Build Community through Sport for Girls in Jordan

Friends of Reclaim Childhood,

As I write RC’s first project update, I am reminded that on the same day in March that we suspended all in-person RC programming, we also decided to continue our participation in the GlobalGiving Accelerator Challenge. While they offered all organizations the chance to defer due to the spread of COVID19, we hoped and believed that even amidst increased uncertainty, our community would show up to invest in the future of RC’s programs. We were right. Thank you to each of you who donated in the midst of your own personal upheaval and for your ongoing support of Reclaim Childhood. We are truly grateful.

For years, we have been combatting social isolation by getting girls out of the house and onto the field. Now we were faced with increased isolation and girls prevented from leaving their houses, not by societal norms, but by strict government regulations and a deadly pandemic.

The key to the Reclaim Childhood program is the relationships that coaches build with participants and their families. Usually, these relationships are forged through bus rides to practice, rowdy soccer games, quiet individual conversations on the sidelines, and home visits. Over the last four months, these points of contact transitioned online, with coaches working to stay in touch with every single one of the girls enrolled in our programming. With limited digital tools available, they relied heavily on WhatsApp groups to share workout videos, wellness activities, and connections to external resources and to each other. In turn, participants responded with their own workout ideas, texts from moms checking in, and a valuable reminder that in a pinch, stuffed animals can be used as cones for agility drills.

This time away from the field has only increased the need for safe and inclusive spaces for girls. Thank you for joining us as we continue our work to provide those for the Reclaim Childhood community!

Stay well,

The RC Team