The center impacted our lives and our families. We send our children because of the widespread reputation of the center in the surrounding area. It’s about the way the ICC staff treats beneficiaries and how they shower us with their love and passion. The experience we had as parents made us trust you, in terms of your expertise and capabilities in teaching our children.

We observed changes in our children after joining the preschool program. Their behaviors have changed from being disorganized and annoying others into being well-organized, neat and calm. The children became more socialized and friendly instead of being aggressive. They used to be shy without confidence, however, after joining the program, they built more confidence and they became sociable and able to express themselves in a proper way.

My children used to utter bad words at home without being controlled over their behavior. But now, they stopped behaving in such a bad manner. They can now distinguish between right and wrong. They have also started to have an impact on their brothers and sisters to behave in an acceptable way.

My children had problems in uttering words, but they can now speak and express themselves. They used to be selfish at home. But now, they share their toys and foods at home and outside.

My children used not to know any of the alphabets, numbers, colors, or shapes. Glad to say that they can join public schools easily at the time being because they now know all these things verbally and written. My children are eagerly willing to come to the center from the first day they join the program and they hate any holiday.

I am satisfied with the center and I have profound gratitude and respect towards staff. My child told me that he wants to marry one who has the same name as his teacher!

As a parent, I myself benefitted from the program. I now have more time and opportunities to do the housework, visit others, participate in training courses and go shopping, etc. I recommend increasing the duration of the program to one year instead of six months.

The center itself is my success story. I love the place and the people working at it. Through the center, I could find myself and my value because of the way we were treated as respected human beings. This center is completely different from all other centers.

This is how Dania expressed her gratitude to the center. She is a thirty-five-year-old Syrian lady who joined the craft program that lasted two months.

My husband used to prevent me from going outside our house because of our daughters, in addition to some marital problems. I heard about the center from some of my friends. I told my husband that we can register our daughters in the preschool program provided by the center. When He experienced how the staff showered us with their love and respect, he allowed me to visit the center regularly and then to join the sewing program which changed my lifestyle and had a great impact on the family life socially, psychologically and financially.

This is what Rawan, a Syrian refugee who joined the sewing program said after receiving her sewing certificate. She was so grateful to the center for giving her such an opportunity which helped her change her lifestyle.

I heard about the center from my sister who joined the craft program provided by the center. She encouraged me to visit the center and join the soap activity.

When I started the program, I wanted to make hygiene products only to provide my family with them. As I went on the training, I decided to start my home business to get more money to help my family which raised my self-esteem. I also learned from this course that being patient and sociable is so important in life.

This is what Marwa said, one of the ladies who joined the soap manufacturing program. She was so happy to join it.

I am so grateful to the center for giving me such an opportunity to learn new skills that help me and my family. The staff treated us with respect and showered us with their love. They provided us with all that we needed for the training. They also took care of our children. They gave me new hope for a better future. During the training course, I started recycling old fabrics at home and making new things. I was able to earn JD170 from selling my products. I wish I could promote my skills with advanced courses to become a fashion designer.

This is what Hajer, a thirty-year-old graduate, shared. She fled from Syria to Jordan because of the Syrian crisis. She suffered a lot with her family on their journey to Jordan. She now lives in Husson, struggling financially because of the living costs. She heard about the ICC and decided to join the sewing course in order to help her husband provide the family with the basic needs.

I enjoyed being at the center. This course empowered me with new skills to be active and productive in the society in spite of my situation. During the course, I started to produce accessories and market them through Social Media. I was able to make a revenue of 130 dinars in Amman and some from my relatives in the U.S.A.

This is what Manar, a forty four year old woman, said when she graduated. Manar suffers from Right Hip Replacement, instability in her right knee, and chronic neurological disease which results in lack of pain sensation, immune deficiency and frequent skin infections. This constitutes a severe human disability. Due to her situation, she was schooled only to fourth grade and suffered from loneliness, feeling that she was not accepted and welcomed by others.

One day, her mother decided to register her in courses at the center so she can get out of her loneliness. She joined the computer training which helped prove to herself and others that she has the capacity and ability. Two months ago, the center decided to grant her more hope by giving her the opportunity to join the handcrafts training.

Her mother expressed her profound gratitude for changing her and her daughter’s perspective on life.

