Build Community through Sport for Girls in Jordan

Last week, Jordan celebrated a historic milestone, playing in its first-ever FIFA World Cup, while neighboring Iraq (one of the countries that RC’s participants and coaches come from) marked its return to the tournament after a 40-year absence. This spring, as excitement built across the region for soccer’s biggest stage, we brought that energy to the grassroots level.

In April and May, Reclaim Childhood hosted two community tournaments, creating opportunities for girls from across our programs and partner organizations to come together through sport, friendship, and play.

The first event took place in Zarqa, where teams from RC’s hub sites in Zarqa and Mafraq were joined by participants from GAME Mafraq, AECF, and Terres des Hommes. A few weeks later, in coordination with World Football Giving Day, we headed to Amman, bringing together teams from RC’s Amman and Madaba hubs alongside partners Collateral Repair Project, Squash Dreamers, PACES, and Operation Mercy.

Across both events, the atmosphere reflected everything that makes soccer special. From one match to the next, the field was full of energy, teamwork, and connection. Girls had the opportunity to challenge themselves, build confidence, meet new people, and experience the excitement of competition in a welcoming and supportive environment.

As we celebrate the power of sport and the joy and diversity of the World Cup teams, we also recognize that June 20 marks World Refugee Day. This year’s theme, “Until We Are All Safe,” is a reminder that safety, belonging, and opportunity should be available to everyone, regardless of where they come from or where their journey has taken them.

That belief is at the core of what RC does. Our summer programming is just around the corner. This year, over 700 girls from 8 nationalities will hit the field across Jordan through RC’s camps, soccer leagues, and outreach programming. On our fields, diversity is a strength and every player has a place on the team. It is sport as it should be: safe, inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to all.

RC kicked off 2026 with a January outreach camp in Jerash, bringing together girls from the city and two nearby Palestinian camps, Gaza Camp and Souf Camp. 75 girls tried out frisbee, basketball and soccer, many of them for the first time. RC's staff and veteran coaches ran a coach clinic for three new coaches from the community, before supporting them to lead the sessions throughout the week. 

This model of building local coaching capacity is central to how RC grows sustainably. After the Jerash camp, we headed south to a previous outreach site, Madaba, where access to sport and play for girls is extremely limited. There are few safe spaces or consistent opportunities for girls to engage in physical activity. At the same time, Madaba’s diversity makes it an ideal setting for RC’s mission of bringing together girls from different backgrounds through sport.

A small city known for its ancient mosaics, Madaba hosts a significant refugee population, with many Syrian and Palestinian families living alongside Jordanians in economically strained neighborhoods. The main source of income, tourism, has experienced significant shocks in recent years, first with the COVID19 pandemic and then in travel disruptions through waves of regional conflict. Unemployment is high, especially for youth and women.

After hosting RC outreach camps in January 2024 and August 2025, Madaba was selected as a pilot site for this spring. Coaches from the city (including some who had previously worked at the camps) gathered with RC staff and coaches for a coach clinic, building the foundation for a spring that will bring RC’s program to a new community. Last week marked the official launch, as 50 girls joined us for a soccer/frisbee season that will run through May.

Amidst our excitement about the expansion of RC’s work, the broader regional context remains difficult. While Jordan has experienced less damage than some other countries in the region, there has been a significant increase in alert sirens, intercepted missiles, and debris falling. For now, programming continues to run uninterrupted as we focus on providing a consistent outlet for girls amidst conflict. With a deep uncertainty about what comes next, we are monitoring the situation closely as we continue our commitment to support girls and women in the community.