Mohammad Khair is part of °®½´ÊÓƵ’s team on the UNHCR-funded Community-Based Protection Services (CBP) program at Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. As a coordinator of activities and resident of the camp, Mohammad wanted to share his story.
My name is Mohammad Khair, 32 years old, and I am a Senior Coordinator for °®½´ÊÓƵ community centers at Za’atari Camp.
I fled from Syria in 2013 and joined °®½´ÊÓƵ four years ago to train teams on policies and our code of conduct. I would visit community centers across the camp to conduct program evaluations, address challenges, and look for areas of improvement—producing weekly reports to share findings and encourage progress.
Before I was forced to move to Jordan, I had studied English Literature at Damascus University for two years. While living at the camp, I received a scholarship from Al-Zarqa University and considered quitting my job to pursue my studies. Instead, °®½´ÊÓƵ offered me a later shift as a Center Coordinator after I finished my morning classes, and thankfully I was able to balance work and study. I ranked first in my class for three consecutive semesters and graduated among the top three in my class.
Through my success as a Center Coordinator, supported by additional training, I was promoted to the role of Senior Center Coordinator, in which I serve as a point of focus connecting center coordinators with °®½´ÊÓƵ management. I participate in both the planning and the execution of various community programs, and as a member of the community myself, my suggestions are taken into consideration at every step of the process.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused countrywide shutdowns, we formed an emergency team consisting of 15 °®½´ÊÓƵ staff, with myself as the point of contact. The main purpose was to conduct daily visits to all °®½´ÊÓƵ centers and facilities (playgrounds, community service units, etc.) to provide logistical support and raise awareness about COVID-19 preventive measures among our team and residents.
Mohammad works with women at the Mask House, a socially-distant mask production center that employs over 80 women.
°®½´ÊÓƵ community centers are a trusted source for information among refugees, so an important part of our role was counteracting false information about COVID-19 in the camp and addressing community concerns. We also continued to distribute hygiene kits, masks, gloves and other essentials to all units and facilities, continuously taking preventive measures into consideration.
When I first fled to Jordan and resided in my tent, I was a recipient of services. Now I am a service provider, and I feel great satisfaction whenever I contribute to the bigger impact left by °®½´ÊÓƵ on the refugee community. I don’t work only to get paid, but I feel ultimate happiness when I dedicate my time and effort toward the benefit of others—improving their present reality and future, expanding their knowledge, and developing their skills.
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