Platinum Pledge: bringing joy to one million kids

Thanks to our generous supporters, in October and November 2024 we returned to Jordan to deliver 57 quality play sessions reaching 8367 displaced children and families living in refugee camps, poverty and temporary accommodation. In our arts and entertainment sessions, we regularly met between 200 and 400 children, usually Syrian, Palestinian, Eritrean, Sudanese and Jordanian, many of whom were born in the camps and have lived there their entire lives, never having left, never having even seen a town before.

Many of our bigger sessions were delivered in the biggest camps, Azraq and Zaatari camps, where levels of poverty are high and any positive provision for children is devastatingly low. We heard from children who had never seen outside of the camps before, that their biggest dream was just to leave the camp, travel in a car and see a building. That a 6 year old's biggest dream is to see an appartment block for the first time, shows how limiting and challenging their young lives have been.

Jordan is a safe place, but it is not a rich place, so even for those who might dream of getting out, they will be faced with high levels of local poverty and unemployment, with little to no hope of a job or no way into mainstream society. There is also not a clear asylum procedure, so people are resigned to staying in the camps, with only a slim hope to return to their own countries one day, if they become safe to return. 

Working with partners including UNWRA, Terre des Hommes, Medair and some smaller partners, we ensure that all our sessions are highly inclusive, positive, uplifting and joyous whilst sensitively delivered, so that all children can take part. We know that this is otherwise unheard of, with partners and centres having to make difficult decisions about which children must be excluded due to the extremely high numbers of children with otherwise nothing to do.

Partners, parents and children have told us how memorable, positive and special these sessions are for the children. Many of them remember us and our games from previous years, starting singing songs and playing our games when we arrive, asking us to do their favourite magic tricks again. One partner told us about one of our community sessions "This is the first time that an entertainment activity with this degree of creativity and professionalism has been presented to children. It is a slum area and activities for children are rarely provided.I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have given and what you will give to the children. These are unforgettable moments."