1. ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI) – Jordan Office

2. CONTENTS
FOREWORD 3
A Message from MECI's Regional Director Lina Farouqi 3
JORDAN & THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS
4
Accessing Education: the Shadow of a "Lost Generation" 4
THE MECI MODEL IN JORDAN 5
PROVIDING ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES 6
Targeting the Most Vulnerable 6
Academic Achievements in 2015 7
MECI's Approach to Teaching 7
PROVIDING PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT 9
Encouraging Behavioral Abilities 9
From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts 10
PROMOTING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT 11
The Training 11
Youth-led Initiatives 11
ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 12
Health & Hygiene Awareness Sessions 12
Dental Hygiene for Children 12
The Importance of Education & Good Attendance Practices 12
EQUIPPING A SCHOOL WITH A PLAY COMPLEX
14
WINTER CAMPAIGN 2015 15

3. 3
Foreword
A message from MECI’s Regional
Director, Lina Farouqi.
2015: A Year of Growth
If I only had to use one word to describe
this year, I think “growth” would be the
best choice.
When I established the Amman office in
2013, which came to be the Regional Office,
I could only wish for all the success that has
since then paved the way of the Middle
East Children’s Institute (MECI) in Jordan.
Our growth as an organization has been
exponential, starting with 3 schools, then 6,
and now preparing to expand to many
more. We have been able to reach over
3,300 vulnerable children from very
different backgrounds in a short but intense
two years, through academic and
psychosocial activities, staying true and
loyal to the MECI philosophy of a child-
centered approach to development.
Because we believe in the equality of
chances, we had to adapt to the needs of
very different children, regardless of their
community of origin. While acknowledging
the struggles of a trauma-affected
generation of Syrian refugee children, MECI
recognizes that the host communities of
Jordanian, Palestinian and Egyptian children
are also directly bearing the burden of
overcrowded schools, overwhelmed
teachers, and often confused classmates,
who battle so deeply emotionally that their
academics and overall behavior are
impacted. Following our sound success in
2014, our team in Jordan has taken the lead
to enhance our response to all these
children’s needs to make sure that our
approach is one of multi-integrated
services.
We underwent multiple financial and
programmatic spot checks, which called our
work “excellent”, and one micro-
assessment resulting in a “low-risk” mark.
Let me also talk about the growth of our
students, of our children. When coming to
our schools, children of any background are
given a chance to physically enter a safe
space and environment where their
wellbeing and skills are nurtured. In an
effort to always guarantee the greatest
impact on our students, MECI has
developed remarkable tools and strategies
to cope with each child’s own limitations,
through curriculums, activities, events, and
an overall loving and amiable atmosphere
within our schools.
Working in a protracted refugee context,
MECI also places social cohesion at the
heart of our intervention, and instills the
idea that adults and younger peers should
treat each child, no matter his background
and past, equally. We endeavor to sow the
seed of peace in this generation of future
parents, peacemakers and leaders.
As Regional Director I want to acknowledge
the growth of MECI Jordan as a team,
which has not ceased to amaze me with
their creativity, hard work and dedication
to the Institute and the people we serve. I
feel confident that our work has matured in
so many ways.
Finally, I am so honored and humbled by all
the colleagues and partners that have
supported us this year, a clear testimony of
the right direction our work is taking. I
would like to express my deepest gratitude
to the Ministry of Education in Jordan and
UNICEF for their renewed trust for the 3
rd
year, UNESCO, Al Turki Foundation, Polish
Aid and the Polish Embassy in Amman, as
well as The Syria Fund and the We Care
About Syria Campaign who allowed us to
bring so much flexibility into our programs.
My appreciation also goes to all of MECI’s
private donors worldwide, you have been
an extraordinarily growing community this
year and the children of Jordan join me in
this thank you.
I can only hope 2016 will bring us as many
opportunities as 2015, we are ready.

