our campaign targets.

Yesterday, 17 members of our teen group at the Collateral Repair Project were invited to the Annual Thanksgiving Potluck at the American Community School (ACS)!

The Hope Workshop at CRP is a women’s craft cooperative that brings refugee women together to design and market hand-made crafts in local bazaars throughout Amman.

Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention has always been one of Collateral Repair Project’s (CRP) priorities and GBV workshops have been one of our longstanding programs.

Over the summer, we collaborated with the Advocacy Project to have the women create beautiful embroidered squares that depict their lives, which were then put together to produce quilts for sale and exhibition in the United States. 

Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring other women who were a part of the Hope Workshop this summer. Soltana, a member from our summer cooperative, shares her story.

Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring other women who were a part of the Hope Workshop this summer. Roa’a, a member from our summer cooperative, shares her story.

One of CRP’s longest-running and most popular programs is the English classes that we offer to refugees (and Jordanians!) of all backgrounds and nationalities who live in our community.

Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring other women who were a part of the Hope Workshop this summer. Wa’ad, a member from our summer cooperative, shares her story.

“Inshallah. Probably the singular Arabic word I hear most on a daily basis. Meaning literally, ‘if God wills it,’ the word serves as both a filler and as a daily reminder of things that are out of our control.”

Over the course of the past two months, the women of the Hope Workshop have been working hard to produce beautiful embroidered squares detailing stories from their lives as refugees.

This summer, CRP has been running its first Summer Youth Camp for children in our community. Every day, roughly 50 children ages 5 to 14 from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Jordan come to the center and learn, socialize, and have fun together.

Yesterday CRP staff visited a local grocery store in the neighborhood of Jufa, home to a large population of Sudanese refugees, to distribute food vouchers.

Today the Hope Workshop met to share designs and discuss next steps for their advocacy quilting project!

At CRP we are keeping busy during the summer with our usual distributions, particularly needed during the month of Ramadan, as well as staff trainings and renovations here at our community center.

Celebrating the industry of refugees on World Refugee Day By Allyson Hawkins, 2016 Peace Fellow Amman, Jordan: Samira, from Syria, is one of roughly 4 million refugees who have sought safety in Jordan from some of the world’s most brutal conflicts. She also a member of the Hope Workshop, a collective of 20 refugee women in […]

This May, we concluded the first round of training for CRP’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Human Rights Awareness project funded by The Embassy of the Netherlands, Jordan.

CRP has been conducting yoga classes for two and a half years with great success, both for women and men.  Recently, we have also added a children’s class due to the popularity among our beneficiaries.

Today we are launching our ‪From Hurt to Hope Spring fundraising drive. Throughout these next few weeks, we will be showcasing stories from our community of urban refugees in East Amman.

In recognition of International Women’s Day this year, the CRP community center hosted an Iraqi Dance Workshop for women.

The lives of many of our community members have been radically changed since they were forced to leave their homes and countries, however many are managing to re-establish stability.

There are so many easy things you can do big or small to do your part to help refugees. This link is a definitive guide for everything you need to get started—resources, materials, and ideas. Contact us for flyers, sign up sheets, and any other needed information by filling out this form.

The first weeks of January marked the kick off of Keystone—a men’s exercise class that has taken the CRP center by storm.

This is a first for CRP—supporting community leaders to facilitate workshops and take the lead in educating others in the community—and we are thrilled with the results.

For one week in December, community members were trained on the benefits of acupressure and acupuncture.

This past holiday season, Collateral Repair Project launched its annual winter campaign, which is the biggest fundraising event of the year. Each day in December, CRP focused on one individual from its community.

While gender-based violence is so often swept under the carpet, its survivors shamed and stigmatized, its importance dismissed as ‘merely’ a ‘women’s issue,’ it is being put center stage in CRP.

In this blog post, we share some stories and memories from many of our beneficiaries.

Thanks in part to the warm generosity of our donors, the children who attend our After School Club now have beautiful homemade quilts they can call their own to keep them warm through the cold winter nights.

Every refugee has a story to tell, and through their stories, this holiday season we will reach out and connect them with our friends and family worldwide.

For two weeks at the end of November CRP held a training on the prevention of gender-based violence, targeting the men and boys in our community.

This campaign aims to galvanize support for eradicating gender-based violence in Amman, by not only focusing on remedial strategies but, more importantly, preventative measures.

“I first heard of CRP from a couple of friends who were volunteering there. I liked its mission and the echoes I heard of how it was involved with the refugee community, so I looked it up online.”

At CRP we work every day to tell the stories of the urban refugees we serve. This is our perspective on the refugee crisis in Jordan and how this is directly related to the issues currently affecting Europe.

Instead of inviting only their family and friends to their wedding, the couple also threw a party for Syrian, Iraqi, and other refugees living in Amman.

