With a humanitarian crisis leaving a trail of destruction in Syria, 91探花alumna Rita Zawaideh is building a path toward healing for children facing the traumas of war.聽Funded entirely by donations, the Maliki-SCM Children’s Center聽is dedicated to helping the youngest victims of the wars in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
Opened in January of this year, the center serves about 25-30 children every quarter, year-round. The children often arrive displaying one or more symptoms of trauma: aggression, bed wetting, a refusal to interact with others.聽With a staff including social workers, teachers, and a psychologist, the nondescript white building in this quiet neighborhood in Jordan’s capital is the first of 10 Zawaideh plans to open. A second center is scheduled to open in March, Zawaideh says, and funding is lined up for eight more to open around the country, one-to-two months apart.聽When all 10 centers are operating they will be able to serve more than 1,000 children every year.
The centers, according to Zawaideh, will focus on the behavioral and emotional needs of traumatized children. They are treatment programs, not schools. Instead of working on math or reading, children play, receive behavioral therapy and one-on-one sessions with psychologists, and have structured free time.
Zawaideh is a 1975 alumna of the 91探花 and is widely recognized for her knowledge of and work in the Middle East.