Jordan

Overview
Since 1937 NEF has worked continuously in Jordan, concentrating initially on vocational training, literacy, agriculture and rural development. In 1971, the late King Hussein awarded us the prestigious Star of the Second Order for our contributions to Jordan in economic and social development.
NEF is registered as an international NGO with the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development. We have a staff of six in our Amman office and an extensive network of local consultants and development partners with whom we have worked for many years.
NEF is known in Jordan for its support of local NGOS, approach to institutional capacity building, and work in micro-finance, fish farming, and increasingly water and environmental issues. Over 20 years ago, NEF developed and piloted a community-based credit (CBC) methodology in Jordan which has since been expanded to provide technical training and support services as well as capital inputs to small community groups, larger JNGOs, donors, and related regulatory agencies—not only in Jordan, but throughout the Middle East. NEF has on-going relationships with more than 200 local NGOS, including social societies, cooperatives, civic clubs, and youth groups.
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Projects

Empowering Civil Society
Background
In the last decade, millions of people have been displaced due to conflict in Syria, and many have sought refuge in neighboring Jordan. Unemployment is a major challenge facing both refugees and Jordanians, as employment opportunities are limited and work permits can be difficult to obtain. More than 85% of Syrian refugees live under the Jordanian poverty line, and without savings or resources, many refugee households in Jordan turn to emergency coping strategies that may include child labor, early marriage, or withdrawing children from formal education. This poverty especially impacts women and girls.
Impact
Funded by the Open Society Foundations, this project aims to reduce highly vulnerable refugees’ and Jordanians’ vulnerability to social protection risks and increase their knowledge, social, and productive capital. It empowers civil society to deliver training that builds vocational and entrepreneurship skills, life skills, financial literacy, productive asset protection and development, group support, and savings for more than 1,000 Syrian refugees and highly vulnerable Jordanians.

Employability and Enterprise Training for Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanians
Background
NEF UK aims to build more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive communities across the world. Currently Jordan has one of the largest refugee populations, with over 600,000 Syrians and 53,000 Iraqis. NEF UK will receive nearly £120,000 over two years to develop an employability and enterprise program to support refugees and vulnerable people in Jordan.
Impact
The funding from the City & Guilds Group will see NEF UK’s vocational training centers (also known as ‘Siraj’ centers) establishing a network of 24 ‘Master Trainers’ in Jordan. These ‘Master Trainers’ will then go on to train 6,000 vulnerable refugees and Jordanians, enabling them to progress into employment or to establish their own microenterprise. Support from City & Guilds Group helps NEF UK continue to find innovative and impactful ways to help struggling refugee families and host community families find dignified ways to lift themselves out of dire circumstances.

Enhancing the Economic Resilience of Displaced Iraqis and Poor Jordanians
Background
Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced for a decade in Jordan, and newer arrivals are unlikely to return home. Banned from working, most struggle to meet their families’ basic needs. The lives of impoverished Jordanians are becoming increasingly difficult with the influx of refugees. Unfortunately, only minimal resources are made available by the government and the international community.
Impact
In partnership with four local organizations in Zarqa, Jordan, NEF worked in the Zarqa governorate to support Iraqi refugees and poor Jordanians in designing and acquiring the life and technical skills necessary to launch viable micro-enterprises in order to achieve financial independency and self-reliance. A first-of-its-kind model, NEF specifically designed the project to prioritize safety and flexibility at every stage of the implementation process. Uniquely designed trainings and strategic workarounds – such as home-based production and factory outsourcing – empower women and youth beneficiaries to sidestep the conservative social and familial norms that would have otherwise precluded their participation in the workforce. 830 women and youth (including males) were assisted to start microenterprises and small businesses. A follow-up assessment showed that 100% of business were still in operation one year, with an average increase in household income of 48.5%.

Reducing Vulnerability of Refugees and Host Communities in Zarqa
Background
Refugee families living in Jordan increasingly rely on low-paying, irregular work and child labor (including exploitive and hazardous work) to survive. At the same time, many vulnerable Jordanian households are struggling to cope with depressed wages and increased rent and food costs generated by the last decade’s influx of refugees.
Impact
Building upon models and successes achieved through the recently completed Enhancing the Economic Resilience of Poor Iraqi and Jordanian Women and Youth (EER), NEF IS reducing vulnerability to negative coping strategies among 1,560 poor, vulnerable and urban refugees and their Jordanian host communities (50% Iraqi; 20% Syrian, and 30% Jordanian). To reach its goals, NEF is (1) strengthening capacity of 4 CBOs’ to implement livelihood programs, (2) helping expand or launch 900 Jordanian- and refugee-owned microenterprises, and (3) reducing risk of harmful coping strategy adoption among 280 Iraqi and 280 Jordanian adolescents through financial literacy and savings trainings.

