Blue Heart Circus in Madaba

Under the patronage of the Jordanian Minister of Culture, HE Haifa Al-Najjar, Red Noses International - Jordan, in partnership with Safe Hands for Rehabilitation and Training, launched the second mission of the Blue Heart Circus project (BHC) at the Beit Al-Liqa Center for PWDs in Madaba on the evening of Thursday, March 25, 2024. The event was attended by a number of children with their families, influencers, decision makers, and opinion leaders, including the Parliamentarian Majdi Al-Yaqoub and activist in the rights of people with autism, Mrs. Duaa Al-Hayek. Also present were Dara Al-Madanat, the director of Red Noses - Jordan, and Jiman Al-Ammari, the general director of Safe Hands for Rehabilitation and Training. During this introductory and dialogic session, the institutions were introduced and their work scope in Jordan was discussed, in addition to emphasizing the importance of integration and inclusion for children with autism spectrum disorder alongside their peers in a safe environment through social and artistic activities. And its impact on enhancing children's ability to communicate with the world, increasing their self-confidence, strengthening their social and artistic skills, and solidifying the concept of integration and inclusion in their local communities. Additionally, dialogue was opened with opinion leaders and the parents of children who shared stories of their children who are participating in the program and the tangible changes they witnessed as a result of the activities implemented in the preceding days. Furthermore, attendees praised the work of the foundation and the importance of this type of quality programs in developing children's abilities, promoting their integration, and providing a healthy environment for their integration into society, especially in provinces that typically receive less attention than major cities.

BHC aims to enhance the social integration of children with autism spectrum disorder aged 7-14 through an inclusive approach targeting children, parents, service providers, and the local community through several activities. These include a four-day circus workshop for children with autism spectrum disorder and their peers, a humor relief workshop, and a toolkits training workshop for parents and service providers, in addition to an awareness and advocacy campaign aimed at informing the local community and opinion leaders about the importance of integration and inclusion for children with autism spectrum disorder, which also includes a circus performance presented by the participated children to the local community. BHC includes several tasks to be implemented between March 2024 and February 2025 in the governorates of Aqaba, Salt, and Madaba. Today, two tasks allocated to Madaba governorate -in cooperation with the Beit Al-Liqa Center- have been finalized.