THE JORDAN RIVER FOUNDATION has two main areas of concentration:
Protecting the rights and needs of children through the Jordan River Children Program
Empowering individuals and communities through the Community Empowerment Program
What we do?
As a leading Jordanian NGO, The Jordan River Foundation (JRF) is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families through its national programs, the Community Empowerment Program and the Jordan River Children Program.
Since Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah established JRF in 1995, it has been directly involved in empowering local community members and protecting children from abuse.
Empowering local community members helps combat poverty and ensures sustainable development. The Community Empowerment Program (CEP) is based around the belief that the individuals themselves are the most knowledgeable about their needs and priorities.
CEP Projects make available economic opportunities and are designed in the field with the individuals themselves, who are involved in the selection, design and implementation of projects. Factors taken into consideration include the resources of the area, feasibility of the project, sustainability and lasting impact of the project on the lives of the community members. Capacity Building and Business Development Services and training sessions are provided to the members from day one of project conceptualization and continue until the local members are fully capable of taking control over these projects. The Projects are then handed over of the members of the local community.
Lack of economic opportunities, poverty and ignorance are major risk factors of child abuse. Jordan is the first Arab country to build an Arab Child Safety Model and establish a national framework to combat child abuse. 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.
To combat child abuse, the Foundation provides both intervention/ rehabilitation and prevention services in addition to training and public education.
The Jordan River Foundation’s programs:
• Jordan River Children Program
In 1997, the Jordan River Children Program (JRCP) was launched as a result of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah''s relentless efforts to place the welfare of children at the forefront of national policy agendas. Her Majesty''s conviction that the well being of future generations should be of primary concern to Jordanian society has been the driving force behind this key initiative.
This program, unique to Jordan and the Arab world, faced many challenges upon its establishment because of the sensitivity of the subject. Now JRCP is an integral component of JRF''s activities. However, through groundbreaking efforts the Foundation continues to be a pioneering organization by bringing this sensitive issue into the consciousness of Jordanian citizens and decision-makers.
The JRCP, with the mission to respect and support families in their task of nurturing children, provides a broad umbrella for the Child Safety Program. The program is designed to address intervention, prevention and awareness needs in Jordan. The objectives are to enhance positive child-rearing practices to protect children, as well as to identify, confront and eliminate various forms of abuse through awareness, prevention and rehabilitation activities. These programs also strive to strengthen positive healthy interactions between family members, particularly with regard to nurturing children within this basic building-block of society.
The JRCP partners with the ministries of Social Development, Health and Education, and the Family Protection Department of the Public Security Directorate, a collaboration of public institutions and NGOs. JRF is also a member of the larger National Family Protection Project established to function under the auspices of the National Council of Family Affairs.
• Community Empowerment Program
The Community Empowerment Program (CEP) exemplifies the Jordan River Foundation''s commitment to sustainable human development. Through its various projects the CEP aims to empower communities, inclusive of the more vulnerable, to participate in creating their own economic opportunities and improving the quality of their lives.
PROGRAM GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Community Participation:
In all CEP projects traditional and private sector leaders, community-based organization members and local government officials are involved in identifying challenges facing their community and ways to resolve such issues. Project design, ownership mechanisms, legalization and community contributions all involve broad community participation.
Community, government and private sector stakeholders work together to achieve the most effective and transparent use of natural and human resources in project activities. In the initial stage of Al-Karma project local residents actively shaped the project by identifying needs in their community and proposing solutions to such challenges.
Sustainability:
CEP''s vision for sustainability is built upon community ownership and fostering technical and transparent management skills among project beneficiaries. With support from JRF''s Training Department, project leadership and community members acquire skills needed in all phases of implementation to enable them to manage and expand the impact of their activities. In the Rural Community Cluster Development Program (RCCDP) this has included growing almonds (Madaba), raising camels (Wadi Araba), creating wool products (Badia) and enhancing food production (Ajlun). This commitment to innovation is directly shaped by environmental considerations in order to contribute to positive sustainable development in Jordan.
Economic Opportunities:
By creating permanent and temporary employment, circulating resources in local communities and encouraging entrepreneurial initiatives CEP contributes to increas economic opportunities in Jordan. Over the years the Bani Hamida project has employed hundreds of women and currently provides approximately 450 with part-time work spinning, weaving and dyeing wool. CEP also strengthens the private sector by securing goods and services from local vendors and introducing new technologies under RCCDP such as the mechanical green fodder units for Jordanian production. Additionally, CEP helps to build positive and transparent relations between such businesses and local communities.
• Capacity Building and Business Development Services
The CBBDS Unit aims to build the capacity of individuals, institutions and cooperatives by providing businesses with managerial and technical training services, consultancies, referrals and other services as related to community needs. Through JRF’s involvement in local communities, it became evident that capacity building is a crucial component to development initiatives and for the long-term sustainability of projects. Therefore, JRF incorporates capacity building activities from the onset of project design through final implementation. Since CBBDS establishment in 1999, a total number of 5,064 persons - 809 men, 1,675 women, and 2,580 benefited from training and short business management sessions. The CBBDS areas of expertise are as follows:
Community Mobilization
The objective of community mobilization is to encourage the initiative of community members and effective participation of the targeted community regarding needs determination, prioritization, design and project implementation through various activities and tools selected according to the local community nature and needs.
Improving Local Community Efficiency In Project Management
Since all our interventions require a percentage of community contributions, either in-kind or financial, this activity encourages the importance of local community contributions, while also cultivating their abilities to implement and manage projects successfully. Topics focus on the tendering process and phases, purchasing criteria, project management, team building, planning, evaluation and follow-up of projects.
Business Development Services
Business development services aim to build the capacity of entrepreneurs (business owners, start-ups and managers) and provide the necessary business management skills and knowledge to enable them to start and improve their businesses. The training focuses on preparing feasibility studies, market research, marketing plans, costing, bookkeeping and planning. This is in addition to providing special technical training and guidance to identify new business opportunities.
Institutional Capacity Building for NGOs, CBOs and Municipality Planning Committees
JRF’s experience in this arena aims to enhance and improve efficiency and ability to manage projects successfully while ensuring their sustainability. Topics addressed include leadership skills, communication skills, strategic planning, financial systems, budgeting, program and resource development, proposal writing, and human resources management.
Training Topics
The CBBDS Unit uses a training methodology that strengthens beneficiaries’ technical and managerial capacities to meet their needs while also utilizing needs assessments to identify other possible weaknesses. Then as necessary, the CBBDS follows-up with these beneficiaries related to business performance. The training topics and materials developed by the Unit include but are not limited to the following topics:
• Team building
• Proposal writing
• Resource management
• Human resources management
• Sales and marketing skills
• Marketing research and strategies
• Customer service provision
• Income-generating project cycles and planning
• Feasibility studies
• Costing and pricing
• Preparing action plans
• Procurement plans and systems
• Bookkeeping
• Financial analysis
• Communication and negotiation skills
• Entrepreneurship – Start and Improve Your Business
• Writing business letters
Areas Covered By CBBDS Training Services
• All governorates in Jordan have benefited from CBBDS services
• CBBDS hosted three groups from the Iraq – Kurdistan district
Our trainers have been able to provide training services to neighboring countries. Benefited countries in the region include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates
Exploring available opportunities and creating useful networks
CBBDS builds networking systems and provides consultancy services for institutions, associations, and foundations that work in related fields or provide related or interrelated services. This helps theses entities save time and money, join efforts for better achievements and increase efficiency and quality of work.