Our first dreamer accepted into the summer programme at Jordan's No.1 educational institution5/24/2022  We are overjoyed to share that Israa, one of our girls, has been accepted into the Kings Academy Summer Enrichment program. Israa is a 12 year old Syrian refugee who has been participating in the Squash Dreamers programme for 3 years alongside her sisters who all left their home country during the war. Despite the challenges she has faced, she remains a highly motivated young lady who works incredibly hard in both English and squash and never fails to do all she can to better herself and work towards her big dreams.
The Summer Enrichment programme which Israa has been accepted into is run by King’s Academy, one of the top educational institutions in the Middle East with a world class university counselling service that receives young people from around the world to study at their boarding campus in Madaba, Jordan. Israa can expect to take part in classes to take her academics to the next level while boarding with them, growing in confidence and sharing her sporting hobbies with others. We are extremely grateful to King’s Academy for this incredible opportunity, one that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our donors funding the Squash Dreamers program that has prepared Israa to this point. We look forward to seeing our other girls follow suit and apply for educational programmes on scholarships when they are ready which will, in turn, transform their future prospects. For now, let us share our gratitude with every single one of our supporters that has enabled this to happen and our wonderfully supportive in-country team while extending our warmest congratulations to Israa.
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 As big sporting events return, people greet each other with hugs once more, and the months long lockdowns seem to fade to a distant memory, the girls and team at Squash Dreamers have been overjoyed to be back working together in person again! With the pandemic putting further strain on Jordan, and the diverse refugee and host population living here, the need for programmes such as Squash Dreamers is made ever more clear. The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns hit the Jordanian economy hard, and left families who rely on informal work struggling to offer a healthy meal, never mind sports or respite from the mental health impacts of staying at home for months on end! What’s more, the already overwhelmed school system in Jordan was put under further pressure through online learning and a decreased capacity due to social distancing, meaning that even after a return to school, many students were only attending on either a morning or afternoon shift every other day. The Squash Dreamers programme was forced to diversify and was able to provide a hugely successful online learning programme using tablets generously donated by our supporters. As well as online Squash and fitness sessions to offer the girls physical activity alongside a truly needed lifeline during the strict lockdowns. With the world starting to get back to ‘normal’ again we are so grateful to have now returned to fully in-person sessions supported by extra online activities. Since October we have grown from 8 to 18 girls in our full time programme and began to support a further 65 girls from a local orphanage- all of whom are thriving in their new love of Squash and their new-found family at Squash Dreamers. To continue to build an encouraging environment in which our girls can thrive, we have welcomed some wonderful fresh faces to our team- Daisy as director, Ra'ad and Saif as Squash coaches and Maggie as our English teacher. All of the changes over the last few years has caused people to reflect on the importance of community, making the value of our work and mission ever more poignant. We are here to make a real difference in the lives of young girls through sports and education. Whilst we cannot claim that every one of our girls will become world champions or get into Ivy League schools, what we can claim is that every girl will become a champion of her own life. We meet each girl at her own point of need and truly value in investing in every individual. The positive impact of Squash Dreamers on the girls’ education level, mental health, physical health, future prospects, confidence and happiness is extremely clear. The power to dream of a better future and the tools to make that a reality is perhaps the best gift you can give.  Squash Dreamers is excited to announce that both Nouran Gohar, the women's world #1 squash player, and Mohammed El Shorbagy, the world men's #1 ranking squash player, have joined the Board of Directors as honorary members. Squash Dreamers is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides young Syrian refugee and underprivileged Jordanian girls with professional squash and English training to help them apply to outstanding international and Jordanian schools.
Nouran Gohar is an immensely talented youngster fresh off the Egyptian line of premier squash players. She won the US Open and the British Open Squash tournaments for 2019. Gohar, a successful Arab female athlete, is a natural fit for our organization's goal of empowering young, refugee women through sport. Mohammed El Shorbagy is one of the most talented players on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour. He has flown up the world rankings since joining the PSA in 2006. He recently won the 2020 PSA world tour to regain back his status as the number 1 squash player in the world. We are hoping that Gohar and Shorbagy will help inspire our girls to work harder and become globally-competitive squash players. Both players and Squash Dreamers invite you to donate to support our work by subscribing to our newsletter or donating to our program! Tags: world refugee day, squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, nouran gohar squash, mohammed elshorbagy squash, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, mohamed elshorbagy, girls in amman, youth sports programs  Squash Dreamers was so lucky to have Daisy V.L. as a volunteer in 2019. Her energy, passion for learning and music, and positivity made every English lesson so much more fun for our girls! The following is her perspective on her experience. "When returning to Jordan last January having gone back to England for the holidays, I was very fortunate to find an opportunity as part of the English team at Squash Dreamers. The girls supported by this great organisation are kind, funny, intelligent and hard-working, so even after an hour of intense squash practice, they were always excitable and happy to be learning new things! We started out by naming colours and singing Old MacDonald, and they continued to make me hugely proud as a group of incredible young girls who worked hard, played hard and were a true JOY to be around. We spoke, wrote and read full sentences, danced, ate cake, sang and made crowns. We celebrated Ramadan and new learning, we wore stars on our heads and we talked about our lives, our families, our friends. Squash Dreamers gives these young girls the opportunity to just be children, be silly, laugh and smile. The programme not only allows volunteers to help the girls through teaching them skills and introducing them to new cultures but is also a place that offers so much to those who work with them. I learned new phrases in multiple Arabic dialects, I joined the girls for Ramadan, and I learned more about what it is to be a young refugee girl in Jordan. Working with the girls and the team at squash dreamers is one of the best things I have been blessed to do and I can’t wait to go back!" To volunteer with Squash Dreamers as an in-person or virtual volunteer, please contact us! Tags: squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrian war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy  Eman, age 14, fled Homs, Syria with her family in 2013 after the crisis started. The turmoil of being uprooted from her home, traveling to an unfamiliar country, and finding a new home caused Eman to miss a year in school; although she should be in eighth grade, she is in seventh.