Economic Empowerment for Vulnerable Jordanian Households
Background
This 4-month project applies NEF’s tested community-based approach to engaging vulnerable women in economic resilience activities in Irbid and Mafraq governorates. NEF has partnered with two Community-based Organizations (CBOs) to deliver business and vocational skills trainings to help women (affected by the Syrian refugee crisis) create/expand 50 small businesses and achieve self-reliance and independence.
Impact
The project launched in August 2015 in the presence of Senator May Abu-Samen and was also covered by local print and broadcast media. More than 100 applications were received from women in both areas. One hundred women were selected based on vulnerability criteria. Thirty percent of women were visited at their homes to confirm their vulnerability. The women received business plan training and subsequently developed business plans and 91 successfully submitted business plans for potential funding. On the basis for business plans, 53 women were selected for additional vocational training in areas such as sewing, hairdressing, food processing, and marketing in the Mafraq and Irbid areas. Sixty-five women were selected to receive grants to begin their home businesses.

Promoting Positive Coping Strategies for Syrian Refugees and Jordanians
Background
This six-month project aims to reduce vulnerability to negative copying strategies among 75 poor, vulnerable and urban Syrian refugees and Jordanians (70% refugees, 30% Jordanians). NEF will establish five savings and loan associations and host financial literacy trainings to build participants’ self-sufficiency and lead to the creation or expansion of small business activities.
Impact
After launching in August 2015, 75 women have received training in principles of savings and loan associations and financial literacy, including business planning, and five savings groups are now operational.

Youth Forums Initiative to Promote Gender Equality
Background
Jordanian women’s literacy and educational attainment rates have improved dramatically in recent years and these gains have translated into meaningful improvements in public participation or social agency at home and in the community. As such, NEF finds it imperative to develop opportunities to promote gender equality so that we continue to see these rates develop as a norm in the community.
Impact
NEF will work in partnership with 5 Youth Centers and 10 schools in Tafilah Governorate from Buisra, Ein Al-Baida, Qadesseh, Gharandal and Tafila districts to (1) equip 200 youth with the knowledge and capacity needed to promote gender equality, (2) launch 10 youth-led women’s right initiatives that challenge gendered inequalities in these communities, and (3) foster ongoing dialogue and advocacy on women’s rights at the regional and national levels through social media, topical workshops, and the founding of a dedicated Youth Consultative Sub-Committee.
People We Serve
Our work is based on a conviction that, to play an active role in the development of their communities and countries, people need opportunities and tools: the knowledge to participate in civic and economic life, a voice in public decisions that affect their wellbeing, and a means of making a meaningful living.

