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Children camp´s in Karak region
Fida has started a
children camp program in Karak region villages on 2009. All
the camps have been arranged in co-operation with the local
partners. The camps have been taken place at That-Ras, Feifa,
Sirfa and Muhay now on. Last two of them were on July and
August 2010.
There has been from 60
to 120 boys and girls attending in every camp. Children have
been age 8 to 10.
The Purpose of the camps
is to arrange good quality leisure time activities for the
children by voluntary based workers. The program consist
lessons on health, environment, traffic and other social
issues. Games and handicrafts are important part of the
camps also. The goal of the project is to show an example to
the local communities, how to arrange high quality children
camps in low costs that the local communities could continue
this later on.
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Happy children after dental care lesson at
Muhay camp on August 2010 |
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Training on different aspects of social
development
Fida has arranged many trainings and seminars
with its partners during the 2010 about different aspects of
community based social development. More than hundreds people
have attended these activities. We have given the basic
knowledge to the participants about the basic principles of
social development and practical steps to start the
sustainable development work. Some of the trainings have
been focused for more advanced participants, who have
started their own work already.
We have used participatory methods in all our
trainings and seminars which is the one of the core
principles in development process. We are happy that many
people who has been participating our trainings are now able
to be as a trainers. We trust that many of them have vision
and skills to work for social welfare of poor and vulnerable
people through the trainings.
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Training of trainer course
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Community Welcoming a New Opening of the
Al-‘Ataa Centre in Mousdar
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(October 2009)
The Al-‘Ataa
Centre for Training and Social Development got an enthusiastic response
among the community members in its opening day in a new location in
East Amman.
Loud Arabic music and a group from Hamleys Mecca Street Shop for
‘Finest Toys in the World’ providing face paintings for the
children’s faces was an attraction in Mousdar on Saturday the
24th. For most of these children it was the very first time that they
had their faces painted, this caused much excitement and the
children’s faces were not only painted but shining with delight.
Dani Huhtamäki, a 24 years old Finnish trainee of social and youth
work, performed break dance and rap music for the audience, and some
local boys who had skills for that, joined him.
This all made up a successful Open Day. Many people from the
neighborhood came and welcomed the new Centre after they saw almost
thirty rooms prepared for activities either free of charge or with only
some nominal fees.
One elderly lady came and thanked God that the great variety of
activities such as training courses in IT, English language, and
vocational skills are now available for the people living in the area.
Besides training courses, the centre offers health checks and health
counseling. Parents can come and let the doctor check their
children’s health and get advice how to care them well.
While training courses are available for adults and youth from 16 years
age, free-time playing activities are arranged to girls’ and
boys’ groups in different ages from 6 to 15.
After it was registered by the Ministry of Social Development, the
centre worked in Jabal Amman for two years but the new location offers
easier and cheaper access for Jordanians, Iraqis and any other people
from non-privileged areas, who want to improve their skills and make
their life better.
The Al-‘Ataa Centre for Training and Social Development is a
project supported by Fida International Development Cooperation Agency
in Jordan. |
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The opening day of the Al-‘Taa Centre in Mousdar area attracted many families and children from the neighborhood.
The major attraction was face paintings – a first time experience for the children.
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The restoration process is progressing in the
MOAB-village
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(December
2008)
Since
2005 Fida International Development Cooperation Agency in Jordan has
been cooperating with The Association of Humud´s People for
Restoration
of Historical and Cultural Heritage (later the Humud NGO) supporting
them in planning, marketing and social development. Fida International
has assisted the Humud NGO in finding other partners for the
restoration project of the MOAB village. In the spring of 2008
the assistant professor Mrs. Rama Al-Rabady Ph.D.
from the Hashemite University of Jordan contacted the Humud NGO to show
the university’s interest in architectural and international
networking
matters as well as supporting the Humud NGO in planning and forming a
good administrative structure for the MOAB-village project.
Also
the assistant professor from Texas Tech University Mrs. Rima
Al-Ajlouni
Ph.D. showed her interest as she visited the site at the end of July
2008 with Dr. Rama Al-Rabady. They were pleased with the idea of
upholding old traditions and heritage of the recent history of Jordan
and the Middle-East. Having an NGO as a backing organization instead of
a private company is a positive factor. It enables the whole community
to benefit from the proceeds of the project.
The
universities are considering documenting the present situation of the
village to be used as a base for further architectural planning in the
MOAB-village during the coming year. Co-operating with these
universities plays a significant role for a NGO, like the Humud NGO, in
getting more publicity for their important work. Getting the
architectural plan done is an important step towards beginning the
actual restoration work.
