2010 Jordan YMWA FactSheet
Annual Volunteer Program at the Young Muslim Women’s Association Centre for Special Education
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - Fall 2010 through Summer 2011
Nature of Project: Two qualified volunteers will be chosen to serve at the Young Muslim Women’s Association (YMWA) Centre for Special Education during the 2010-2011 academic year. These volunteers need to demonstrate an aptitude to teach K-12 students, and a desire to enthusiastically represent God’s work in an Arab-Muslim culture where the highest level of moral behavior is required. The volunteers will have the challenge to teach mentally challenged students who speak Arabic, so they will need to be able to adapt and learn to communicate in basic Arabic throughout the school year.
The Centre for Special Education was established in 1974 with the aim of providing services for students between the ages of 3 and 18 with mild and moderate mental disabilities. This pioneer project started out in rented premises with 18 students and three staff members. By 1981, the International Year of the Disabled, the number had risen to 80 and the center moved from its small rented house to its purpose-built facilities in Bunayat, Amman. Today, it is regarded as a center of excellence, both nationally and regionally, catering to over 178 students in its preschool, school and prevocational sections.
The United Church of God has a long history of involvement with the YMWA, dating back to the Ambassador Foundation project of the 1980s and 1990s. We participate in the school by the direct invitation of Her Royal Highness Princess Sarvath al Hassan.
Goals of Youth Corps Involvement: The United Youth Corps is designed to help motivated and desirous young adults connect with the work of the Church through service. This dimension of leadership will be awakened and directed toward the vision of the coming Kingdom of God in which Christians will be helping rebuild the waste places of the earth and assisting God in serving humanity. To that end, all participants should understand that their involvement in this project should lead them 1) to understand the vision of and need for the Kingdom of God, 2) to experience and live the vision of the Kingdom, 3) to identify with and participate in the “Work of the Church” and 4) to understand that by such participation they will have become a part of something bigger than themselves. All Youth Corps participants will take part in pretrip teleconferences and postproject discussions of these outcomes.
Dates of Project: August 2010 through June 2011.
Number of Youth Corps participants needed: Two.
Participant prerequisites:
- Minimum of 20 years of age.
- A baptized member of the United Church of God.
- A four year bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is preferred (not required).
- A valid passport (a visa will be required for all participants—purchased upon arrival at the Amman airport).
- A graduate of the Ambassador Bible Center is preferred (not required).
- The YMWA director must also approve the applicant,
- Participation in UCG youth camps preferred (not required).
- The maturity to deal with people who do not share the same beliefs and may challenge in a respectful way the beliefs of the participants.
- The ability to set an excellent example of godly personal conduct at all times.
- The ability to adapt to different environments and cultures and to get along well with people.
- The ability to overcome the challenge of working with people who do not speak English as a first language or may not speak English at all.
- Sufficient health and stamina to work in a developing-world environment. The work will be physical in nature.
- A recommendation from the applicant’s pastor.
- Two additional references.
Housing: Housing will be provided for the volunteers free-of-charge.
Living Expenses: A monthly stipend of approximately US$600 will be provided by the Church to help with monthly living expenses while the participant is serving the Youth Corps project in Jordan.
Environment: The environment is challenging but will be suitably comfortable. The participants will need to be willing to work in a more rugged, simple environment, but will be well taken care of by the hosts. Jordan is a developing country, but generally is clean and free of most common communicable diseases. The hospitality of the Jordanian people is renowned, and the participants will be well-received with open arms.
Estimated Cost to Youth Corps Participants: Participants will pay for one half of their airfare and any insurance they require in addition to the health insurance provided by the YMWA.
Deadline for application: April 1, 2010