Amman, Nov. 11 (Petra) – Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa and Secretary General of Jordan Football Federation (JFF) Samar Nassar on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing life skills for orphans and children without family support residing in the ministry’s care homes and enhancing their social integration through targeted sports activities.
The initiative is implemented in partnership with the West Asian Football Federation for Development under the sustainable "Al-Tasaddi" initiative.
According to a ministry statement, Bani Mustafa referred to the care and attention provided to orphans and children without family support by His Majesty King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, within the framework of implementing the strategy for care homes and the royal directives to provide the best support for this group.
Bani Mustafa stressed the importance of the JFF's efforts, led by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, in supporting the sports movement and achieving significant local and international accomplishments.
Valuing the partnership with the ministry, she said this collaboration includes implementing the "Growing Together" project to empower orphans socially, athletically, and psychologically.
The minister said the agreement will benefit children in the ministry’s care homes through regular football training programs delivered by care providers who are trained and qualified by specialized federation staff.
She added that the agreement reflects the ministry’s approach to providing a "safe" environment for orphans, empowering them, and offering equal opportunities in education, sports, and life skills development.
On its goals, she noted the project opens "new" horizons for children in care homes, boosting their self-confidence, creativity, sense of belonging, physical activity, and health.
The project will benefit 120 orphaned children and will feature the organization of two sports festivals during its implementation.
For her part, Nassar said the project falls under the sustainable "Al-Tasaddi" Sustainable initiative launched by the federation in 2020, which highlights key challenges facing various societal groups and promotes football as a tool for positive impact and community development.
Nassar added that the "Growing Together" project not only grants children the opportunity to play football but also provides dedicated programs for care providers through development workshops and training sessions to enhance positive communication and psychosocial support for children.
The activities, she stated, will also see football festivals and life skills sessions to promote teamwork and responsibility.
//Petra// NQ