For
more information please contact:
Mr. Haidar Hallasa
e-mail, haidar.hallasa@moabvillage.com or
Mr. Jouni Haverinen
e-mail, jouni.haverinen@fd-jordan.org
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(From
the left) Dr. Rima Al-Rabady, Dr. Rama Al Rabady and the site manager
Mr. Haidar Hallasa investigating an old map of the MOAB-village
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Cooperation has started with the Beni Hamida
Women’s Society of Sirfa Village
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(December 2008)
Fida
International Development Agency in Jordan has started cooperation with
The Beni Hamida women’s society in Sirfa village in Karak at the
end of
year 2007. The cooperation agreement was signed in July 2008.
Fida’s
role is to empower and support the people in the community to improve
their living conditions by providing training, a microenterprise
program and supporting the society in reactivating the spice refining
factory etc.
Sirfa
is one of the four villages in the Hamaydeh area of the Karak
Governorate. It is located about 130 km from Amman and has approx. 5000
people living in it. The Beni Hamida women’s society has been
established since 2004. The society has specialized in refining spices
but during these last months it has planned to expand into growing
mushrooms and making home gardens, which includes water recycling. This
way they would be able to provide most of the raw material from their
own gardens. The society has employed tens of women in the Hamaydeh
area over the past years, when there have been resources available.
Fida
International has the Karak Community Development Team working in the
village. The team has been building good relations with the leaders and
the ladies of the society. The team work along with the society in
studying different kinds of possibilities to improve income among women
in the village. The Karak community development team will train the
women in the society about community development in its wider aspects
in the coming months.
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Dr.
Wafa, from the Beni Hamida women's society, project coordinator, Mr.
Jouni Haverinen from Fida and the Karak Community Development team
posing as a group after signing a project agreement.
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Out from Poverty through Improved Life Management
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New Community Development
Centre opened in Jabal Amman
(September 2007)
Fida
International Development Cooperation Agency in Jordan has started a
new community development centre in Jabal Amman. The centre implements
the holistic concept of poverty reduction focusing on long-term process
of the poor themselves reaching new capabilities, strengthening their
life management skills and eventually finding the way out of poverty.
The official opening of the Al-´Ataa
Centre for Training & Social Development was done on the
eleventh of September 2007 by H.E. Vice Minister of Social Development,
Dr. Hussein Abu Al-Ruz. The opening celebration was
also attended by H.E. Ambassador of Finland Mr. Pertti Harvola
as well as Mr. Leo Olasvirta,
the Head of the Unit for NGOs at the Department for Development Policy
of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Fida International
headquarters was represented by Development Programme Director, Mr. Olli
Pitkanen.
The centre offers several kinds of vocational training and skills
development courses with symbolic prices. Every course aims to give
important knowledge and capacities, which have positive impact on the
coping strategies of the vulnerable families. This empowering process
is supported by family-based social work and health awareness
campaigns. (See more information about the centre in
“activities”
section of this web page).
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Vice Minister of Social
Development, Dr. Hussein Abu Al-Ruz accompanied
by Ambassador of Finland Mr. Pertti Harvola, opened the Al-´Ataa
Centre. Mr. Leo Olasvirta (right) and Mr. Olli Pitkanen (left)
were witnessing.
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Environmental Awareness Raised in Karak
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(April 2007)
One
of the several training courses Fida Development Cooperation Agency in
Jordan has recently arranged concerned environmental issues.
The team of the Association of Humud´s people for Restoration of
Historical and Cultural Heritage (see more details in
“Activities”
section) attended the sessions, which demonstrated practical methods in
order to protect and care for the nature in everyday life. For example
our way of consuming water and electricity directly affects the nature.
The
participants of the environmental training received a challenge to
start applying at least one action to protect the nature at a personal
level. A popular method of doing this was to begin to recycle domestic
waste. This is a simple but effective way to reduce negative impacts on
the local environment.
The awareness and
assessment of the environmental issues are crucial also in the
restoration project of the Humud village. Environmental considerations
need to be taken into account already at the planning stage in order to
avoid harmful effects on the surrounding environment.
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There is an abundance of discarded plastic bags laying in the streets
and fields of Jordan. During the training several methods to recycle
the material were presented. These bags canbe made into a knitted mat,
a recycled handbag or even a football.
