Jordan Times
Thursday, December 23, 2004
IRADA builds entrepreneurial spirit in local rural communities
By Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN — Thirty-three months after its inception, IRADA (Enhanced Productivity Centres Programme), has succeeded in helping several rural communities create around 5,279 jobs through a total of 1,719 projects.
During an interview with Bassam Khatib, the director of the programme, he explained that the Ministry of Planning programme had achieved a rate of 3.1 employees per project.
“These projects are small- sized and designed to help rural communities enhance their productivity and become productive and financially independent citizens, instead of depending on government support or programmes,” Khatib told The Jordan Times.
Working as facilitators between rural community citizens and lending banks, the programme's 22 centres, spread across the Kingdom, have helped citizens acquire 1,170 loans, totalling around JD10 million, with an average loan of JD8,598. Khatib indicated that participating citizens had also invested an additional JD19 million to create their own projects, making the total value of investments in programme-assisted projects around JD29 million, with an average of JD16,892 per project. He added that since its establishment, the project has provided more than 494 training courses for 9,894 attendants, 398 lectures attended by 9,159 citizens, 659 internships, as well as providing courses for 1,409 transferred trainees. Khatib said most trainees and interns had found jobs immediately after completing their course.
Changing mentalities Khatib explained that each area in the Kingdom has its own particular mentality towards work and productivity, but the most common feature of these communities is that people expect the government to assist or employ them. “We try to change that mentality, explaining to them that they can make money and enhance their living conditions by starting their own projects,” Khatib said, adding that IRADA first approaches the area's citizens in a collective manner through tailor-made awareness programmes then deals with each citizen on an individual basis. “We create tailor-made project research for each idea, and we provide interested citizens with project ideas and studies based on the needs of their community,” Khatib said.
He added that some areas, for example, do not have basic services such as a barbershop or bakery, and that IRADA helps such communities by initiating projects to meet local needs. “Citizens are usually afraid to start projects, but once they learn we can help them find the appropriate funds, and start their project in a well-studied manner, they start cooperating and become more enthusiastic,” Khatib said. He concluded by saying that once small local projects are up and running, the programme provides support services to further increase productivity and increase profitability through better marketing tools.