Community Asset Mapping Analysis Report – Karak

The assessment used a three-fold strategy, including an institutional mapping tool, a community mapping tool, and a focus group discussion with youth. The process of mapping was guided by youth to enhance their agency, self-efficacy, and initiative programming. The community asset mapping tools were designed and developed on tablets for mobile data collection. Data was collected through two types of surveys and a focus group. The surveys were framed around six main categories: youth development, educational environment, health, social environment, inclusion, and community services. The institutional mapping survey was used to inquire about the services, resources, and challenges of institutions in the area, while the community mapping survey investigated the challenges, barriers, importance, and quality of services and resources in the community. A total of 33 youth from Karak City were trained on collecting data for the community asset mapping. After completing the training, the youth were split into groups of seven, with one youth leader functioning as a focal point for each team. The map of Karak City was then divided into blocks that identified which part of Karak that team would be mapping over the upcoming three days. The results from the two surveys were preliminary analyzed to guide a focus group discussion with youth from the community, gaining deeper insight on their priority issues. The CAM report is a compilation of all these results and analysis. The demographic information of the participants included in the assessment showed that the majority of the participants were Jordanian, with a small percentage of Palestinian, Syrian, and Egyptian participants. The age group surveyed ranged from 13 to 72, with 53% of the sample being less than 30 years old. The gender distribution was comparable between males and females, with 53% males and 47% females. The main findings of the assessment were presented in six categories: youth development, educational environment, health, social environment, inclusion, and community services. The youth development category examined the opportunities for youth development within their community. The results showed that entertainment, disability-friendly public places, and libraries were rated as the worst youth outlets by the participants. The institutional analysis showed that art and music activities, theatres, cultural activities, and other services were provided by various institutions in Karak City. However, the results also showed that these services were limited, and most of them required a fee. The focus group discussion provided more insight into the youth struggles with entertainment in Karak, highlighting the lack of public places and the requirement of a fee for most entertainment services. The assessment also highlighted the need for more free art and music activities, theatres, and cultural activities in Karak City. The results showed that only four institutions provided free art and music activities, and only three institutions provided free theatres. The focus group discussion emphasized the importance of providing free entertainment services to the youth in Karak City. Overall, the community asset mapping assessment in Karak City provided valuable insights into the needs and challenges of the youth in the community. The assessment highlighted the need for more free entertainment services, improved public places, and increased access to art and music activities, theatres, and cultural activities.