"A Voice of the Children"

When Yousef arrived at Za'atari Refugee Camp in 2012, he was starting out in life at just 19 years old. He had left Syria with little more than the clothes on his back, and for five years he built a life in the camp largely by himself, learning, adapting, surviving.

Today, at 32, he is a father of two daughters, aged seven and three. He is just weeks away from graduating with a degree in Cybersecurity. And every day he serves as an incentive-based volunteer at a Makani centre in the camp.

The Makani programme from UNICEF reaches tens of thousands of some of the most vulnerable children across Jordan. At a Makani centre (meaning ‘my space’ in Arabic), children gain from services tailored to their different needs, including learning support, protection, recreation and skill building. The European Union contributed USD 4.6 million to the implementation of Makani centres in Syrian refugee camps and in remote areas in Jordan in 2026 and 2027. This comes as part of the European Union’s generous support to UNICEF’s efforts to improve the lives of children in Jordan since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

"UNICEF supported me from the start," he says. "That opportunity helped me provide for my family and complete my education at the same time. It helped me grow into someone my children can look up to."

Yousef's official title is ‘data entry’ staff, which perhaps undersells what he actually does. Using UNICEF's Bayanati (My data) system, he follows the attendance, participation, and progress of children attending the Makani activities, building the picture that allows the centres to plan programmes, allocate resources, and identify and respond to gaps.

Some of the cases Yousef logs are sensitive: children experiencing bullying, children in need of medical attention, or those at risk of child marriage. Each entry he makes helps trigger the right referral — to a counsellor, a health worker or a protection specialist. "Without it," he says, "some children might not get the help they need."

Yousef emphasizes the teamwork at the centres: facilitators, community mobilizers, and UNICEF staff all work together toward the shared goal of improving children’s lives. “In a way, and through the power of data, my role is to be a voice of the children. I help ensure that their message is heard and acted upon.”

The moments that stay with Yousef are the ones he only hears about second-hand: a child he helped refer to services months ago, now doing better. Attending school. Safer at home. "That is more fulfilling than anything else," he says. "It shows that the work we do at Makani truly makes a difference."

Through his dedication, Yousef contributes to the systems that help Makani centres respond effectively to the needs of thousands of refugee children in Za’atari Camp. These centres, and the contribution of community members like Yousef, are generously supported by the European Union.