FCA Middle East Regional Representative Miina Puntila signed a Programme Cooperation Agreement with UNICEF on 9 September 2015. The agreement relates to a project to organise extra-curricular education, psychosocial support and life skills training to vulnerable Syrian refugee and Jordanian children and young people in the governorates of Irbid and Amman.

The duration of the programme is one year with a budget of 1.33 million dollars.

“We worked hard to reach this agreement. The programme was formed with UNICEF over several months, but right now, we are feeling very good. This was quite an achievement”, says Miina Puntila.

“The most interesting aspect of this programme is the linking of education to psycho-social support for children and young people, who come from poor families and outside official education. 9,500 children will have the opportunity to study”, says Ala´a Ma`aytah, FCA Humanitarian Programme Coordinator in Jordan.

At the same time, the programme builds the capacity of local organisations to develop a sustainable education system for Syrian refugees and Jordanians in the future. According to Ala´a, the programme creates harmony between the Syrian refugees and the Jordanian civil society.

Text: Olli Pitkänen