Gender Equality Jordan Project #45393

Build Community through Sport for Girls in Jordan

by Reclaim Childhood, Inc.

Project Report | Jun 2, 2025
Celebrating Spring Collaborations

By Anna Barrett | Executive Director

Trying out tennis in Amman 2!

Yesterday was the final day of frisbee season, and as the end of the school year approaches, the wrap up of our after school program for the 2024-25 year! We reached over 600 girls across 29 weeks and almost 700 hours of programming.

The after school program focuses on engaging girls throughout the year to build healthy habits, increase their skills on and off the field, form relationships with peers and mentors, and find community and belonging. While soccer, basketball, and frisbee are RC’s main sports, we also weave in additional enrichment opportunities for girls throughout the year. Read on for three of our most recent collaborations!

Building Confidence through Self-Defense

In April, 12 girls had two powerful sessions with EmpowerVan, an organization that teaches seminars based on the principles of empowerment and self-defense. Girls explored the "Five Fingers of Self-Defense" — think, voice, run, fight, and tell — while practicing real-life skills. These interactive sessions were all about building confidence, staying safe, and learning how to respond to everyday situations.

Trying out a New Sport

Also in April, Wesley O'Brien from Hit and Hope Tennis in Ireland brought 18 years of coaching experience to run special tennis training sessions across all four of our hub sites! He introduced the children to the core concept of “move and hit” in tennis and guided them through the four main shots. The girls had a great time on the court and enjoyed every moment trying out a new sport.

Exploring Emotions through Theater

In May, Professor Vivian Appler from the University of Georgia joined us to lead theater workshops with our coaches and Amman sites. The sessions introduced participants to the basics of theatre, encouraging everyone to be creative and expressive. Activities like the “Hypnotizing Game,” which helped participants reflect on being a leader or follower, and the “Human Machine,” where they embodied emotions through group movement, brought the experience to life.

Next up - we’ll be back on the field in no time for summer camps and the launch of our new soccer league! Thank you for your support for all of Reclaim Childhood’s programs, especially as we navigate the new realities of the funding landscape.

Coaches learning about theater games.

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Jan 28, 2025
Playing for Inclusion

By Anna Barrett | Executive Director

One of RC's newest participants, Maria

The last few months of 2024 were filled with family, fun, and a lot of soccer! We continued to prioritize safe spaces for girls to grow, learn, and thrive while investing in the development of the incredible women who make it all possible.

Building off the September fall coaching clinic, RC coaches gathered mid-season for additional training on strategies for creating inclusive, supportive environments for all of RC’s participants, no matter their background. It also discussed the positive impact of sports on personal development, highlighting how sports – when set up correctly – can foster skills like teamwork, resilience, and confidence.

This focus on inclusion extended to hosting a play day for girls and families from all four hub sites, strengthening connections within the communities we serve. In total, 158 people attended, with mothers joined wellness workshops focused on nutrition and self-care while girls and their siblings participated in fun games and activities. This event allowed families to engage with RC’s mission firsthand, with a focus on building healthy habits. Later in the season, mothers came back to hub-specific sessions, having their own chance to play and getting to better know the coaches who work with their daughters.

As 2025 kicked off and the weather turned colder, the after school program transitioned from soccer to basketball, registering over 450 girls across our hub sites. Basketball season allows participants to stay active during the winter months while continuing to build confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Next up, we’re looking forward to launching an alumni pilot project, exploring ways to better support young women who have aged out of the program as they move on to their next steps.

At Reclaim Childhood, every season brings new opportunities for growth and connection. As we monitor the regional and global shifts that 2025 brings, we are grateful for the continued support that makes it possible to provide a safe space for girls in Jordan.

Mothers Hit the Field in Zarqa

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Oct 1, 2024
Welcoming the 2024-25 Programming Year in Jordan!

By Anna Barrett | Executive Director

Working hard at soccer practice!

September marks the beginning of the new program year at RC, and this month, we welcomed almost 500 girls from 8 nationalities back to the soccer field! They will spend 14 weeks working with coaches to improve their skills, diving into socioemotional learning conversations, and having fun with their peers. As part of our standard coach training, RC’s coaches gathered in the leadup to the season to learn new soccer skills, talk about how to welcome new girls into the program, and prepare for an awesome few months.

This year, the fall season also marks the beginning of RC’s new three-year strategic plan. While each of the past two years have featured the launch of a new hub site, our focus over the next 12 months is to build up the capacity of the four existing locations. First up: the expansion of the Qudrati teen leadership program!

Qudrati, or “My Ability”, gives RC’s oldest participants the chance to dive deeper into socioemotional learning off the field as they build leadership skills and prepare for their futures. Each cohort participates for a year, meeting on weekends 30+ times and wrapping up their journey by leading their own community service project. The program has run in our original Amman and Zarqa site since 2017, and this year, we’re thrilled to expand to Mafraq. The three cohorts came together to launch the year and set goals for their participation - stay tuned for updates on their progress!

Even as we dive headfirst into the new year, we’re still looking back at an amazing summer! Over six weeks, RC ran dynamic summer sports camp and league days across our hub sites, reaching 472 girls. We also hosted outreach camps in the communities of Al Baqaa and Shouneh, welcoming an additional 170 participants. A special thank you to our dedicated coaches, interns, and partners for making it all happen. Our summer flagship programming remains as important as ever for girls during the more isolated academic break.

We’re looking forward to another exciting year here at Reclaim Childhood, and we’re grateful for your ongoing support of our programs!

Girls enjoying a day of summer outreach camp.

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