Eight years ago, I lost my husband. My life changed and my social life stopped. I couldn’t go outside my house again, meet people or build new friendships. I am grateful to have been accepted to join this program despite my age (I am sixty-two years old). The center gave me hope. They helped me get rid of my sorrow and despair. I feel respected! I’ll keep on coming to the center.

I learned a lot of skills during the three-month training period, and the most important thing I learned was to rely on myself in everything. It was an honor for me to have been accepted into the program. The center is like my second home and the staff members were like family, because of the way they welcomed me in addition to their behavior toward us. And furthermore their great love for the beneficiaries and their children.

The community center is the best place for me to spend time in times like this; it is the place where I feel comfortable.

This is what a beneficiary of the plumbing training shared with the manager of the center when he talked to her about a family situation she has been passing through.

Before graduation, Enas found out that her twenty-five-year-old son has a big mass on his brain. On the same day, her pregnant daughter had an electric shock. After hearing such bad news, her father got a heart attack. Thus three of them were admitted to hospital. On the next day, we were surprised to see Enas coming to the center in bad mood. It’s when we approached her and she shared.

With great joy I discovered that I have the ability to innovate and manufacture straw and accessories which was beyond my expectations. Besides, I feel so happy while working with such items. Now I am also able to sell my products to help me, at least, generate my personal expenses.

The most wonderful thing is that people like the stuff that I make. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to ACCTS for giving me this opportunity to feel that I am a productive person. And that I am able to build myself in both practical and psychological terms.

The course helped me organize my time in a better way. And I am optimistic about the future because I have been empowered with this skill in order to make my family self-sufficient with all kinds of cleaning materials. In addition, I started planning seriously to benefit from this skill to make business after traveling to U.S.A. This center has given me hope for a better future."

This is what Jenan expressed after two-months of benefitting from the center. Jenan is a 33-year-old Syrian refugee who used to be an English teacher in Syria before fleeing to Jordan, as a result of the Syrian crisis. She lives in Irbid ten Km away from ACCTS Irbid Community Center (ICC). She shared that she was not able to work, because of her children. She, then, heard about ICC from her friends and decided to join the soap manufacturing program.

I was playing in front of our house with my younger brothers and other children when I heard the sounds of fighter-planes and missiles. I saw people shouting and running away with their children. My mother came to us and took us into the house." She remembers the events with a tremor of fear.

She continued, "One day, a group of armed men came into our house and threatened to kill my older if he did not join their combat group, but my mother told them that he was alone and sick and could not fight. She begged them not to kill him.

In another incident, I was home alone when a group of armed thieves broke in and locked me in a room with a man for three hours until my mother came and saved me.

This is the story of I.S.R.A; a young Syrian refugee of 17 years old. She was 10-years-old when the war broke out in her village; she tells her story and remembers the frightening events. These horrible events affected her to her core. She became afraid of going out on the street and going to school on her own. She suffered from social anxiety, shame and lacked self-confidence.

I.S.R.A is one of the ladies who attended the sessions and received one-on-one psychological counseling services at ICC as per request from her mother. During the individual counseling sessions, many of therapeutic methods were used, including cognitive therapy, muscle, and mental relaxation, practical training to reduce fear and she has been working to increase self-confidence through several exercises. There was a marked improvement at the end of the counseling sessions, according to the mother's observation and I.S.R.A herself.

Family problems came between my relationship with my husband. However, after attending your lectures notices I learned how to face these problems in the most effective way. We now live in harmony with each other.

I feel the warmth that comes from your house of happiness. I notice the sense of love, safety, sacrifice of the staff to help me and my children through every step in creating a life for me in Jordan. You made us feel that we are worthy of love and care.

My husband was abusive. After attending the awareness lecture I started to change my attitude and my husband notice the change. He’s trying to change too.

I joined the program from the 24th of April until the 25th of June. During the training course, I learned to produce different kinds of cleaning materials whether solid or liquid. I promoted my skills after graduating. Nowadays, I produce all natural oils needed for the natural soap manufacturing. In addition, my daughter, who joined computer classes at the center, helps me produce the stickers needed for that purpose. I am always in touch with the center to participate in the activities held there. Now I provide my family with all kinds of cleaning materials. In addition, I started my own soap income generating project and got quite good amount of money to help my family. I am grateful to the center that empowered me with such skills which I hadn’t had before.