RC intentionally brings together diverse communities with a “more than sport” mentality that aims to help participants build resilience, improve their quality of life, and re-imagine a new future. Within this structure, coaches emphasize social cohesion, while facilitating conversations around the racism and discrimination that spill over from the outside world. Through sport, girls get to know new teammates, break down barriers to inclusion, and build new communities in the face of the dual COVID and forced migration crises. This project will build on over a decade of experience delivering sport for youth development programs in Jordan with engagement through sport and wellness activities in East Amman and Zarqa. Specifically focused on girls and women from refugee and underserved communities disproportionately affected by COVID19 and forced migration, it will use the power of sport to engage with four different target groups. First, we will run training with the coaching staff to prepare them to lead the remaining project activities, as well as explore topics that would enhance their own mental well-being. They will then incorporate this training into ongoing basketball activities for girls ages 6-18, knowledge sharing with participants’ mothers, and a larger football event that combines sport and play with wellness activities. By working on multiple community levels, this project will contribute to social cohesion efforts, as well as mental wellness for girls and women as they are empowered to play, grow, build community, and take ownership of their health and well-being.
Mental Wellness for Girls in Jordan through Sport and Social Cohesion