Eid al-Adha is a holiday celebrating  the end of Hajj, where Muslims complete one of the Five Pillars of Islam by traveling to Mecca and following in the steps of the Prophet Mohammed.

Back to school week has started and with it comes the energy of new beginnings. We’ve had a busy first few weeks of school here in Hashemi Shemali. Here are some of our weekly programs for fall.

At the beginning of August, CRP started back up its own ESL classes for adults in the community. Two levels were offered, one for beginners and one for moderate to advanced learners.

The first week of September has been one of new hardships and continuing misery for many Syrian refugees who reside in Jordan — one-third of all Syrian refugees in the Middle Eastern region lost their food aid. 

At the end of Ramadan, our Empowering Female Leaders program started up again in full force. The programming focuses on health and wellness, psychosocial support, and leadership skills for women in our community.

This summer, CRP staff has been working tirelessly to gather funds and supplies to enroll more of our community’s children in school.

Education should not be a luxury for the privileged; it is the right of every child. When such a critical right is threatened, every dollar counts.

The families in our community represent a diversity of experience. By going on regular home visits, we have the opportunity to learn about their lives, their needs, and the challenges they have faced.

During Ramadan, many community center programs at CRP were paused. However, as we move into August, summer programs at CRP are back in full swing!

Though the month of Ramadan is wrapping up, CRP’s distributions continue to support our community. Ramadan is a time for family, celebration, and giving and our distributions during the month reflected the spirit of the holiday!

For the past two weeks, CRP has been hosting a Lego camp for 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds. For most of the children, this was their first exposure to Legos.

The UN estimates that over half of Syrian refugee children are not enrolled in school. Thousands of Iraqi children also stay home every day.

This past month, we added a number of families to our monthly food voucher program. One of those families is Wasfi and Hiba’s family of five.

Most urban refugees no longer receive food aid. They also cannot legally work in Jordan, so paying rent and putting food on the table is a huge challenge. This is especially difficult for families during Ramadan.

In recent months, we have expanded our psychosocial programming to include Trauma Release Exercises — a gentle practice that consists of light tremors or shaking in the body that is done in a prone position.

For the past few weeks, CRP has been hosting a weekly men’s support group for several men in the community. The men sit together in a circle and have the opportunity to share the daily challenges they face.

Next month, thanks to Dining for Women, we will launch a 2-year project to promote women’s empowerment through self-care, health, and leadership.

We have added three families to our expanding food voucher program this month. These families, like all the victims of violent conflict we serve, live in extreme poverty as they await the next step.

This past Saturday, 50 children in the CRP community spent the afternoon listening to Syrian storytellers share folk tales and traditional stories from Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

English classes are in full swing! Last week we began a new session of classes to accommodate many more interested students!

Home visits are integral because they allow us to better understand the needs of our community and respond quickly. This week we visited Hashem, Lubna, and their six young children in their home.

A few weeks ago, two of our Partners in Repair hosted a Table to Table event at their home in Amman. Julie and Jessica created their own version of T2T — calling it “Ladies 2 Ladies.”

Many new teens have joined our teen group in the past few months, so we decided it was time for a road trip! Thanks to Dynamix In Jordan, our teen group had a great day hiking in a canyon near the Dead Sea.

Maher and his wife Areej left Syria and arrived in Jordan in early 2013, but only recently were put in touch with CRP. Both Maher and Areej are suffering from health problems directly related to the conflict in Syria.

International Women’s Day is March 8th! IWD is a day set apart to celebrate the achievements of women worldwide and call for further change.

Weekly domino night at CRP has become increasingly popular as more of the neighboring community learns about the opportunity to get out of their homes and chat with friends.

We are excited to announce the beginning of our winter session! With a new, larger community center, the already existing daily programs have been able to expand.

CRP added two new families to our Food Voucher Program this week. The first is a family of three from Iraq who are living in a small apartment with a collapsing, leaky ceiling and no furniture.

Our winter session begins February 8, and alongside all the activities we held in 2014 we’ll add several new programs in our newly expanded space.

Ensuring that refugee families have enough food is becoming increasingly difficult. With your partnership in our Table to Table initiative, you can help families in our community put food on the table!

Amman’s very cold winters are always of great concern for CRP and the refugee community we serve. This time of year, we devote much of our time to ensuring families can survive the brutal cold.

This past month, CRP hosted Bella Hancock, an experienced yoga instructor from Ireland, to help us set up an ongoing yoga program for adults and youth. During the entire month, Bella led intensive yoga workshops.

Many of our families have heaters but are unable to purchase fuel to power them, so we have made it a priority to provide families with fuel vouchers in the coming months.

CRP’s yoga program strives to address the psychosocial issues of refugees and provide them with a tight-knit and welcoming community.

We are so excited to announce that we have received a grant from Dining for Women (DFW), a US-based, non-profit giving circle dedicated to empowering women and girls living in extreme poverty.

This month, we are hosting an experienced yoga instructor who is leading intensive yoga workshops for men, women, teens, and children to address psychosocial issues and promote mindfulness and wellness.

