Al-Karma Center…Creative Empowerment
Governorate: Amman
District: Greater Amman Municipality
Community Type: Suburban
Location
Al-Karma Center is located in Jabal Al-Natheef, in the eastern outskirts of the capital city, Amman.
Description
Jabal Al-Natheef is an underprivileged area in Amman, originally occupied by refugees. The area suffers from problems typical of suburban communities in Jordan: poorly designed housing, lack of recreational facilities and high average family size. The area’s total population consists of 50,000 residents.
Problems and Challenges Facing the Area
• Over population and crowding.
• Basic water and electricity infrastructure.
• Lack of sufficient health care centers.
• Inadequate space to live with bad housing situations.
• Lack of awareness on health, social and environmental issues.
• Lack of recreational areas and children nurseries.
• High average family size.
Economic Problems Facing the Area
• Poverty.
• High unemployment rates.
• Lack of economic opportunities, especially for women and youth.
• Lack of income generating projects.
• Lack of vocational training.
• Due to the lack of birth control, average family is relatively large.
• The lack of professional childcare centers prevents women from being able to leave their homes to pursue jobs.
The Jordan River Designs Project
The Jordan River Designs Project, in existence since 1988, now operates under the umbrella of Al-Karma Center. The project employs 16 women and contracts with another 500 women to embroider traditional and contemporary home furnishings, gift items and fashion accessories.
The embroidery project was set up to assist Palestinian refugee women with extra income, as well as to maintain and promote traditional Palestinian heritage while using a traditional cultural technique. As the project grew, other women from the surrounding area joint the project and different embroidery techniques from the different areas of Jordan were introduced.
Since its inception, over 1500 women have benefited from the project and over 3 million Jordanian Dinars have been paid to the beneficiaries.
The beautiful intricate hand-made items are now being sold at the international markets and enjoy a good reputation worldwide. These items include quilts and bed covers, cushions, wall-hangings table runners and mats, shade lamps, and small gift items.
In 2005, the Jordan River Designs project partnered with CosmoQueen , a project established by two famous Dutch designers to provide over 100 women with the prospect of continuous work and a new experience in creating luxurious products. The project produces Limited Edition luxurious shawls made for the top segment of the western market.
In’am Abdul Fattah (Um Akram) is a 45-year old mother of eight children, who has been working with the project for the last 15 years. She began by working from home and is now a full-time employee in the workshop. “My husband’s meager income was barely enough and we couldn’t make ends meet. But through my work with the project we are able to secure a decent living for our children.” she said.
In 2002, the Jordan River Foundation obtained funding from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) to implement an integrated community development pilot project in Al-Natheef area under MoPIC’s Social Productivity Program. The project targeted the poor and less advantaged with the aim of achieving overall social and economic development for the Jordanian society at large.
Goals of Jabal Natheef Pilot Project
1. Workings with lending institutions on assisting community members obtain loans to finance their small business or project.
2. Working with the Training and Employment Support project and employment offices on creating job opportunities for the unemployed.
3. Assisting eligible members of the community in obtaining cash assistance from the National Aid Fund.
4. Designing and implementing social infrastructure projects where and when necessary.
5. Promoting the kind of partnership, between the community on the one hand, and public and private agencies on the other, that is conducive to overall development.
Several projects came into existence from the Natheef Pilot Project which stemmed from the needs of the local community members. In addition to the Jordan River Designs project, Al-Karma center was established to house the following projects:
1. Al-Karma Kitchen
Al-Karma Kitchen is an initiative that aims at utilizing the women’s skills in generating income. Women from this economically disadvantaged neighborhood, who used their creativity and resourcefulness in nourishing their families, were chosen to supply the Kitchen with meals and sweets, each as per her “specialty.” The freshly baked pastries and savory dishes produced at Al-Karma Kitchen taste like “homemade food” with an added flavor of social entrepreneurship.
The women are responsible for managing orders, purchasing supplies and cooking at Al-Karma Kitchen. Chefs from Amman’s renowned hotels gave the women additional training and a few of their “secret recipes.” The menu’s moderately priced items and delivery option make Al-Karma Kitchen a favored catering service for both individuals (especially working mothers) and organizations.
2. Al-Karma Nursery
The absence of proper child-care services in Jabal Al-Natheef meant that infants and toddlers of working mothers were left in the care of extended family members, neighbors or complete strangers. Some mothers even refrained from accepting jobs out of concern for their children.
Al-Karma nursery is a bright and cheerful day care center where professional, well-trained staff divides their time between creative play, nurturing and caring for an average of 15 children daily.
3. Al-Karma Computer Literacy Program
Also available at the Center is a well-equipped information technology and training institute, that offers a variety of fee-based training courses. Topics include preparation for the International Computer Driving License and various computer software and Internet applications. The training room is often rented by local businesses and organizations for workshops and training sessions
