The second phase of the 'Sawa' (Together) project, a programme launched in Jordan - in the Amman area - for the participation, social inclusion and general improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities, is underway. The intervention, which started in December 2021, is implemented thanks to the support of the Waldensian Evangelical Church's Eight per Thousand. The beneficiaries belong to the most vulnerable segments of the Syrian and Jordanian refugee community, who will be guaranteed integrated services of rehabilitation, psychosocial support, empowerment and inclusion, with a specific focus on Paralympic sports and Peer Counselling activities.
In the Syrian refugee community, disabilities are often of a severe nature due to war injuries and/or mutilation. There are no specialised integrated physical and psycho-social rehabilitation services in the area.
The project aims to reach the segment of the population that faces the most complex challenges, without discrimination of any kind and with a special focus on young people with disabilities. The intervention will involve approximately 60 women and men between the ages of 15 and 50 and their families (about 250 people in total), who will be involved in Paralympic sports activities such as table tennis, goal ball, basketball and fitness in order to enhance their individual skills.
The sports activities will take place in cooperation with the Jordan Paralympic Committee and will not only strengthen the girls and boys involved on a psycho-social level, but will also have a physical rehabilitation function.
The main components of Peer Counselling are the recovery of a sense of self-sufficiency and the reconstruction of human relationships. Dialogue sessions will focus on issues such as social cohesion, solidarity, respect and tolerance between refugee and host communities.
Through this integrated and holistic approach, it will be possible to intervene on people's sense of marginalisation, to improve their self-esteem through the awareness that they can achieve autonomy despite their limitations and specificities.
