Azraq
Spirit
Welcome to our clubhouse! Situated just 90 kilometers from the Jordanian-Syrian border, Syrian refugees are transforming the challenging desert landscape into a place of community, entrepreneurship and resilience.
The Azraq Refugee Camp, home to over 41,000 refugees from Syria
In response to the escalating Syrian civil war, Azraq refugee camp was opened in 2014. Since then, it has become home to 38,000 Syrian refugees.
Residents have actively rebuilt their lives, establishing thriving shops, competitive sports leagues, and pursuing educational opportunities. Their resilience is remarkable, yet challenges like PTSD, depression, social isolation and limited opportunities persist. As more refugees return to Syria, those who stay in Azraq are often the most vulnerable, people who cannot return, or cannot afford living outside a camp.
We are very happy that project partners adidas Foundation, AFDP Global and UNHCR have joined us on our journey to support Syrian refugees rebuilding their lives through a community-run KLABU clubhouse.
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Clubhouse manager Abdullah raises the flag
Playing tug of war at the clubhouse
The clubhouse is where Azraq comes to play: football, boxing, Zumba, crafts, or just a chat with friends.
We provide the sports equipment, the lights and the space and the community brings the energy. The clubhouse arrived in February 2025 with a sports library of balls, rackets, shirts and games, ready for anyone to grab and play. Our dedicated local clubhouse managers, who proudly call themselves KLABU heroes, not only ensure the daily operation of the project but also foster a warm and welcoming space for all.
Clubhouse managers Mohammed, Noura, Abdullah, Afra'a, and Mohammed
Six incredible Syrians living in the camp - Mohammed, Noura, Abdullah, Afra’a, Mohammad, and Aya - have joined KLABU as clubhouse managers. Together, they have transformed an orange shipping container into much more than a place to borrow equipment.
They keep the energy alive, welcome everyone, track impact, forecast budgets, and plan activities. The clubhouse is about belonging and connection, and about people from different backgrounds getting along. We aim to reach over 8,000 camp residents, mainly aged 11 to 35, with equal gender representation.
Inclusion of people with disabilities is central to how the clubhouse works. Activities are open to everyone, and the space itself is built for access, with ramps and an accessible layout.
Walk up in the afternoon and you’ll hear children playing football and the thump of the boxing bag, and you’ll see someone concentrating on learning a new skill. After sunset the clubhouse fills with music, Zumba and conversation. Free Wi-Fi connects people to the world beyond Azraq, solar panels keep the lights on, and Champions League nights bring even the fiercest rivals together in front of the TV.
Obstacle course at the clubhouse
The Azraq Spirit girls enjoying their workout!
The KABU football team
The girls directly started to play badminton
Football games next to the clubhouse
Boxing is among the most popular sports in Azraq
Beyond the camp, in Azraq town, a brand-new KLABU gym is boosting physical and mental well-being for both the host and refugee communities.
Just a short drive from the camp, Azraq town is a place where Syrians and Jordanians live, study, and now, train together. This gym provides a safe and welcoming space where everyone can move, grow, and connect. Two local coaches run the sessions: Salam, who is Jordanian, and Suleiman, who is Syrian. Salam specialises in physiotherapy and injuries and is a certified first aider. Several women with bone and joint problems have told us they feel much better since training with her at the gym!
For many women, the gym is also a moment just for themselves. They step out of their daily routine to train, put their own wellbeing first, and make friends. Some now head for a coffee together after class.
We hope to reach over 2,000 people with fitness programmes that fit the local culture, led in part by female coaches who show what’s possible.
Abdullah and Mohammed with the mobile clubhouse that brings sports to other places in the camp
Solar power provides the energy to broadcast TV matches, use Wi-Fi and listen to music
Impact so far
Azraq is known for its caring, entrepreneurial, and creative energy, and the KLABU clubhouse reflects that spirit.
- Over 1,500 people from Azraq Refugee Camp have stepped into the clubhouse and made it their own.
- Every week, around 700 regulars come through to play football, volleyball, basketball, boxing, chess, handicrafts, and fitness sessions.
- 30% of participants are women and girls, mostly coming for Zumba, football, basketball and crafts.
- The community is remarkably entrepreneurial. With the local team and a group of volunteers, they renovated the clubhouse and the caravan next door themselves, redesigning the layout and adding lights and drawings. They also installed an entire garden and water fountain!
- After watching the Amsterdam Spirit take on the Rotterdam marathon, the Azraq team got inspired and formed their own run club - now 35 regular runners strong.
- The team has teamed up with organisations like Artolution, a creative group working with displaced communities, to bring murals and performances to life. Initiatives like this have turned the clubhouse into a colourful creative hub.
- Through a workshop with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the team completed disability inclusion training. Every Thursday is now dedicated to inclusive sports and activities for people with disabilities, like seated volleyball, and the clubhouse has been fitted with ramps to make the space accessible to everyone.
- They've also recently completed a safeguarding course with Plan International, adding another layer of care to how the clubhouse runs.
- Youth leadership is at the heart of Azraq. Young people don't just take part in activities, they also organise and lead them. Rawaan (12), for example, runs her own Zumba classes, with more than 25 girls joining each session.
- Azraq has some seriously creative ways of gathering feedback: from opinion walls covered in sticky notes, to football-field-shaped suggestion boxes, to balloon races with feedback notes tucked inside. The team is always sketching up new, fun ways to hear from members and keep improving the project.
- Beyond the camp, KLABU also supports the Azraq Town gym. Since the start of 2026, it's grown to more than 300 people, 68% of them women, trained by Jordanian coach Salam and Syrian coach Suleiman. Some come to get stronger, others are recovering from injuries, but most just want to feel healthier, physically and mentally.
Stay tuned for more updates from Azraq Spirit! We can’t wait to share more news and welcome new members - keep your eyes on what’s to come.
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