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Supporting
the local society in
Al-Khaldyeah
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(July 2006)
Fida International development co-operation office in Jordan signed a
project agreement with the Al-Khaldyeah society on the 2nd of July
2006. The aim of the project is to renovate badly dilapidated interior
of the Al-Khaldyeah centre. The project will focus the renovation of
the interior of the kindergarten and nursery and it will provide clean
and safe environment for the children to play and grow when the project
has been completed. The kindergarten and nursery serve about 40
children from the village and area, and it provides employment for 13
employees.�
Al-Khaldyeah village is located about 150 km south from Amman in the
Karak governorate. The society has been established in 1971. Besides
kindergarten and nursery the society owns class for ICDL-lessons and
MOAB-centre for the disabled children for ages 6-20. About nine
thousand inhabitants live in the sphere of influence of the society.� |
The chairman of the society Mr. Ahmad Tarawni and Programme coordinator
Mr. Jouni Haverinen shake hands after signing the agreement.
The Centre of the Al-Khaldyeah society
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Several
trainings about
Community Development
arranged by
Fida development office in Jordan
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(June 2005)
Since
the opening of the office
in January several training courses and workshops have been arranged.
A good amount of attendants have had positive experiences about
training using
very participatory style and encouraging them to think and implement
new ideas in community development work.
It has been realized in several studies and evaluations that training
is a strategic activity for reaching the goal of empowering local NGOs
to do active development work with Jordanian communities in need.
During the first part of year
2005 Fida´s development co-operation unit has arranged
several
training courses and workshops about Sustainable Community Development
for Jordanians coming from different areas and representing local NGOs.
Some 60 persons have benefited from training sessions and are now
trying to apply the new ideas and tools in practise. Attendants gave
very positive feedback about the participatory and nice style of
learning in which the trainers are facilitators helping the trainees to
produce the knowledge about key issues of the development process. |
Calendar helps to see different periods and events during the year
Working in small groups is effective and practical
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Fida
development office opened in Amman
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(January
2005)
Fida
celebrated recently an opening of a development co-operation office in
Amman with partners and invited guests. The office is used as a working
base for the local Fida team and has facilities for small-scale
training seminars and workshops.
The official opening of Fida Development Co-operation office in Jordan
took place on the 11th of January 2004. It was a great
pleasure
to celebrate this important step with our partners and invited guests.
Among them was the delegate of the Jordanian Ministry of Social
Development, led by the Director of Community Development Department
Mrs. Nisreen
Najdawi, H.E. the
Ambassador of Finland Mr. Antti
Koistinen from Damascus and
Honorary Consul of Finland to
Jordan, Dr. Rakan
Rsheidat.
In his opening speech the Ambassador Koistinen underlined the positive
relationship with Finland and Jordan bearing fruit e.g. in the
development of Aqaba area through a joint fertilizer factory. As Mr.
Koistinen referred Fida is now adding a direct civil society dimension
for the Jordanian-Finnish relationships.
Mrs. Najdawi concentrated on the variety of ongoing activities in
social development. The director of Fida development co-operation, Mr. Harri Hakola
informed the attendants
about the general vision and strategic principles in Fida´s
development work, which recently celebrated its 30 years´
anniversary. Fida´s ongoing activities in the Middle East
were
introduced by representatives of the Gaza Community Development Program
and the program empowering local NGOs in Egypt for the comprehensive
development work.
The opening was also celebrated in another meeting with Jordanian
friends. The new office is located in the area of Telaa Al Ali in
Amman. It is used as a working base for the local Fida development team
and as a facility for small-scale training seminars and workshops. |
The cake was cut for the life of
people who attended the opening - as a
symbol of Jordanian-Finnish development partnership.
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Fida
development co-operation strengthening in the
Middle East
through registering a branch in
Jordan
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(November
2004)
Fida
signed a co-operation agreement with the government of Jordan
represented by the Ministry of Social Development on October 28, 2004.
Through opening the branch in Jordan Fida aims to participate in the
active social development process going on in the kingdom.
As first Finnish development agency registered in Jordan, Fida wishes
to pave the way to increasing mutual cooperation between Jordanian and
Finnish civil societies. The vision in Jordan is to support an
indigenous development in the country through community based
development program focusing on education, health and sanitation and
general capacity building of rural communities. The target communities
will be chosen from among the most needy groups in
rural
areas in Jordan, especially concentrating on Bedouins.
During recent years Fida has gained more experience about Arab world by
carrying out development activities in countries like Morocco, Egypt
and Palestinian territories. Establishing a new branch in Jordan Fida
will avail its services and experiences for the benefit of Jordanian
people as well. By doing so Fida also aims to strengthen its own
capacity to work with special development challenges of the area, such
as poverty reduction and job creation through micro projects. The same
kind of registration process has already been completed in Egypt. |
Minister of social development, Mr.
Ryad Abu Karaki and Director of
Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Olli Pitkanen signing an agreement
between Jordanian Government and Fida.
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