Marka, Jordan is not on any tourist loop. A suburb of Amman, Jordan’s modern capital, here everything is half-finished and dusty. In the middle of town is the Theodor Schneller School, an Episcopal boarding school for 110 orphans and children from terminally broken homes, including a growing number of Iraqi and Syrian refugee orphans. The school enrolls 220 day students, most of them living in the Marka Palestinian Refugee Camp, which borders the school.
For decades, Schneller also was the finest vocational training school in Jordan. Lack of funding and poor leadership allowed most of the training programs to deteriorate. Recently, under the leadership of Rev. Khaled Freij, these vocational programs have been making a comeback and Schneller is on a path to re-establish its brand as a leading vocational training center in Jordan.
Late last month, Schneller convened an all-day strategy workshop with its major supporters, including several German NGO’s and Lutheran relief agencies and AFEDJ. Archbishop Hosam Naoum welcomed the participants and spoke about his compelling vision for a vital school and training center serving some of the most underserved children and young men and women in Jordan. Rev. Freij updated us on recent renovations and additions to the technical training programs – improvements that generous AFEDJ donors have helped fund.
Schneller’s mission is to provide a safe home for the most vulnerable children and young people in Jordan and prepare them for employment and a hopeful, productive future. With your help, the school is making good progress. If you agree with Schneller’s leaders that high-quality vocational training is a positive path forward in life for these deserving and needy students, we invite you to help. As always, we’d love to speak with you about your interest in Schneller or any of the ministries you so generously support.
