Marka Social Support Centre gives school dropouts a leg-up in labour market

AMMAN — A facility located in Marka District is giving children from underprivileged backgrounds a new lease on life.

With official figures estimating that some 30,000 Jordanians between the ages of six and 15 are school dropouts, the Social Support Centre is providing a leading example as an incubator for children who are out of school.

Rudaina had to drop out of school when she was in the fifth grade, which has left her illiterate.

“The difficult financial situation of my family made it impossible for me to continue to go to school,” the 17-year-old said during HRH Princess Basma’s visit to the centre on Monday.

After enrolling in the support centre, Rudaina managed to learn to read and write “in a short period”.

“The centre was definitely a turning point in my life. It helped me regain my self-esteem,” she said.

A graduate from the facility, Rudaina is now receiving training at a vocational centre and hopes to join the labour market soon.

Established by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) in 2008 in cooperation with the Labour Ministry, the Marka Social Support Centre now accommodates 282 children, including 114 girls, between the ages of seven and 18.

The main aim of the facility, along with two other branches in Mafraq and Maan, is to help school dropouts rejoin formal and non-formal academic or vocational education and provide them with counselling and recreation.

In addition, the centre, in cooperation with the Education Ministry, offers students a certificate that equals 10th grade to enable them to join formal vocational training programmes.

During the visit, Princess Basma toured the centre’s facilities and listened to students’ experiences.

She also checked on the Goodwill Campaign’s medical activities — which include mobile dental and ophthalmology clinics — that targeted the centre’s students.

Also on Monday, the princess listened to a briefing on the “Safe Home” initiative, which is implemented by the Goodwill Campaign and the Jordan Engineers Association.

The first phase of the initiative entails renovating the houses of underprivileged families in Maan, Mafraq and Madaba.