4. 4
JORDAN & THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS
Last National Census (2016) revealed that Jordan is a host to 1.4
million Syrians, 630,000 of whom are registered as Asylum
Seekers through the UNHCR. They make up for 20% of the
Kingdom’s population. Half of them are children, 36% of whom
are in the school age.
Accessing Education: the Shadow of a “Lost Generation”
« Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds Peace » - Confucius
Since 2011, along with providing safety to thousands of families escaping from war, the
Kingdom opened its schools to Syrian students with less than 3 years of missed education in
order to honor each child’s right to basic education.
This philanthropic decision, however, has negatively impacted the educational system as a
whole, with 47% of schools now overcrowded, and daily instructional time reduced to
accommodate Syrian students in double shifted system. It is also reported that educational
facilitators like principals and teachers are lacking the preparation and experience to manage
challenging school and classroom environments, which in turn leave the door opened for
increased violence, and a general deterioration of facilities.
Overall, on-going educational reforms underwent a major setback to face and adapt to the
demand of thousands of children. Negative mechanisms that were suppressed through
reforms had to be put into practice again. Despite all these efforts, and as Jordan reportedly
succeeded in accommodating 143,000 students, between 50-60,000 children remain out-of-
school, and more arrive every month.
Acknowledging the academic struggles of a trauma-affected generation that was pulled out of
school for sometimes up to 3 years, and recognized for its leading expertise in providing
informal and remedial education to vulnerable children, in 2015 MECI engaged in fruitful
partnerships with renowned international donors and UN agencies like UNICEF and UNESCO.

5. 5
THE MECI MODEL IN JORDAN
Academics
Informal & Remedial Education
Education has become an urgent need to
thousands of out-of-school children, along
with other children facing academic
struggles. MECI palliates against these
obstacles by providing children of all
background with classes in Arabic,
mathematics and English.
Psychosocial Support
Trauma Informed Interventions
We build on the potential of extra-
curricular activities to convey and address
essential life lessons in the lives of our
students. MECI children are given classes in
Physical Education, and Arts, combined to a
simple Life Skills curriculum to ensure their
overall wellbeing.
Youth Engagement
Basic Life Skills Trainings and Initiatives
In 2015 MECI Jordan established a new
component to its program targeting young
adolescents and youth through Life Skills
Trainings followed by youth-led community
engagement initiatives.
Community Learning
Awareness Sessions & Social Cohesion
True to our child-centered approach to
community development, MECI makes sure
to involve parents and community
members in their children’s education
through awareness raising and social
events.

6. 6
PROVIDING ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Direct support from UNICEF,
UNESCO as well as Al Turki
Foundation have enabled us to
reach over 2,300 children
through Informal and Remedial
Education this year.
Targeting the Most Vulnerable
MECI targets refugee and host community
children from the age 6 to 12 years old in
Northern and Central Jordan. By addressing
the needs of out-of-school and
academically struggling children in the
communities we target, MECI is able to
deliver a two-fold program with the overall
aim of empowering children with the
proper tools to go through their education
with confidence.
Through extensive outreach campaigns
deploying our staff and recruiting local
Syrian volunteers, our teams communicate
around the MECI program to parents,
caretakers and other community members.
Door-to-door operations allow us to discuss
the academic background of each family
and child, and determine together whether
a child could benefit from classes with the
Middle East Children’s Institute.
Traditionally, MECI aims to recruit 70% of
Syrian refugee children who are out-of-
school, the remaining 30% consisting of
Jordanian and other host community
children with difficulties in schools.

