OVER 3000 SYRIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN WILL NOW HAVE A SCHOOL AT ZA’ATARI CAMP THANKS TO BUILDING PEACE FOUNDATION’S INNOVATIVE SHELTER PROJECT
Italian Ngo Building Peace Foundation (BPF) will build its 10th education facility at Za’atari camp in Jordan, thus offering over 3000 Syrian children access to schools and a chance for a better future.
Since launching its innovative architecture project, Re:Build, BPF has constructed 9 facilities, including schools, arts, culture centres, community spaces for women at Za’atari refugee camp and an integration centre at Queen Rania Park in Amman. The project has also created over 100 jobs among refugees and local micro-economies.
The vision behind Re:Build is to revolutionise the concept of refugee camps and emergency settlements by both developing safer, more dignified, sustainable shelter and involving the communities themselves in the construction process.
“In the past two years since we started this adventure, BPF has shown that it is possible to achieve significant positive impact on the living conditions and wellbeing of refugees stuck in emergency situations for too long. We strongly believe it’s time to offer them more long-term housing solutions, especially schools and community spaces where they can start to rebuild their lives”, said BPF’s co-founder and president Ilenia Moroso. “The Re:Build facilities are assembled by the refugees themselves, so our project is also aimed at empowering communities by creating jobs, developing skills”, added Mrs Moroso. “We are hugely proud to have helped restore dignity and hope to thousands of people”.
The construction of the new school at Za’atari Camp – which will take place in Autumn – will be realised thanks to the generosity of Mission Bambini Switzerland, which last month held a charity dinner in Lugano in support of BPF’s humanitarian work.
The school, once finished, will be handed over and run by Relief international, which has been one of the main BPF’s partners in Jordan since the beginning.
“BPF’s facilities have been vital in creating access to education for thousands of Syrian refugee children who were out of school or struggling to keep up. We are proud to be partners in such an innovative project,” said President and CEO of Relief International, Nancy Wilson. “Both children and the teachers love these spaces, which are better for learning and comfort.”
Building Peace Foundation’s achievements have been possible so far thanks to the collaboration and the support of many international partners, including the Clinton Global Initiative, UNHCR, UN Women, Relief International, Save the Children, Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, Tent Foundation (the philanthropic initiative by Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani) and Re:Build co-designer architect Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecturefor Humanity.
BPF has now launched an international crowd-funding campaign in order to make its humanitarian work sustainable and build as many schools and community centres as possible, while continuing to empower refugees and people in need with skills and jobs.
ABOUT BUILDING PEACE FOUNDATION (BPF)
BPF was founded in 2014 by a group of visionary friends committed to use their entrepreneurial spirit to find innovative solutions able to improve the living conditions of millions of people displaced worldwide. They developed Re:Build, a modular structure which is comfortable, cost-efficient and re-deployable. The facility can be easily built in less than two weeks by a team of six refugee workers, lacking any knowhow and with no heavy equipments. The project has received international recognition; last year it was exhibited at the MoMa in New York as one of the most innovative design of architecture for displacement.
For more information and interview requests please contact
Maria Teresa Sette
sette@buildingpeace-foundation.org
Tel +356 99974317
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