KfW reinforces education and protection for Syrian refugee children in Jordan on World Refugee Day

Teaching in manageable groups

(IN BRIEF) To commemorate World Refugee Day on 20 June, KfW Development Bank spotlights its six-year partnership with BMZ and UNICEF in Jordan, where over 600,000 refugees—half children—receive education, psychosocial care and individual support. Through phased “Syrian Refugee Support to the Education Sector” programmes, KfW has funded teacher salaries, improved infrastructure and created nearly 1,000 temporary refugee roles annually in schools and youth centres. The Makani network of 140 safe-space centres has enhanced language skills, reduced violence and fostered Jordanian–Syrian integration. A 2024 independent evaluation deemed the programme successful, citing benefits for child learning outcomes and volunteer employability, especially among women. These efforts complement KfW’s wider refugee assistance portfolio, including cash-for-work and essential service provision in Za’atari and Azraq camps.

(PRESS RELEASE) FRANKFURT, 19-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — KfW Development Bank marks World Refugee Day on 20 June by highlighting its longstanding support for Syrian children and youth in Jordan, where over 600,000 refugees—90 percent from Syria and half of them minors—are registered with UNHCR. In collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW has backed UNICEF-led initiatives since 2011 to ensure displaced youngsters access formal education, psychosocial care and tailored support in safe learning environments.

Facing intensified pressure on Jordan’s education system, KfW has financed teacher salaries, upgraded school facilities and expanded capacity in both camp and host-community schools. Through successive “Syrian Refugee Support to the Education Sector” programmes, nearly 1,000 refugees per academic year secured temporary roles—as assistant teachers, playground supervisors and administrative staff—in schools, kindergartens and youth centres, bolstering their livelihoods while enhancing educational provision.

A safe space: a Makani centre

A cornerstone of these efforts has been the network of Makani centres—Arabic for “my space”—operated by UNICEF in Za’atari, Azraq and throughout host communities. By 2021, 140 centres offered Syrian and Jordanian children safe havens to learn, play and build new skills, while parents benefited from early childhood development services. Independent evaluation of phase II in 2024 rated the programme successful, noting marked gains in language and literacy, reduced school violence, improved integration in mixed Jordanian–Syrian classrooms and lower dropout rates. For refugee volunteers—many of them women, who accounted for 60 percent of participants despite a national female refugee employment rate of 7 percent—the training and incentive payments boosted professional competencies and self-confidence, even though formal salaries were not permitted.

This education-focused initiative forms part of KfW’s broader portfolio in Jordan, which includes cash-for-work schemes, maintenance of multi-shift school facilities, funding for some 7,000 teacher and administrative posts, and the provision of vital water and energy services in Za’atari and Azraq camps. On World Refugee Day, KfW reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the rights and futures of displaced children wherever they find themselves.

Media contact:

KfW Development Bank
+49 69 74 31-42 60
info@kfw-entwicklungsbank.de

SOURCE: KfW Entwicklungsbank GmbH