7. 7
Academic Achievements in 2015
• Over 2,300 children enrolled in Informal
and Remedial classes (70% Syrian, 30%
Jordanian)
• 52% of female students
• Prior to joining MECI, 12% of our
students were reported as illiterate
and/or had never been to school
• Over 4,300 classes dispensed by
accredited teachers from the Ministry
• 94% of students who took a pre- and
post-test demonstrated academic
progress, an extremely positive indicator
of MECI’s program’s impact on
vulnerable students
MECI implemented its Informal and
Remedial Education program within 10
schools located in Central and Northern
Jordan, in the cities of Salt, Ramtha and
Irbid which belong to two of the five
governorates that were the most affected
by the influx of Syrian refugee populations
(Irbid and Balqa governorates, respectively
hosting 136,942 and 19,894 registered
refugees).
MECI deliberately works inside public
schools from the Ministry of Education
rather than in local community-based
organizations (CBOs) as we believe in the
positive effect of physically going to schools
rather than being taught in temporarily set-
up spaces. We put a lot of efforts in
identifying the schools that will offer the
best learning spaces and environment for
our children, and funds permitting,
endeavor to enhance these spaces through
small refurbishment interventions.
Accredited and experienced school
principals, teachers, but also Syrian
outreach counselors are hired to oversee,
deliver and monitor the daily activities
taking place within the schools.
All school staff was trained extensively in
order to ensure the proper delivery of
services along with the respect of
international standards, MECI‘s values and
principles related to Teaching Practices and
Child Protection. Teachers were introduced
to the MECI curriculum that was expressly
designed as a context-adapted tool taking
into consideration challenges met in non-
homogeneous classrooms. Throughout the
program, schools benefitted from regular
observations and recommendations on
ways to enhance their methodology and
incorporate additional technics to promote
engaging teaching, and learning.
MECI’s Approach to Teaching
Through diversified teaching strategies,
MECI’s overall aim is to get struggling and
out-of-school students to focus on their
education, and stand a better chance at
integrating and adapting in Public Schools
in a near future.
Instructors were not only encouraged to
find ways to always keep the interest going,
but also offered initiatives to multiply the
nature of teaching support through
auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning.
Classes took place five days a week, for 2
hours each day after public school hours,
which included lessons in Arabic, math, and
English as well as Physical Education and
Arts combined to a simple Life Skills
curriculum.
Upon enrollment, students were given a
placement test in order to be integrated to
a fitting level and group. 12% of our
students were illiterate / had never been to
school prior to the MECI program.
Three levels covering grades 1 through 6
were available to students divided within 5
groups to allow for a greater homogeneity
of ages and level between classmates.
With Syrian refugee students having been
out-of-school for up to 4 years, this has
been an ongoing challenge for both
instructors and our teams of specialists.

8. 8
Conducting graduation ceremonies at the
end of each semester, MECI re-assessed
these students in order to determine their
progression rate, and potentially move
them from one level to another, and/or
refer them to Public Schools for
registration.
With 94% of our students demonstrating
Academic Progress through the MECI
program, Graduation Ceremonies were a
perfect occasion to celebrate their growth,
along with our local staff’s performance in
addressing the sensitive situation of
vulnerable children in their communities.
Students, caretakers, local staff as well as
representatives from several Directorates
of Education praised MECI’ structure and
academic methodology.
Nadia, the principal of MECI’s Doqara School
program in Irbid with UNESCO, has worked in
the Jordanian education system for 15 years. Yet
despite her background as an educator and
administrator, she’s never experienced anything
like MECI: “Students are so happy to come to
the program each day,” she says. “I’ve never
seen this type of engagement and excitement
at regular schools.”
But it’s not only the children who are excited
about MECI’s IFE program. Nadia says that
families are also pleased: “Parents have been
very happy and appreciative of our efforts at
the school. They keep telling their friends and
community members, and now we’ve got a
waiting list for the program.”
Nadia credits her staff for the program’s early
success: “I have amazing teachers. They are
collaborative and committed to making
classroom activities engaging and interactive.”
She also acknowledges, however, that the work
can be difficult and demanding. “I always tell
them, do not focus the hard parts. Instead,
think about the sense of achievement and pride
you will feel for having educated a child.”
Ahmad is originally from Deraa in Syria, the first
city in Syria to be affected by the conflict, as the
revolution started with heavy repression
measures on the town and its inhabitants.
Ahmad was 7 years old when they left, but he
remembers many details of his past life. The war
took Ahmad’s father, which lead his mother to
take the decision to seek protection with her
four children in neighboring Jordan. They all live
with Ahmad’s uncle in a two-bedroom
apartment.
Ahmad joined MECI’s program in Ramtha.
MECI’s counselor had been contacting Ahmad
and his family relentlessly before he agreed to
join the program as he said he hated school.
“Now I am having a lot of fun in classes, I like
all sessions I attend and I feel like I have
learned a lot and made many new friends. I
also like the teachers I have because they are
always ready to help me”.
Ahmad says he would like to be an engineer in
the future, but first, to enroll in formal
education in Jordan. He would also love to live in
a bigger house with his family, “I don’t care
about which country we live in, we are all
brothers in the end”.
Abdelhameed first joined MECI as a member of
our student outreach campaign.
“We faced many challenges in reaching
children and their families because we live in
such a rural area,” he says, “but we persisted by
making phone calls and house visits until we
found as many vulnerable children as possible.”
Abdelhameed has always been an advocate for
vulnerable children. In Syria, he worked first as a
social worker for juvenile delinquents and then
as a teacher for blind students. “I wanted to join
MECI because I value the importance of
learning, especially for Syrian children who
have experienced tragedy,” he says, “that’s
why we work so hard here. To provide these
children with the best possible experience.”

