According to Unicef, an estimated 84 per cent of Syrian refugee youth are unemployed and at risk of harmful or exploitative labour or negative coping mechanisms. Specific challenges facing girls include limited mobility and forced or early marriage. With this programme, 200 young people (50% female) who have been forced to flee the war in Syria and are living in the Za’atari and Azraq camps in Jordan will have the opportunity to take part in the Unicef – ONE Humanitarian Changemaker Labs. The focus of the programme will be on jobs and business development in order to take ownership of their own lives and future. They will each receive a three-month intensive training programme in human centred design and from there may enter the world-class Fab-Lab and business accelerator in Irbid or may work as designers for humanitarian organisations. Unicef Jordan will also design two financing instruments for early venture capital stage businesses. This is with the long-term aim of creating meaningful and sustainable job opportunities for vulnerable youth through the new businesses developed and new humanitarian services piloted through this programme.
