The Ambassador of Japan awards Syrian refugees and Jordanian youth taking part in the celebrates art project at UN Women’s Oasis in Za’atari refugee camp

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Ms. Noor Al Ali is awarded by H.E. Mr. Sakurai, Ambassador of Japan, and the UN Women Jordan Representative, Mr. Giuseppe Belsito, with certificate and prizes for her efforts in the caravan painting project.
On 23 March, UN Women with His Excellency Mr. Shuichi Sakurai, Ambassador of Japan to Jordan, celebrated the achievements of the camp caravan painting project at UN Women’s Oasis 2 in Za’atari refugee camp. H.E. Mr. Sakurai opened the event and awarded participants with certificates and art supplies to thank them for their creativity and efforts.

The project was undertaken by UN Women in late 2015 in partnership with the German-Jordanian University (GJU) and generously funded by the Government of Japan, with paint supplies kindly donated by National Paints Jordan. The project saw 25 Jordanian architecture students from GJU collaborate with 15 Syrian artists living as refugees in Za’atari to brighten UN Women’s caravans with a variety of paintings. While the paintings have added color to and enhanced the safe haven, they also depict stories and lessons, as well as memories and hopes for the future. There are images discouraging early-marriage and violence, supporting the core themes of UN Women’s programming and reinforcing values such as women’s empowerment and gender equality. The project also provided an outlet for self-expression – a vital tool in supporting the processing and loosening of the effects of trauma many have faced during the war.

After H.E. Mr. Sakurai opened the event, Mr. Iyad Alsabagh, a Syrian refugee and one of the project artists, addressed the group and told us of what the project meant to him and how he wanted to include visions of Syria in his piece – both what he remembers of his country before the crisis and what he hopes to see come in the future. 

The event took place in one of three safe spaces run by UN Women in Za’atari camp. UN Women operates these secure areas to provide opportunities for women’s economic empowerment through facilitating access to cash-for-work, life-skills training, day care services and protection services, as well as a safe space to grow relationships. The paintings have reinforced the feel of the Oasis as a place of sanctuary, contrasting with the challenges of displacement and camp life.