Jordan Times
Thursday, January 15, 2004
US Senate staffers visit Dar Al Aman
AMMAN (JT) — A delegation of senior US Senate staffers currently on a mission to Jordan on Wednesday visited Dar Al Aman, the child safety centre affiliated with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF).JRF Director General Maha Khatib presented an overview of the work of the foundation and its initiatives in creating and supporting sustainable social, economic and cultural programmes, empowering communities and individuals based on their needs and priorities, according to a JRF statement.
One development project highlighted by Khatib is the Rural Community Cluster Development Programme (RCCDP). Funded by the Ministry of Planning and implemented by the JRF in cooperation with an international partner, Mercy Corps, the project is a community development programme aimed at promoting citizens' participation in meeting the needs of their communities.
It is currently implemented in north Ajloun, the Northern Badia, Madaba and Wadi Araba.
Through the community cluster committees, the approach moves on to prioritise, plan and implement projects to revitalise essential small infrastructure, create income-generating opportunities, improve health, education and quality of life, address critical environmental problems, and ultimately promote civic participation, she explained.
Child Safety Programme Director Hala Hamad explained to the delegation how the programme, through its various activities, aims to achieve child protection-related goals and how the other components — which include therapy sessions, legal consultation, and awareness campaigns — work to support the objectives of the programme.
Dar Al Aman serves as a temporarily shelter for children subjected to abuse, where they are provided with psychological, medical, social and educational care and services. The children are later integrated back into their rehabilitated families.
The Jordan River Children Programme (JRCP) faced many challenges upon its establishment because of the sensitivity of the subject matter. However, JRCP has committed itself to furthering scientifically, morally, and legally the development of Jordanian children to their full capacities, the statement said.
The visiting delegation comprises assistants to US senators, and are mostly concerned with issues relating to legislation, human rights, civil society, and foreign affairs. Members of the JRF board of trustees and staff also attended the meeting.
Also on Wednesday, the Senate staffers visited Al Hassan Industrial Estate near Ramtha where they were briefed on manufactured products which are exported to US markets under a US-Jordanian Free Trade Agreement. The estate encompasses 483 companies.