April 23, 2008

Ambassadors Wives Visit to Dar Al Aman

Twenty ladies wives of Ambassadors in Jordan paid a visit today to the Jordan River Foundation's (JRF) Child Safety Center, Dar Al Aman.

The ladies toured the center that was established by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah in August 2000. A first in Jordan and the Arab world and serves as a temporary shelter that offers psychological, medical, social, and educational services for victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect.

In November 2003, Her Majesty inaugurated a spacious and well-equipped facility, modeled upon real-life homes, in which the integrity of the family is a guiding factor.
Valentina Qussisaya, JRF Director General explained to the ladies that JRF is proud to say that it has established the first Arab Child Safety Model and a national framework to combat child abuse.

She added that child abuse is a serious problem, which occurs in both developing and developed countries, and impairs national advancement and development. Empowering local communities and preventing child abuse is linked based on the notion that an empowered and self-sufficient family generates healthy children who are able to engage within and contribute to their community development. The Foundation’s Child Safety Program provides intervention, rehabilitation and prevention services in addition to training and public education.

Nancy Naghour the Child Safety Center Manager also explained that the rehabilitation process the children go through is child-centered individual and group therapy sessions designed to empower and help them realize that they are not alone in their suffering. In addition to the caregivers, the team working with the children includes psychologists, social workers and administrative and support staff. The center serves children between ages 0-12 years.

The ladies praised the efforts of the JRF in developing the social well being of children and families in Jordan. They also showed an interest to support the children of Dar Al Aman.

JRF combines the efforts of its two main programs, the Community Empowerment Program and the Child Safety program, in its areas of intervention. These two programs cover the twelve governorates of Jordan and work hand in hand to make a difference in the lives of local communities.

The Community Empowerment Program provides economic opportunities to local communities, who are involved from the early stages of each project, beginning from selection, design and final implementation. JRF’s Capacity Building and Business Development Services Unit provides training sessions to these communities, preparing them to eventually take control over the project. Each Project is then handed over to the enabled members of the local community.

The Jordan River Foundation, established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, is a non-profit Jordanian non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote, in partnership with stakeholders, the development of a dynamic Jordanian society by initiating and supporting sustainable social, economic and cultural programs that empower communities and individuals based on their needs and priorities.