Ghosoun: “Women get to choose their own career path. I want to be a pilot when I grow up.”
In a crowded art room at Halima Al Sa’deyyeh School for Girls in Al Ghour, two sisters, Nour and Ghosoun, shared their story. Although they looked alike, their distinct personalities were very apparent. Their school uniforms, adorned with heart-shaped embroidery and pleated skirts, reflected their resilience and love for life.
Nour and Ghosoun, two Syrian sisters, moved to Jordan in 2016. Their journey took them from Syria through Za’tari camp to Al Ghour. Constant reallocation made it difficult for them to adapt and make friends, leading to social shyness.
“The war in Syria took its toll on our parents, who decided to leave everything behind and move to Jordan,” Nour told Generations For Peace (GFP). “When we first came to Jordan, we lived in Za’tari camp. After a couple of years, my father was offered a work opportunity, so we left the camp and now reside in Al Ghour.”
Due to constant reallocation, the sisters faced numerous challenges. Nour, the elder sister, should be in the 9th grade but is currently in the 7th grade due to disruptions in her education. Despite these setbacks, she excelled academically but faced social challenges.
“I did very well at school; academically, I was great, but socially things were not going as I wished,” Nour shared. Her father, noticing her discomfort, enrolled her in the same class as her younger sister, Ghosoun, to help her feel more comfortable and supported.
Ghosoun, from the start, had a strong desire to build relationships and integrate into her new community. “I had an internal urge to socialise and build positive relationships with new friends,” she explained. This drive found a perfect outlet when both sisters joined the Sport and Art for Peace sessions implemented by Generations For Peace (GFP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Youth (MoY) and Ministry of Education (MoE).
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The Sport and Art for Peace sessions are part of the “Provision of Sustainable Health and Protection Services to Refugees and Vulnerable Host Communities in Jordan” Programme. Integrating GFP’s Sport and Arts For Peace curriculum with IRC’s Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) interventions, the Programme provided support to 2,040 Syrian and Jordanian beneficiaries, particularly women and girls in host communities, to enhance their safety, protection, and access to support.
Nour and Ghosoun attended 12 Sport and Arts for Peace sessions, through which they developed essential life skills and found common ground with girls from their community. Nour, passionate about art, said, “I’m a talented artist; I want to have my own gallery. I believe I have what it takes to become a great artist.” The sessions helped her realise her potential and boosted her confidence.
She learned strategies to socialise, allowing her to build positive relationships with girls at school and within her community who share the same passion for art. “I had the urge to socialise, but now, with the skills I acquired, I have the means to build positive relationships,” she added.
Meanwhile, Ghosoun learned valuable lessons about violence and gender roles. “I learned so much about violence. I always thought violence was limited to physical violence. I never knew there are different types of violence, like emotional and economic.” She also realised that girls get to choose their own path in life and don’t have to stick to societal norms. “Women get to choose their own career path. I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” Ghosoun said with determination.
The Sport and Art for Peace sessions have not only empowered Nour and Ghosoun individually but also helped them build long-lasting relationships with girls in their community. “I built positive relationships with girls in my community and my classroom,” Ghosoun stated.
Meanwhile, Maisa Al Ananzeh, a teacher at Halima Al Sa’deyyeh School and a facilitator for the activities said she witnessed a transformation in Nour’s interaction with her peers. “Nour, who had faced social challenges despite her academic success, found her passion for art reignited and her confidence boosted.”
“Targeted support and structured activities can have a long-term positive impact on young refugees, helping them integrate into new communities and pursue their dreams with renewed confidence and determination,” the facilitator said.