9. 9
PROVIDING PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
MECI students’ behavior was monitored
throughout the program in order to
assess their emotional and social
wellbeing, along with referring cases
presenting a need for specific attention.
Encouraging Behavioral Abilities
The age range of our students (6-12) is a determining
phase in a child’s growth. For 70% of our students who, as
Syrian refugees, have experienced traumatic events of
various degrees, combatting behavioral impairments is a
necessity. Important life lessons and skills were conveyed
to the students through a simple life skills curriculum
incorporated into sports and Arts activities every week. A
set of 7 skill categories was promoted as follows: self-
awareness and expression, communication and belonging
skills, decision-making and problem-solving, motivation
towards education, health and hygiene, and respect,
acceptance, refusal and firmness skills.

10. 10
Regular behavioral assessments were
carried out for students who had been
exposed to a minimum of 2-3 months to
the MECI program.
Latest measurements indicated that
87% of assessed students demonstrated
a degree of behavioral progression.
Post- skills acquisition average reached
81%, another positive indicator of MECI’s
program impact. It is worth noting that
most improved skills (by 26%) are related
to self-awareness and expression,
decision-making and problem solving,
and eventually refusal and firmness skills.
From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts
During the implementation phase of each program,
schools staff received thorough guidelines on how to deal
with restless children, often a direct reaction to trauma
exposure as students lose their capacity to focus and
struggle to feel at ease in their new environment.
Encouraging a positive atmosphere of friendship and
solidarity between refugee and host community-children
was also a priority of MECI, endeavoring to sow the seeds
of peace in the younger generation.
On several occasions, MECI organized field trips and picnic
days for its students and local staff, as a way to solidify the
bond between all participants of the program. Isolated
children found an opportunity to create lasting
relationships through games, and the sharing of a meal.
“At the beginning of the program, Tariq always came late, did
not participate in class and made troubles with other students.
We gathered to come up with a plan and improve his self-
confidence, by showing him on a daily basis the impact he
could have.
Along with the attendance-promoting initiative developed by
MECI, he started to come on time in order to put a star next to
his name, which is something we find beneficial to maintain
motivation for students. Tariq is now attending regularly and is
always on time, and has taken on more of a leadership role in
the classroom.
Thanks to UNICEF and MECI, he is communicating and
collaborating in the classroom. It is a great turn out for all of
us, teachers and students included!”
Testimony from Tariq’s Arts Teacher, Myasar Al Saleh.

