AMMAN – Up to 15,000 Jordanian youths have packed their suitcases and headed for government-run summer camps to help out in voluntary social work.

“These summer camps are aimed primarily at making the best use of the untapped potentials of the youths, filling their spare time and instilling patriotism into them,” Head of Jordan’s Supreme Council for Youths Maamon Nurudin told IslamOnline.net.

He said the nationwide camps are targeting age groups between 12 and 24, adding youths are volunteering on a morning and-night shift basis.

Named after late Jordanian King Hussein Bin Talal, the camps attract university and school students and usually kick off in mid July till August 20.

There are 231 summer camps all over the kingdom of which 138 are morning camps with a strength of 7000 youths.

The rest are working through the night with some 8,000 youths contributing to the welfare of their societies.

Voluntary work varies from painting platforms in poor and rutted areas to garbage collection in parks.

Entertainment is an integral part of the schedule with football matches as the most sought-after.

Volunteers organize a mini-soccer league in poor areas and villages, providing young talents with outfits and balls.

The ubiquitous cyber cafes have also left an aura of excitement in this year’s camps.

Daily computer classes are held by IT students to help their illiterate peers.

Scouts left their indelible mark on the camps, doing an about-turn this year from regular activities to sessions on the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health.

Youths, the lifeline of Jordanian society, are making up some 70 percent of the five million population, according to official statistics released in May 2003.