Jordan River Foundation

Za'atari Refugees Put Their Entrepreneurial Skills to Work

In Za'atari refugee camp, near the Syrian border in northern Jordan, a bustling market made up of barber shops, video game arcades, mobile phone stores and more is thriving, serving a resourceful population of almost 100,000 forcibly displaced people. What started out as a few shops selling second-hand clothing has developed into a shopper's delight of nearly 3,000 stores scattered across the camp. For locals strolling through what they dub the "Champs-Élysées," front load washers, pet birds, rotisserie chickens, lingerie and wedding dresses are just some of the diverse products on offer.

A UNHCR staff member who often visits the camp says all of the shops are illegal but tolerated, and the commerce has the added benefit of creating job opportunities and a more dynamic camp. Residents spend an estimated US$12 million in the camp's shopping district monthly. "Before it was really hard, but things are progressing and people are improving their shops," says Hamza, the co-owner of the Zoby Nut Shop. Photographer Shawn Baldwin visited the camp recently to capture its booming entrepreneurial spirit.

A New Camp, a New Home: A Syrian Family in Azraq

On April 30, 2014, the Jordanian government formally opened a new refugee camp in the desert east of Jordan's capital, Amman. UNHCR will help run Azraq camp, which was opened to relieve the pressure in Za'atri camp. There are currently nearly 5,000 shelters in Azraq, capable of housing up to 25,000 refugees. The first group to arrive included 47-year-old Abu Saleh and his family, who had made the long journey from northern Syria's Al-Hassakeh camp to Jordan. "When the fighting reached our village, I feared for my wife and children's lives, and we decided to leave and find safety in Jordan," said Abu Saleh, 47. The family were farmers, but in the past two years they were unable to grow any crops and lived without running water and electricity. He said the family wanted to stay in a place where they felt safe, both physically and mentally, until they could return home. Photographer Jared Kohler followed the family on their journey from the border to Azraq Camp.

For Starters, a Tent: A Syrian Teacher Opens a School in Jordan

In the semi-rural area of Kherbet Al-Souk, on the outskirts of Amman, Syrian refugees struggling to get their children into crowded state schools have taken matters into their own hands. They have set up a simple school in their small informal settlement of about 500 refugees. The families had lived in Za'atri or Al-Aghwar camps, but moved out to be closer to other relatives and to access basic services in the capital. But ensuring education for all refugee children in Jordan has proved difficult for the government and its partners, including UNHCR. According to the UN, more than half of all Syrian refugee children in Jordan are not in school. In Kherbet Al-Souk, the refugee-run school consists of a large tent where the students sit on the ground with their text books. All of the students take classes together with the younger children in the front. Before, they spent a lot of time playing, but they were not learning anything. One refugee, Jamal, decided to do something about it. Photographer Shawn Baldwin met Jamal and visited the school in a tent. These are some of the images he took.