11. 11
PROMOTING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
A new component of our intervention in
Jordan this year has been the provision of
Basic Life Skills Trainings to 201 young
female adolescents from the age of 14.
This was done in partnership with UNICEF
and The Syria Fund, within six schools
located in the cities of Salt and Ramtha.
The Training
The Life Skills Training for the Youth are meant to encourage
the development of four sets of skills related to self-
management, cognitive, social and teamwork skills. As
designed by UNICEF, the trainings use a youth-to-youth
approach focused personal development to guide
participants in adopting a healthy life style, enhance their
active participation in their community’s life, and promote
sound civic and economic habits.
Once again, a pre- and post-assessment methodology was
applied to measure the impact of the trainings on a set of 7
skills related to communication, self-respect, critical and
analytical thinking, teamwork, social cohesion and social
responsibility.
96% of participants reported an improvement in their skills
according to surveys, especially in the field of social
responsibility, and problem-solving mechanisms.
Youth-led Initiatives
During the trainings, trainees were expected to identify
some issues or areas of need in their communities and come
up with a plan, to implement a small-scale intervention in
response to this issue. These took the form of youth-led
community engagement initiatives, benefitting community
members and promoting social cohesion through cleanup,
beautifying and other volunteering missions.
“This was my first experience ever attending a training and I have
not been disappointed!
I wish we could have more regular opportunities like this to help
us as teenagers build on our skills and personalities because I feel
we are at a critical age and sort of a turning point in our lives.
MECI’s training has given me the envy to really work on my
community’s engagement and activate volunteering practices
among the youth.” Leen, 17 years old, Jordanian participant.
“I would like to thank all of MECI’s team for giving me this
opportunity to use my time for something useful, discussing issues
that we never have the courage to address as Syrian refugees like
integration, social cohesion, and discrimination. Talking about
Syrian-Jordanian cohesion was my favorite part of the training,
and I feel that my Jordanian peers are now more aware of the
fact that we should help each other out because we have gone
through so many difficulties since the crisis started in Syria. We
only fled to look out for Peace and Security.
Here is my message to the youth in Jordan, whether Syrian or
Jordanian: Grab chances and enjoy every moment, Peace is a
blessing.” Safa, 16 years old, Syrian participant.

12. 12
ENCOURAGING
COMMUNITY
PARTICIPATION
Throughout the program, MECI organizes
various events and community gatherings
for the benefit of our students’ families
and broader community.
These take the form of Awareness Sessions
and School-life Initiatives on subjects
directly linked to their children’s growth
and experience through the MECI program.
Over 650 adults and 1250 children
benefitted from these sessions in 2015.
Health & Hygiene Awareness Sessions
MECI’s Health and Hygiene Awareness Sessions are meant to
encourage family engagement in student learning and
promote awareness about the importance of health and
hygiene for children and their families. The main objectives
of the Health and Hygiene Awareness Sessions are:
• Promote personal and family strategies to caretakers to
help them maintain good hygiene and health
• Discuss the importance of maintaining a balanced
nutritious diet with families
• Introduce younger students (ages 6-8) and older
students (ages 9-12) to daily activities they can follow to
maintain personal hygiene
Dental Hygiene for Children
MECI’s goal in this Children’s Session was to raise awareness
about dental hygiene and educate the children on how to
care and maintain their baby and adult teeth through
interactive dialogue, demonstrating dental hygiene
techniques, incorporating drawings and games and finally
providing dental cleaning supplies to each child (a
toothbrush and a toothpaste).
The ADA – Smile Smarts Dental Health Curriculum for
students aged 4-12 was used in developing this interactive
dialogue. Students were initiated to:
• The function of teeth: biting, chewing, smiling and
speaking
• Characteristics of teeth: white, hard, big, strong
• Type of teeth: Baby teeth vs. Permanent teeth.
• How to brush teeth – front, sides, inner and tongue
cleaning
• Hygiene of brushing: do not share brushes, do not
swallow toothpaste
The Importance of Education & Good Attendance
Practices
During the months of winter, access to the school and
distribution operations often prevent students from
attending classes regularly. In order to palliate against this
negative phenomenon, MECI developped the “Attend
Today, Achieve Tomorrow” initiative which was
implemented across all sites and included an awareness
session for families on the Importance of Education and
Good Attendance Practices.
Information was provided on the negative effects of keeping
a child at home and not monitoring their attendance
resulting in an impact on the educational / behavioral
progress, low understanding and motivation towards
education, students getting behind on their levels, and
limited opportunities for self-expression. By only missing
two days of school per month, a child misses up to 10% of
the Academic year.