Eman started training with Squash Dreamers in 2017, and she was one of the three girls selected to participate in the Hong Kong Junior Open. Eman says, “Playing squash changed my life for the better. I harness a lot of positive energy when I play, I have gotten to meet and know a lot of people because of it, and it enriched my life with experiences I wouldn’t have had without squash.” Eman dreams of becoming and architect one day, but before that she hopes to continue playing with Squash Dreamers to become a competitive player. To support Eman, check out our DREAMMAKERS program, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about her and our other participants' progress! Tags: squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy  Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day, and we wanted to say thank you to our Syrian refugee families for their courage, bravery, and relentless determination. We feel so lucky to be working with these strong young women and their role models.
World Refugee Day is celebrated very positively in the US and around the world. We understand how much more refugees have had to fight for a better life compared to the average citizen. So to our families, thank you for your inspiring strength and resilience; we hope that Squash Dreamers can continue to help your daughters accomplish the dreams that you’ve always had for them. To our supporters, please help make these girls' dreams possible by getting involved, subscribing to our newsletter, or donating to our program! Tags: world refugee day, squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy  Philadelphia, USA - Squash Dreamers is excited to announce that Mohammed El Shorbagy, the world men's #1 ranking squash player, has joined the Board of Directors of the organization as an honorary member. Squash Dreamers is a registered nonprofit organization in the US, currently operating in Jordan, providing intensive squash training and English language tutoring for 30 Syrian refugee girls.
Mohammed El Shorbagy is one of the most talented players on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour, he has flown up the world rankings since joining the PSA in 2006 . He recently won the 2020 PSA world tour to regain back his status as the number 1 squash player in the world. We are hoping that El Shorbagy will help support our cause and bring attention to the work that we are doing, to empower young refugee girls and help them realize their potential to become outstanding female athletes and leaders. Both Mohammed and Squash Dreamers invite you to donate to support our work by subscribing to our newsletter or donating to our program! Tags: world refugee day, squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy  Philadelphia, USA - Squash Dreamers is excited to announce that Nouran Gohar, the world women's #2 ranking squash player, has joined the Board of Directors of the organization as an honorary member. Squash Dreamers is a registered nonprofit organization in the US, currently operating in Jordan, providing intensive squash training and English language tutoring for 30 Syrian refugee girls.
Nouran Gohar is another immensely talented youngster fresh off the Egyptian production line of premier squash players. She won the US Open and the British Open Squash tournaments for 2019. Gohar, a successful Arab female athlete, is a natural fit for our organization's goal of empowering young, refugee women through sport. We are hoping that Gohar will help inspire our girls to work harder and become globally-competitive squash players. Both Nouran and Squash Dreamers invite you to donate to support our work by subscribing to our newsletter or donating to our program! Tags: world refugee day, squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy On July 31, 2018, three Squash Dreamers girls flew from Amman to Hong Kong to attend the Hong Kong Junior Open. The three girls were Raghda, age 13, Eman, age 12, and Sabah, age 11. Throughout the following four days, the girls gained a tremendous amount of experience and insight into the internationally competitive squash world. Unfortunately, due to delays in receiving approval from the Jordanian government for a guarantee of the girls' UNHCR refugee status upon exit and re-entry into Jordan, two of the girls had to forfeit their first matches in the main event. Five hours after her red eye flight and arrival to Hong Kong, Iman played her match in the U-13 girls' main event against Xie Ka Wing of Hong Kong, who has played squash for five years. Despite her valiant effort, Iman fell 2-0 in a best of 3 games match. The next day, all three girls entered the plate event, but due to their relative inexperience against their competitors, none made it past the first match. However, the girls were not upset; they were inspired. For the rest of the day, they practiced and played friendly matches on any free court that they could find with new friends from Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, and Malaysia, which gave them valuable opportunities to practice their English. The girls reflected on their play and analyzed matches in the main event to determine how they could advance their skills. Overall, the tournament has been a true learning experience; Sabah said, "If I make a mistake while playing, I can look at the others who are playing and learn." The girls have also been able to explore Hong Kong and get a taste of a culture that is very from their own. All three enjoyed trying dim sum, eating an egg waffle, and slurping up bubble tea. They saw the Hong Kong skyline at night through the Star Ferry, hiked up 10,000 Buddhas, peered down at the expansive city from the Peak tram, and perused the wide array of shops. They feel extremely grateful for this experience and thank all of you who made it possible for them. To support Raghdaa, Eman, and Sabah, check out our DREAMMAKERS program or subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about them and our other participants' progress! Tags: squash amman, squash programs jordan, jordan squash federation, urban squash, syria, squash programs, middle east, refugees, refugee crisis, child refugees, volunteer in jordan, volunteer abroad, syrias war, play like a girl, womens empowerment programs, girls education, jordanian girls, nouran gohar, girls in amman, youth sports programs, mohamed elshorbagy Harrow Sports has generously donated six uniforms and nine racquets for the girls to wear and use at the Hong Kong Junior open! We are so grateful for their support and generous donation!
To learn how you can support our girls, check out our "Get Involved" page! |
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