Jordan Times
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Queen Rania lends a hand to local relief efforts
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania joined university students at the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) on Tuesday in ongoing efforts to help the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.
Since the national JRF campaign began last week, the foundation has received food, diapers and medicine from the local community to be sent to Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and according to foundation director Maha Khatib, the turnout has been good but more is needed.
After assessing the donations and discussing what still needs to be done, Queen Rania helped the students load trucks with boxes of donated goods and commended the group for their humanitarian spirit.
JRF’s headquarters are located in Abdoun and volunteers will be available daily to receive donations from 8:00am until 6:00pm. The foundation’s national campaign will also include a concert featuring Makadi Nahass, an artist known for her patriotic songs, at 7:30pm on Sunday, July 30, at the King Hussein Park. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Tickets can be purchased at JRF headquarters or the AUB Alumni Club.
In addition, Queen Rania met yesterday with President of the Lebanese Community in Jordan Fouad Abu Hamdan.
Also on Tuesday, Her Majesty met with the board of trustees of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) to discuss the progress, achievements and challenges of the council, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.
The secretary general of the council, Jamil Smadi, gave a presentation on the council’s achievements including the release of a number of studies on Jordanian families.
He also discussed the release of a new guide for soon-to-be brides to increase their awareness of their legal rights within a marriage.
Her Majesty said the council needs to undergo an evaluation process to assess its impact on policies.
“I feel this is a good time to see if the council’s role has been effective,” she said.
Queen Rania reiterated that the NCFA has conducted and released significant studies, but it is important to make sure that these studies are serving their purpose and effecting positive change where it is needed.
The NCFA is a policy think tank that encourages public and private entities to work together to place family issues and interests at the core of their respective agendas.