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Jana Ababneh (NYU GSAS) | Save the Children Jordan| Amman, Jordan

As I enter my final week with Save the Children Jordan (SCJ), I find myself reflecting on what has been an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience. My time here has deepened my understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable children in Jordan and reinforced my commitment to advocating for their rights and well-being.

This month, in particular, has been a whirlwind of activity, as I had the privilege of supporting my team in finalizing a report on child labor within the informal waste management and recycling industry. The report sheds light on the harrowing reality of children who spend their days sifting through garbage in search of metal cans and other recyclable materials. These children’s stories, marked by resilience and hardship, left a profound impact on me. It’s one thing to hear about child labor in abstract terms, but quite another to see the faces and hear the voices of those affected.

Through this project, I learned a startling fact: most child laborers in Jordan come from households where the primary caretaker is either disabled or incarcerated. The SCJ questionnaire revealed that  77% of these children reported that they “chose” to work of their own accord. However, interviews with both the children and their caregivers elucidated the severe financial hardships and food insecurity that led to child labor. While those children felt they had made their own choice, I could see that they were pushed into the job market by societal failures to keep them and their families safe.

Beyond my work with the Advocacy, Media, and Communications team, I also had the opportunity to contribute to the efforts of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL) team. One of the most memorable experiences was assisting with Focus Group Discussions held with adolescent girls and their mothers from the al-Zatari camp. These discussions centered around the impact of awareness-raising sessions on menstrual hygiene provided by SCJ. Hearing from the participants was both enlightening and inspiring. I was particularly moved when one girl, asked about the most valuable lesson she learned, confidently stated, “The most useful thing I learned was that we don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed of our periods.” This simple yet powerful statement highlighted the importance of such initiatives in empowering young girls and fostering a sense of dignity and self-respect. 

As I prepare to say goodbye to SCJ, I carry with me not only the memories of the incredible work done here but also a heightened awareness of how our varied struggles are ultimately all interconnected. I did not anticipate that working on the issue of children’s rights would further radicalize my stance on abolition, disability rights, and bodily autonomy. However, I am grateful for these lessons and hope that I can use them to continue advocating for marginalized communities in the future. 

Jana Ababneh (NYU GSAS) | Save the Children Jordan| Amman, Jordan

I have found working with Save the Children Jordan to be fulfilling and enriching, as I have been able to build on my existing skills to serve my community. Before pursuing my MA in Near Eastern Studies at NYU, I worked as a Development Officer for two years and gained experience writing grant proposals. I’m currently leveraging those skills to be able to best serve the organization I’m volunteering with in my capacity as a Gallatin Fellow.

One of my current tasks includes developing a concept note on murdered children in Jordan, fleshing out a previous draft, and translating it from Arabic to English to be able to share it with international donors and hopefully obtain funding for a more in-depth research project. In the medium to long term, this will serve as the base for a research-led initiative to intervene in cases where children’s lives may be in danger. Most children who are murdered in Jordan are killed by someone they know, often a family member. I learned that a 2022 report has indicated that familial murders have increased by 94% in Jordan since 2020, with poverty being a key driver for the increase in familial crimes against children and women.

Jordanian law allows for a family to reduce the severity of legal penalties against murderers, with certain loopholes allowing for further reduced sentences if the crime was committed in a “fit of rage” (Art. 98, Jordanian Penal Code).

The research that I am undertaking poses an ethical dilemma. I believe in prison abolition and the rehabilitation of those who commit crimes. However, much of the advocacy to reduce child murders in Jordan centers on removing loopholes in the penal code that allow for reduced prison sentencing. My ideological opposition to incarceration leads me to question how we can best protect children and deliver justice.

Jana Ababneh (NYU GSAS) | Save the Children Jordan| Amman, Jordan

Returning to my hometown of Amman, Jordan has allowed me to see the issue of child labor up close. On a trip with friends to Wadi Rum and Petra, I had conversations with children who “worked” as guides, selling trinkets to tourists, and other tasks. Now that it’s summer, children who are otherwise in school are also partaking in the informal economy through child labor. It’s eye-opening to see the children themselves describe their experiences in a matter-of-fact way.

I have started my project with Save the Children Jordan. Everyone on my team is exceptionally kind and knowledgeable, and I’m excited for the opportunity to work with them. I’m working with the Media and Communication Advocacy Department. One of the current tasks being overseen by my department under the “Work: No Child’s Business” program is a social media awareness-raising campaign that is #لا-تعطيه-عشان-تحميه, which translates to “#Don’tGiveThemSoYouCanProtectThem in English.

The campaign is addressing the issue of children working as beggars and panhandlers. In Jordan, certain panhandling “gangs” are notorious for pulling children out of school and forcing them to beg on the streets. The social media campaign seeks to discourage people from giving cash to these children, aiming to make child labor less profitable in the long run. However, knowing that child laborers are often physically punished if they don’t meet the cash “quotas” set by their families presents an uncomfortable moral dilemma, raising the question of the value of individual actions versus community care. I hope that the work I do this summer contributes positively to a change in the current systems that make it easy – and profitable – to exploit children’s labor.

At the same time, while working on my summer project, I am able to have a close insight into Save the Children Jordan’s work on the plight of children in Gaza. Save the Children International has recently released a report on the 20,000+ children in Gaza who are missing or under rubble. In Jordan, the atmosphere feels different since before the war. There is a constant sense of mourning, even amidst Eid festivities. The children in Jordan that I have talked to expressed solidarity with the children in Gaza. I was deeply moved by the tenderness and camaraderie the children expressed and am unable to give it justice in words even now.

Sincerely,

Jana A

Jana Ababneh (NYU GSAS) | Save the Children Jordan| Amman, Jordan

Even though Jordan was one of the first countries to sign the Child’s Rights Convention (CRC), the reality is that the commitments Jordan made under the CRC are not being upheld. Around 76,000 children are working in Jordan, with 60% of them in dangerous jobs. Refugee kids from Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and other conflict zones are the most vulnerable, often forced to leave school and work due to their families’ poverty, which just keeps the cycle of poverty going.

This summer, I’m teaming up with Save the Children Jordan, which is a local organization affiliated with Save the Children International and is dedicated to helping children. They focus on protecting children’s rights, ensuring they get an education, and supporting the health and livelihoods of refugees and impoverished families. Save the Children Jordan does amazing work, from advocating for children’s rights to running early education programs and tackling issues like child abuse, labor, and marriages.

I’ll be contributing to their efforts, especially their recent push for the implementation of a progressive Child’s Rights Law in Jordan. The coming year is crucial for setting up ways to enforce it and make a difference. Currently, Jordan’s approach to child labor involves detaining kids caught in illegal activities, which just exposes them to more harm rather than solving the problem.

I’ve worked with Save the Children and their partners before, and now I’m excited to be part of their “Work: No Child’s Business” program. This program aims to protect kids who drop out of school and fight against the worst forms of child labor, like human trafficking. I’m excited to join them more formally and to be involved with their advocacy work this summer. I feel that the human rights seminar required by Gallatin has prepared me well to think deeply about the moral, social, and philosophical issues underpinning approaching the issue of child labor through a human rights framework.