Sustainable Self-Reliance for Vulnerable Syrian Refugees and Jordanian Host Communities

Empowering vulnerable refugees and local community to become more self-reliant and resilient by supporting the private sector to create decent job opportunities and enhancing people’s access to employment or to generate alternative complementary income
Good Practices

Sustainable Self-Reliance for Vulnerable Syrian Refugees and Jordanian Host Communities

Empowering vulnerable refugees and local community to become more self-reliant and resilient by supporting the private sector to create decent job opportunities and enhancing people’s access to employment or to generate alternative complementary income

The project in brief

The project is implemented by the Jordan River Foundation in Jordan. It began in October 2023 and is ending in December 2026.

Enhanced self-reliance and resilience of vulnerable refugees and local communities by enhancing their capacities and increasing their access to decent, dignified and sustainable livelihoods across the governorates of Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, and Aqaba.

The project's main goals are:

  • Vulnerable refugees and local communities are more self-reliant and resilient.
  • Policy dialogue around durable solutions, including livelihoods and protection for refugees and local communities, is promoted.
  • National and sub-national institutions, organisations, and structures supported have enhanced capacity to respond to community needs.

Main activities of the Good Practice

During the project design and implementation, JRF has worked on identifying interventions that are in line with the current local labor market situation and plan for durable solutions. The activities design included (i) a lens to gig economy whereby beneficiaries of all nationalities can access income-generating sources, (ii) support of vocational training as a means to work on priority sectors in Jordan or in Syria, and (iii) development of occupational standards for newly identified occupations in need in the labor market, that will allow for a structured on-job training opportunities for beneficiaries to access employment.

Elements which helped facilitate the implementation of the good practice

The project was designed while having the Syrian refugees and host communities' resilience and enhanced self-reliance at the core. This has happened through considering the skills capacity development to access income-generating opportunities, whether inside Jordan or abroad.
 
During the project design, refugees in Jordan had the right to work and access to formal jobs. However, in an ever-changing context, in mid-2024, refugees were only allowed to access formal employment through Cash-for-Work modalities or through the factories exempted.

Partners involved

Private sector, CBOs, and training providers in addition to governmental entities.

What challenges were encountered in delivering the project and how were they overcome?

Challenges

  • Policy change related to Syrian refugee employment in the labor market.
  • Voluntary return for Syrian refugees, especially after the change of regime.
  • Inability of refugees to access formal and decent jobs due to policy change and work permit costs.
  • Lack of information on the Syrian labor market to steer the selection of technical skills development.

How they were overcome

  • Continuous and consistent tracking and monitoring of refugees and host communities' situation and aspirations to adapt and develop contingency plans to access livelihoods.
  • Developing scenarios related to continued support and engagement of Syrian refugees in the project implementation despite the challenges imposed in the Jordanian labor market, such as exploring alternative solutions to employment through Cash for Work (Cfw) or Technical trainings in the most prominent sectors; such as agriculture and construction.
  • Organizational capacity in implementing various programs serving communities, whether Syrian refugees or Jordanians, that allow access and adaptability in shifting focus or proposing new interventions

Results of the Good Practice

While it's early to decide on the impact, the project's overall aim is to improve the resilience and self-reliance through access to equitable and fair income-generating opportunities.
 
Until mid-2025, the following achievements were noticed:
 
  • Individuals benefiting from internship, apprenticeship, TVET or direct job placement: 60%
  • Vulnerable individuals receiving financial support an income generating pathway: 55%
  • Businesses supported to create new job opportunities: 47%
  • New job opportunities created by supported businesses): 39%
 

In what way does the good practice meet one or more of the four objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees?

Objective 2: Enhance refugee self-reliance

As explained earlier, all interventions designed contribute to refugee self-reliance enhancements, whether through generating income in the local labor market through Cash-for-Work, supporting home-based businesses, or through increasing beneficiaries' capacities to access jobs in key occupations and sectors that are identified in the Jordanian and Syrian market preparing them to transition to durable solutions.

Objective 3: Expand access to third-country solutions

Through the development of a standardized occupational standard of priority occupations, beneficiaries can access a structured modality for technical/vocational training that focuses on competencies in need in both countries. JRF has strived to identify and enroll beneficiaries in technical trainings that allow them to access jobs or create their own self-employment opportunities.
 
Additionally, JRF has worked on capacitating the English language skills for beneficiaries to prepare them to access employment abroad.

Next steps

The project is currently ongoing till end of 2026 with a possibility to extend beyond.

Are there areas in which support would be required to continue and/or scale up your good practice?

As JRF, we believe in partnership with private sector and governmental entities to sustain the project interventions beyond the lifetime of the project. However, additional funding will be required in order to continue and scale the interventions to ensure proper transition of refugees towards durable solutions in their home country in addition to continuing the capacity building to enhance their employability.
 
Additionally, JRF has recently complemented the current project with a protection lens, focusing on women and girls in particular, whereby the program offers targeted trainings for women above 18 to promote empowerment, awareness, and protection. It includes an Expressive Art workshop for GBV survivors to express and heal through art, a Self-Empowerment course to build confidence and advocacy skills, a Legal Awareness lecture on women’s rights in partnership with the Justice Center for Legal Aid, and a Protection Against Economic Exploitation session to prevent financial abuse and unfair labor practices.
 
All the above will require a meaningful investment of resources; whether financial, human capital and time to accomplish and sustain the above-mentioned interventions.

Submitted by

Tala Malakha, Community Empowerment Projects Manager, Jordan River Foundation

[email protected]

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Further resources