Working with JRF, I discovered there are no limits to ambition. Working with youth, inspired me even more to develop myself personally so I enrolled in University; something I never thought was possible.
"I was shy and had few friends; today I am blessed with many friends within my community.
"I never thought that this experience will change me into a complete different person.
"The training I received on Basic life Skills, Leadership Skills and volunteering have enriched my teen years and developed my personality.
"I liked to practice what I learned at home, and I had no idea that my brothers and sisters were learning too.
"We were determined to find the space in our compounded school building, and with humble resources we agreed to renovate the old storage.
"My work with JRF and in the complex enriched my experience and my university studies; it is truly the ultimate prize.
"The smile we draw on the innocent faces of these young girls is the source of our strong-will and determination to continue and expand the work we have started", thank you JRF.
"“My father encourages me to continue my education after he witnessed my success; I am a changed woman. Today I am a real member in the family; participate in decision making equal to my brothers and full of belief that in order to make a change, you should change from within yourself first.
"Through JRF's training programs, Madeline and I are able to identify cases of abuse in school, assist girls through creative and indirect methodologies such as writing and drawing and cooperate with the Family Protection Department in Aqaba when needed.
"I had no idea Suha was going through such a hard time. I could see there was something wrong, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Thank you for helping us
"I felt so good after that call” said the counselor who spoke to Suha and her mother, “it is live proof that doing what we do can have a real impact on someone’s life. Suha is not alone in her struggle anymore, we made that happen
"I would have never imagined meeting Her Majesty one day, but when she visited Wadi Araba, I realized that we have achieved something to be proud of.
"My parents, who opposed the idea at the beginning, recognize the new me and encouraged my twin brother to join.
"My experience with JRF changed me, I realize now that the prize is bigger than money; it is great friends and the feeling of pride every time I pass by a school or a street that we helped to change.
"In University, am not Abu Sakher or the head of an association, am just a regular student and my daughter’s colleague.
"When Her Majesty’s visited us to share our experience, her words motivated us; I will never forget it when she said we rephrased the meaning of the word “Citizen” through our work.
"The beacon that guides the residents towards one goal for the benefit of all.
"I am so grateful for your help, I have talked to my mother about what I am experiencing and she has been very supportive since
"We are proud to declare that the Safe Room has assisted more than 60 girls since 2009 and was successful in returning ten dropouts to school again," "corporal punishment have dropped down significantly, and parents are showing more collaboration with our project.
"My dream is to start my own business one day soon.
"I want to be popular like other girls in my class”, she complains “why is this happening to me?
"I come from an area of small farmers who can barely sell their produce to the local market and with the suppressed prices during the high season, the farmers are content if they just break-even… a cold storage and a food processing unit was a dream for us but we never thought that it can become reality.
"I feel empowered as I became one of two decision makers in my house. I now help my husband around the house, I learned how to drive and bought my first car after three years of work. My husband and I bought a land and a house and we are saving for the education of our three children.
"I lived my childhood in KSA, I had no idea what the word “volunteer” meant until I became one.
"It was a daunting path towards an old and dark storage room, we never imagined that this same space could become a bright, safe and attractive room, it has actually become our favorite spot in the school.
"I would have had no future if it wasn’t for the program and the support of the Jordan River Foundation.
"Like many, I was occupied with the details of my own daily life. I walked in the neighborhood on a daily basis, it was impossible to avoid the scattered garbage or twisting my ankle when walking over a hidden hole; yet I did nothing, we did nothing to change. It was always easier to blame the authorities. All of this changed once we enrolled in the JRF’s program which taught us the spirit in working as a team.
"JRF has transformed me into a Super Citizen
"The desert of Wadi Araba became a green paradise producing only the best, and our community divided one day, is now working together under Qaa Al-Se’diyeen Association.
"I continuously talk to my peers and encourage them to enroll in the centers various programs and activities. At school, I stood out in my class as I became more confident and empowered; now I want my younger brothers to join the center so they get the same opportunity I did.
"Both skills and experience that I acquired from the center made me feel that I have a message to share with other women; my work as an educator is just a small token to show my gratitude.
