Shireen’s Circle of Support
How USAID improves educational and social outcomes for youth in Jordan through non-formal education
“I have long wanted to become a famous artist. When I was a kid, my ultimate joy was to grab my notebook and doodle whatever comes into my mind.” — Shireen
When Shireen Saqallah was 18, she moved away from the only home she’d ever known in Amman, Jordan’s capital city. She lost her friends and found herself with no life outside the house. Having never attended school, she spent her time at home obeying her strict father. Learning to live with the panic attacks she started having as she entered adulthood wasn’t easy, but the art supplies her mother brought her helped.
“I was always home. I had nothing to do, and nowhere to go,” Shireen explained. “When I got bored, I would doodle.”
She never imagined that moving to the village would open the gates to a whole new life.
The promoter to that new life was Diyaa Alhawawshah, a facilitator for USAID-funded Non-Formal Education (NFE) centers.
USAID partnered with Questscope and the Jordanian Ministry of Education to operate the 24-month Non-Formal Education (NFE) program. The program, which involves establishing NFE centers and training educators, has resulted in over 18,000 youth earning a 10th grade equivalency certificate of completion, thus allowing them to pursue their respective dreams. Graduates improve reading, writing, and mathematics skills. The certificate qualifies graduates to return to formal education or enroll in vocational training.
Diyaa and her husband, Nael, are two of the 86 facilitators. Visiting remote areas across Jordan, they would raise awareness about the opportunities for students who had left formal schooling. The youth can then continue their secondary education, learn how to open a business, or take steps to pursue employment. “My husband helps with the mobilization. He is in charge of talking to men and I talk to the women,” says Diyaa.
According to Diyaa, the girls who join NFE centers are either youth who have dropped out of school or have never attended school. “Youth who have dropped out have a better idea about schools; they have memories and might have made friends before,” she explains. “To those who never attended school, however, this was a far-fetched dream.”
Shireen, who is now 25 years old, was so excited about the NFE center, but worried that her protective father would say no. “I definitely wanted to have this experience. I have long wanted to go to a school, like other boys and girls did,” she said.
After her mother’s attempts to convince her father to let her attend school at the center were rejected, Diyaa’s husband Nael offered to talk to the Imam of Shireen’s father’s mosque. It was a successful conversation and her father agreed to enroll Shireen and her younger sister Bayan in the program.
Diyaa describes Shireen and her sister’s transition: “They were like someone seeing the light for the first time after spending their whole life in prison!”
Shireen and her younger sister were enrolled in the Mleih Non-Formal Education Center for Girls, where they began basic education in Arabic, English, math, and science.
Early on it was evident to Diyaa that Shireen was a talented artist. She contacted an art teacher, Juhaina Rawahneh, who was volunteering with Questscope, a USAID partner that designed and implemented — in partnership with Jordan’s Ministry of Education — the first accredited non-formal education curriculum program of its kind in the Arab World.
Juhaina conducted an introductory course in drawing, and quickly realized Shireen’s talent and enthusiasm. Within a few months, she coordinated an art exhibition featuring Shireen’s work.
“Our efforts go beyond the girls to their families and the people they know,” Diyaa says. “We’ve dealt with marginalized segments of the society, and with the least privileged. Some of them experienced violence, child labor, worked in evening jobs, were refugees… I got to know them all.”
“Whether it was mobilization or facilitation, my job opened up new horizons for me. We’ve made a huge change and dealt with a lot of people. I’m not the same Diyaa I was before 2016. I’m a completely different human.”– Diyaa
With an education system that ensures equal access to young men and women, Jordan boasts a highly-educated female population with the potential to advance Jordan’s economic, social, and political development. However, education and employment gaps exist for women, with traditional expectations and cultural restraints continuing to limit women’s full participation.
Although Jordan is ranked by the Global Gender Gap report 51 among the 144 countries in educational attainment, after girls graduate from school the gap in equal opportunities becomes more evident. The report then ranks Jordan at 138 in economic participation and 126 in political empowerment. Despite the higher ratio of educated females to males, female participation in the workforce is only at 14% according to the World Bank.
Strong female support systems help to counter the many cultural constraints that young women face as they strive to reach their full economic potential. Students who fall out of formal education, struggle to access employment to support themselves and their families.
A vital network of women — whether they are mothers, teachers, sisters or aunts — helps young women navigate the complexities of educational and economic advancement.
This is true in Jordan, but also for women around the world. USAID’s NFE Centers stand as beacons of hope and promise for changing norms for young women.
About the Authors
Mai Al Refai is the Social Media Specialist; Zaina Sarhan is the Development Outreach and Communications Assistant; and Lexy Boudreau is the Project Management Assistant — all from USAID’s Mission in Jordan. Learn more about USAID’s work here and follow the Jordan Mission on Facebook and Twitter.
