Toy Project Overview

JumpStart International is currently leading an initiative to create a pioneering Middle Eastern toy enterprise project that will serve as a vocational training vehicle for displaced Iraqi and marginalized Jordanian youth who have fallen outside of traditional support efforts. Working with the Jordan Red Crescent Society (JRC) and Kitegang, the world's first non-profit toy company, the project initiates an experimental toy-making business for young adults from Iraq and Jordan that, while impoverished, share a motivation to create something better for themselves and their communities.

Toy Project staff and participants, with members of Jordan Red Crescent Society, Kitegang, and JumpStart International

The Toy Project's initial goal is to address the psychosocial and financial needs of participants through the creation of a vocational training enterprise that provides structure and living stipends. Beyond the emotional and financial supports, the project will also emphasize civic and vocational lessons to empower participants to pursue productive livelihoods well beyond the life of the program. As a result, the expected achievements of this project include

• mitigating the effects of violence and regional instability on the participants by creating greater hope and opportunity through structured, yet upbeat, vocational training
• meeting the immediate financial needs of 20 participants by also providing living stipends
• increasing business and life skills of young adults residing in Jordan through progressive and individually tailored business training
• engaging young people as civic-minded, productive members of society

In combination, the project essentially aspires to address some of the most pressing regional needs with some of the simplest tools – in this case all centered around the business of making toys. While the number of people involved is limited to start, the quality of training and support that goes into each participant is sizeable – in line with the project’s goals of making a meaningful difference in the long-term development of each participant.