"Inside us is a new feeling that we haven’t experienced before, the feeling of true citizenship and responsibility towards ourselves and our community”
"We are in a much better place; our voices are heard by authorities after a long time of silence, we know how to deal with challenges and transform them into opportunities.
"I was empowered by Jordan River Foundation’s training and worked hard to change, leading my father to change too”
"I knew that this project can change my life... I met many people and have more self-confidence.
"I felt like a prisoner, today I accept my daughter’s illness, I know how to deal with her, before I used to deal with her illness instead.”
"My life has changed completely.
"The Safe Room is a haven for distressed girls whom we have longed to assist for the past years," "in this space, students can speak freely and confidentially about their deepest pains and fears, seek guidance, and receive support.
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In such an age of technology, computers are no longer a luxury but a necessity, and their use has become important to every member of a family. An indispensible skill to retain, computer literacy improves opportunities for children, youth and parents. It provides the means for knowledge sharing and acquisition and is powerful tool for learning, self expression and innovation.
Upon establishment, QRFCC realized the need for IT learning and access to computers to be included in its children and youth programs. The need for an interactive learning IT lab where children can acquire IT skills, interact with one other, and express their feelings and ideas through technological means continuously surfaced in QRFCC workshops and activities. Although access to computers in Jordan is increasing throughout Ministry of Education Schools, the Jabal Al Nasser area lacks the availability of IT learning facilities; leaving a large number of low-income families computer-illiterate. Since the children and adults of such low-income families have less access to computers, they in turn have fewer opportunities to realize their potential, and excel academically when compared to more privileged children.
The computer lab at QRFCC does not only provide instruction on computer skills and the use of various computer programs, it also demonstrates how computers serve as a tool through which children, youth and parents can learn about the concepts of child safety and rights, interact positively with each one another within a group, express themselves freely, and think creatively in a positive and stimulating environment. In addition to the different programs conducted in the IT lab, participants also learn how to use the internet effectively and have supervised access to safe and constructive websites through that expose them to the extensive information available on the internet. Currently, not many centers offer tips on online safety, particularly in relation to bullying and disclosure of personal information by children to potential abusers. QRFCC’s unique model of an IT Lab specializes in offering both concepts of safety, as well as digital literacy that aims to further educate and empower beneficiaries.
The aim of the “Clicking for Opportunities” is to enhance children’s welfare through the empowerment and participation of family members in different IT based programs, hence promote positive family dynamics as well as IT literacy. Through this workshop, QRFCC aims to utilize various IT applications in encouraging children and adolescents to relay messages of safety, child rights awareness as well as promote opportunities for cultural exchange via the web. Our concept of technological fluency involves not only knowledge on how to use technological tools, but also on how to contrast things of significance with these tools. A technologically fluent person should be able to move from an original idea to the implementation of a technological project.
JRF also realizes the significance of youth and their instrumental role in the long-term process for social change. Young people account for one third of the total population in Jordan, and they are and will remain a significant definitive aspect of Jordanian society. This demographic composition poses a challenge for Jordan’s government and civil society to meet the needs of these young men and women. Their empowerment and capacity building during this transitional period of their development is, therefore, of utmost importance. With relation to this, QRFCC plays an important role not only in providing youth with access to technology but also to improving their skills, sharing information, building their self confidence and allowing them to acquire the necessary tools for personal and professional success.
To this end, JRF strives to recruit youth volunteers with IT backgrounds who will be trained to conduct IT training and workshops and hence develop their professional capacity. To accomplish this, JRF will rely on its established Volunteering System to recruit and ensure the retention of qualified volunteers, who will in turn offer specialized IT sessions to children and youth.
To empower our community as a whole, we also need to address the needs of parents, as well as children and youth. Parents should be part of the change, since empowering parents enhances the parenting process. Parents should be aware and capable of introducing their children into the world of computers and to the significance of acquiring computer skills as one of the tools that will build their children’s future. It is important to convey the message to parents that such skills are not only important to children but to them as well, so that they can better understand their children and their developmental needs through joint activities, using technological resources.