One of CRP’s many successful programs is our computer skills training course, which is taught and organized by volunteers from our community. We have thirty students in beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes.

This past Saturday, CRP hosted a fun program for young children and teenagers in our community. Six teens from our Teen Group led a group of 30 children in a variety of activities.

With the situation becoming more precarious by the day, families from Iraq and Syria are fleeing in droves to neighboring Jordan in search of safety and security.

Today we visited a refugee family who knocked on CRP’s door asking for help. This family’s story is truly heartbreaking.

Enormous cuts to the United Nations’ food program for refugees will greatly increase the emergency food assistance CRP will need to provide refugees in the immediate term.

CRP kicked off October and the holiday season with six straight days of food giveaways. A total of 802 families made up of 3,145 people received food stuff from us during this time!

CRP has started a pen pal program between children in our community in East Amman and American students in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA).

In our own version of the ALS Association’s ice bucket challenge, CRP has partnered with the American Community School of Amman (ACS) to put on a rice bucket challenge.

Homework Club is open to kids of all ages and teens to help them better master their school work and allow them to participate in educational activities and games. 

We have just started two brand new Girl Scouts troops for our refugee community in partnership with Weekday Rx. There are two troops, one for girls ages 9 -10 and a second for girls ages 11-13.

The recent surge of sectarian violence in Iraq has forced over one million people to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

Summer is winding down and here at CRP we have started our fall programming! This session is the busiest we have ever had, with our center now open an additional day per week and a packed activity schedule.

The festive month of Ramadan is all about giving, and our team has been working extra hard to expand our regular distributions in the spirit of the holiday.

A group of CRP’s children recently attended a performance of “Frogz” put on by a group from Portland, Oregon.

CRP’s community center is now more special and unique with the completion of the mural project in the yard area.

Ramadan is a time of community and coming together, and we want to make sure all of the families we serve have adequate provisions this summer.

Last week CRP families got together at the community center for a community dinner. Many of the families that CRP works with, including Syrians, Iraqis, and Jordanians came together to eat and socialize.

At a recent kids activity, in addition to the normal games and arts and crafts we were able to have an educational session about teeth care.

CRP has begun to convert our yard area into what will soon become a community garden project! Earlier this week a group of community members spent a day cleaning and preparing the area.

CRP is currently in the process of implementing a new supportive arts program for adults, teens, and children of all ages. With the help of Cheryl, a volunteer art therapist, and her team, we are launching a sustainable, supportive art program in the CRP community. Like many of our programs, this will add to the […]

There are unique talents in everybody, and every so often we get the chance to help foster this talent. Worood, whose name means ‘roses’ in Arabic, is a budding Iraqi artist.

For 2 hours every Saturday, CRP transforms into a busy hub of well organized chaos.  Children from Syria, Iraq, and Jordan come together for a variety of activities that have them singing, dancing, and smiling.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Advent Lutheran Fund, we have just finished installing six new computers and one large television in our Community and Family Resource Center.

We gave out our final winter distribution today to Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian families. This latest distribution included 65 blankets, 150 pairs of boots and shoes and 80 clothing packets for children.

We have decided to host a number of community dinners so people can get to know others in the community and learn about what CRP has to offer.

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Over the past few weeks CRP has been visited by group of musicians working in collaboration with B Major, a local music organization in Jordan.

It was really hopping at the CRP center today as we distributed many, many bags of coats, clothes and toys to refugee children aged 1-16.

The CRP Community Center was filled to the brim today with winter coats, clothing and toys we’ll be distributing to refugee children all week.

We could not be more pleased with the success of our Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for our ongoing food voucher program.

Along with the many coats and winter packages we’ve distributed to families, we’ve also been giving out fuel vouchers.

CRP is distributing coats and warm clothes (including hats, gloves and socks) to children this entire week.

This has been a very busy week for us! Thanks to you, our campaign to raise funds to keep people warm has received a lot of support from people all around the world.

This winter’s weather in Amman has been unprecedented. Brutal snowstorms and icy temperatures have hit the region and refugees are suffering greatly from the effects.

We’re distributing food vouchers today, right before an expected snowstorm that is anticipated to close the city down for a few days.

On Monday, we started up our winter English class session. Volunteers Julia and Abu Abdullrahman had two full classes of beginner level students.

  UPDATE (DEC 4): We did it! We reached–and surpassed–our Indiegogo goal! HUGE thanks to all of you who have helped out!! We’ve got another 46 days to go, so we’re going to keep going. The more we raise, the more refugees can receive food vouchers this winter. We are now trying to raise $3000 more–that’s […]

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1. Because any amount you give, no matter how small, will make a difference. CRP serves the most destitute refugees, those who have no other recourse. A house visit by someone from our organization is seen as a kindness in itself, and any kind of monetary support–even a very small one–can make a difference between […]