MEET OUR TEAM
AMMAN
Wala'a Al-Samarae
Coach & Teen Mentor
Wala'a joined the RC team in the summer of 2016. She also co-leads the Qudrati Teen Leadership Program and is the mother of a RC participant. Wala’a first arrived in Jordan as an Iraqi refugee and serves as a link between RC and the Iraqi refugee community. Outside of RC, she spends time mastering her English.
MAFRAQ
Wajed Abul Roos
Coach
Wajed, originally from Syria, joined the RC team in 2022. In school, she participated in every athletic activity she was offered, sparking her love for sports. She has experience lecturing on the development of social skills and enjoys drawing and writing poetry. She is passionate about continuing to improve herself as an athlete and a leader with RC.
ZARQA
Wala'a Abu Shihab
Head Coach
Wala’a is one of RC’s longest-serving coach and hails from Jordan. She is currently the Zarqa Head Coach and has previously served as a Qudrati Teen Leadership program mentor. An avid soccer player, Wala’a also works for the Waldorf School as a physical education teacher.
Roa Al Aboud
Coach
Roa, originally from Syria, graduated from RC as a participant in 2019 and officially joined the coaching team in Amman in 2024. She holds a certificate in beauty from the Geneva Academy and has volunteered with Queen Rania Center for 8 years. Roa has a passion for dancing and playing sports.
Hala Harahsheh
Coach
Hala is a Jordanian coach who joined RC in 2023. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and has certificates in football from GIZ and building youth capacities from Save the Children. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and spending time with children.
Rasha Al-Ghuwari
Coach & Teen Mentor
Rasha first joined RC in 2016 and, although she is Jordanian, she recruits the most diverse group of participants in Zarqa. In Fall 2018, she became a mentor for the Qudrati Teen Leadership program and works tirelessly to give girls access to resources that will help them thrive off the field. Her daughter is also a participant in the program.
Elham Khaled
Coach
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Elham, born in Yemen to Somali parents, graduated from RC as a participant in 2018 and officially joined the RC coaching team in Amman in 2022. She is eager to learn and break norms for refugees living in Jordan in order to pursue her dreams. Elham loves to dance and create Zumba choreography. Through her seasons of RC, Elham particularly enjoyed playing Frisbee.
Bayan Fheli
Coach
Bayan, originally from Syria, joined RC in 2022. She graduated with a degree in hotel and tourism management, worked with several local organizations over the past few years, and volunteered with ActionAid to raise awareness among women about early marriage. In her free time, she enjoys doing cardio, swimming, singing, and playing the Oud.
Razan Gazawi
Coach
Razan first joined RC as a participant in 2017. She graduated from the Qudrati Teen Leadership program the next year and joined the RC staff in Zarqa in the summer of 2019. Originally from Syria, Razan serves as a connector between RC and the Syrian participants in Zarqa. She can usually be found working with RC's youngest participants.
Fathia Musse
Coach & Teen Mentor
Fathia, originally from Somalia, joined the Amman Team in Summer 2018. Since Fall 2018, Fathia has also mentored in our Teen Leadership Program and currently acts as the coordinator. Outside of RC, Fathia loves learning and is currently pursuing an online degree from Rutgers University in case management.
Juhaina Altamani
Coach
Originally from Syria, Juhaina joined RC 2023. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing. Her passion for helping others, especially children who have been impacted by war, drives her to work hard towards her goal of saving lives. In her free time, she uses her creative skills to bring comfort and hope to those around her.
Yasmine Owaimer
Coach & Teen Mentor
Yasmine, a Gazan refugee who has lived in Jordan her whole life, was one of RC's earliest participants. After graduating, Yasmine volunteered with the RC program before becoming the first former participant to join the staff in 2018. She currently serves as a Qudrati Teen Leadership mentor, and her two younger sisters also participated in RC.
Heba Sawafhah
Zarqa Coach
Heba is the newest Jordanian coach in Zarqa. She joined the team in Summer 2019 when she was thrown into the chaos of working with the oldest group of girls at camp. Now, Heba, full of energy and humor, excels at connecting with girls of all ages.
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Rima Yacoub
Jordan Program Director
Rima joined the Reclaim Childhood team in June 2020. She has worked with various national and international NGOs and has experience employing sports for development and female empowerment. She graduated with an M.B.A from the German Jordanian University and a B.A. from the University of Jordan. Rima is an active Jiu Jitsu competitor, and she hopes to share her love of martial arts with RC participants!
Afra'a Qahtan
Coach
Afra’a, originally from Iraq, joined the RC team in July 2020. Outside of RC, Afra’a is currently working to earn her BA in Medical Analysis. She is an accomplished badminton player, winning multiple local championships, and she also enjoys playing soccer and chess. She is passionate about volunteering in her community, and she inspires a love of sports for girls at RC.
Sereen Shihab
Coach
Sereen is a Jordanian coach who joined RC in 2023 after graduating with a degree in Physical Education in 2020. Previously, she took a course in badminton, participated in the EIR Coach Program and obtained a certificate in sport nutrition and marketing. In her free time, she indulges in activities such as horse riding, climbing and other outdoor pursuits.
Hadeel Abu Nimreh
Coach
Hadeel joined RC in 2023. She is studying Management and Sport Training. Hadeel is a talented player and currently plays in her university basketball and soccer teams. She loves to train and empower young girls to achieve their full potential in sports and is a certified coach with the EIR Coach Program. When she's not coaching, Hadeel enjoys swimming and staying active.
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Rima Yacoub
Jordan Program Director
Rima joined the Reclaim Childhood team in June 2020. She has worked with various national and international NGOs and has experience employing sports for development and female empowerment. She graduated with an M.B.A from the German Jordanian University and a B.A. from the University of Jordan. Rima is an active Jiu Jitsu competitor, and she shares her love of martial arts with RC participants!
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Anna Barrett
Executive Director
Anna joined the Reclaim Childhood team in 2018 after working with sport for development organizations in South Africa, the U.S., and across Latin American and the Caribbean. Anna graduated with a M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a B.A. from Dartmouth College, where she was a member of the soccer team.
Reena Nimri
Program Associate
Reena joined the RC team in February of 2022 with a passion for gender equality, women's rights, and multiculturalism. She graduated with her BA from Hashemite University and pursued her MA in Hungary. Reena also volunteers in a Dabkeh folk band to spread the Jordanian culture and music through dancing.
Heba Sawaftah
Northern Regional Coordinator
Heba joined the Zarqa team as a coach in Summer 2019 when she was thrown into the chaos of working with the oldest group of girls at camp. In 2023, she transitioned to the role of overseeing the Zarqa and Mafraq sites.
