Build Community through Sport for Girls in Jordan

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.