13. 13
Poster from the Initiative
Following the implementation of the “Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow” Initiative across several
schools, overall attendance rates witnessed a 6% increase.
89% of attending students showed “quality attendance”.
We aim for students’ families and broader communities to
understand that they are partners to MECI in this
educational endeavor. With this idea comes a responsibility
of every parents and caretaker to diffuse and create an
environment that encourages students in having motivation,
good attendance practices, and commitment.
Practical recommendations were shared with families on
how to foster good attendance practices at home:
• Being punctual: set a regular evening and morning
routine
• Preparing the students’ clothes and school bag the
evening before
• Looking out for signs of anxiety that prevent a child from
going to school
• Following up on a child’s achievement and homework
• Creating a positive learning environment at home to
ensure the child dedicates a reasonable amount of time
to study
• Accepting mistakes and encouraging success
• Informing counselors of a child’s absence
• Getting involved in the school life to build positive
relationships with the trained facilitators working daily
with the children
These parental strategies were also shared in the form of a
handout to bring back home.
Over 90% of participants, children and
adults alike, reportedly found these
sessions useful.

14. 14
EQUIPPING A SCHOOL WITH A PLAY COMPLEX
In November and December 2015, MECI Jordan engaged in a partnership with the Polish Embassy in
Amman and Polish Aid, through a Small Grant Competition.
"I would like to take a moment to appreciate the impact that this project can have on this school and its community of
hundreds of students from different origins and background.
By allowing these children to have access to a safe complex during recreational time, you are not only promoting a
greater quality and diversification of children’s games and playtime, but also encouraging social cohesion.
In 2011, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon gave a speech about sport, sharing a truth that I would like to apply to
recreational activities in general. He said: “Sport has become a world language, a common denominator that breaks
down all the walls, all the barriers. It is a worldwide industry whose practices can have a widespread impact. Most of
all, it is a powerful tool for progress and development.”
It is one of MECI’s core characteristics to always promote an interactive learning environment in order to overcome
some natural obstacles present in our students, resulting in them being out-of-school and / or struggling for such a
long period."
Lina Farouqi, Regional Director of MECI Jordan h
A Safe Play Complex to Benefit Over 450 Jordanian and Refugee Children in
Ramtha, Northern Jordan.
A beautiful play complex was purchased and installed in one of our 3 schools in Ramtha,
where MECI operated in 2015 for the benefit of over 450 Syrian refugee and Jordanian
vulnerable children attending the school in two shifts during mornings and afternoons.
The site was inaugurated in December with the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of
the Republic of Poland in Jordan, M. Bojko, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former
Ambassador to the European Delegation in Jordan Ms.Wronecka, and Jordan's Deputy
Minister of Education His Excellency M. Alakour, and MECI’s Regional Director Lina Farouqi.
For the occasion, the government of Poland offered various art supplies and sports equipment
to our schools, as well as distributed gifts to some of our students present that day.

15. 15
WINTER CAMPAIGN 2015
Through the generous contribution of the International Campaign “ We Care About Syria”
(WCAS), gathering supporters from all over the world, our team in Jordan was able to
distribute over 600 complete Winter Packages to all of our 6 schools in Salt and Ramtha,
Central and Northern Jordan. Each child received a warm Jacket, a pair of shoes, warm
underwear and under vest, socks, as well as a pair of gloves, a hat, and a scarf.
Members of the WCAS campaign sent messages to our students in the form of photographs
from all over the world, showing their support to refugees and vulnerable children from Syria
and Jordan.

16. 16
"Seeing students get better day after day is the most rewarding feeling.
There is infinite satisfaction in witnessing how education can change children and
spread hope around the world even amidst difficult situations."
Ruqqaya School Principal at MECI, Salt, Jordan

17. 17
Middle East Children’s Institute
Jordan Office
152, Mecca Street, Am Husseini Complex
P.O. Box: 3551
11 821 Amman, JORDAN
Phone +962 6 554 2818
www.mecinstitute.org