Ahlam and Maisoon
Jordan
After meeting at a NEF business development training, the Ahlam and Maisoon, two Jordanian women, decided to merge their kitchen appliance businesses to increase their profit margins.
“I think it is important for women to work because nowadays, with the bad economy, it is not enough for the father of the family to be the only financial provider,” Maisoon said.
Ahlam agrees. “If the father of the family is able to put food on the table and pay for rent with his income alone, it’s really enough,” she said. “But for the other expenses, it is burdensome to rely solely on him.”
She continued, “The financial support that was provided by the Near East Foundation significantly impacted our lives. The business we started enabled us to support the needs of our two families. We then expanded our work by adding other products, such as carpets and blankets, due to the demand of our customers. We started earning a monthly income of about 450 to 500 dinars, and after improving and expanding our business with help from the NEF trainings we were able to increase our profits to more than 2000 dinars. Maisoon and I are always thinking of our future plans to continue to develop and improve our business.”
To promote their business and market their products, Ahlam and Maisoon created a Facebook page named “Everything a Housewife Needs.” It is already widely popular with more than 1,000 likes. They also are working with restaurants outside of Zarqa—primarily in Amman—to showcase their products at female oriented events. In the future, they hope their business will expand to allow their families to live a decent life. Ahlam and Maisoon face challenges as businesswomen in Jordan. “Sometimes, women say to us that working is against our femininity, and I tell them no,” Ahlam said. “Sometimes they tell me I will become a man carrying all those heavy appliances, but I don’t care!” Maisoon chimed in, adding, “We [women] are more capable of doing a lot of things—much more than men. We work, cook, teach the children, and take care of the house. Men just work and then go home feeling tired.”
Now that they are successful businesswomen, Ahlam and Maisoon enjoy benefits beyond earning a living. “If you ask me about myself now, my self-confidence is that of 10...no, 20 men!” Ahlam said. “If many men tried to shake my confidence, they will not be able to. Because of my business, I feel much stronger than before. I don’t get scared to go places and meet new people.”
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Ekram Abdullah
Jordan
Over the past year NEF has worked in the Tafilah Governorate of Jordan to promote gender equality and women’s rights by creating a network of youth forums comprised of passionate young men and women who want to evoke change in their community. Ekram Abdullah, only 19-years-old, spends her free time attending workshops and youth forums at the Busira Youth Center for Females to fuel her passion for justice and equality.
Ekram, a recent high school graduate, initially got involved to acquire knowledge on women's rights so she could then disseminate that information—making other women aware of their rights in government and society.
"Many things are not allowed for women because of the careless intentions and limitations people put on women," she said. "Women must work to erase these limitations."
She derives her passion for promoting women's rights and gender equality from her personal experiences, and the support she receives from her mother and seven sisters. Ekram said she sees change occurring slowly in her society. One change she has particularly noted is the decrease in early marriages, which is something she is familiar with from her sisters' experiences.
"The increased participation of women in society has helped women be more accepted in different spheres of society regardless of the old traditions and old ways," Ekram said.
She hopes to continue to learn more about women's rights and gender equality, and would like to one day serve as a trainer in the program. Her participation in NEF’s project to promote gender equality in Tafilah has helped expand her knowledge and encouraged her to confidently be able to advocate for her rights and the rights of women in general.
"Thanks to this project I now know the real rights, how they can be applied and attained by women, and how to encourage women to raise their voices to advocate for their rights," she said.
Within six months enrolling in the project, Ekram has taken the initiative to help forum trainers coordinate skits on topics pertaining to women's rights, such as education, women in society, and early marriage. "Although I feel like society is often against me in trying to spread advocacy for women's rights," she said, "I will continue to raise my voice."
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Ghosoun Ismail
Jordan
Ghosoun, a bright-eyed and demure 35-year-old Jordanian woman living in Zarqa, is now the proud owner of a clothing business. When Ghosoun first launched her business, with the help of a project-grant, she had difficulty marketing her products and attracting clients. Over time she learned to rely on word of mouth as the best form of marketing. Slowly, she built a client base through customer referrals—the majority of whom are her relatives, neighbors, and her sister’s neighbors.
After attending NEF’s business development trainings Ghosoun has been able to expand her clientele. She also works hard to go out and seek new clients whenever she hears of a nearby female gathering. As a result, Ghosoun now brings in between 80 to 100 JOD per month in profit from her business.
“NEF’s financial support helped me to start my clothing business and has helped me to contribute to the household expenses, especially the expenses of my daughters at university. The training that was provided on developing a business plan taught me to rethink how to calculate the cost of goods, and also helped me to get rid of shyness when dealing with customers and suppliers.”
Ghosoun has built her business to serve her customers complete with a home delivery system, because her clients trust her to be honest with them about the quality of her products and fair price. Her clients like to buy from her, because they can get exactly what they want without having to contend with the hassle of going to the market or dealing with traffic and unfriendly merchants.
In the future, Ghosoun wants to expand the variety of clothing she sells and hopes to buy more dresses made of better quality fabric so that she can sell them at a higher price and increase her profit shares.
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Mona Shalash
Jordan
Love for her family inspired Mona Shalash, a Jordanian wife and mother, to join NEF’s project so she could learn the skills needed to start her own business. With a disabled husband unable to work, Mona is now the primary breadwinner in her home. Although her son and daughter-in-law do their best to contribute to the family income, they do not make enough money to support themselves and must rely on Mona to help make ends meet.
With the grant money Mona received from NEF, she started a children’s clothing business. She sells primarily to relatives and neighbors, and is currently working to expand her client base through word of mouth. She says her clients are very dedicated to the success of her business and frequently introduce her to new customers. With the $250 profit she makes each month Mona hopes to be able to save enough money to open a children’s clothing shop, which would allow her to spend more time selling her wares and less time traveling from bazaar to bazaar.
The project-grant she received from NEF had a huge impact on Mona’s quality of life. “After I received the grant, I felt like I was strong enough to do anything...If someone plans for something, they can achieve it,” she said. “My husband, son, and his wife support me and my business.It is different when you don’t have enough capital to start something versus when you do. It’s very empowering.”
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Nora Amer
Jordan
Nora is a grandmother of outward fragility and internal strength who was inspired to start her own chocolate business by watching chocolatiers on TV. “I was fascinated by how much you can do with chocolate, and I wanted to experiment with it,” she said. Nora lacked the capital needed to start her own business, but after receiving a start-up grant from the Near East Foundation Nora was finally able to launch her chocolate shop.
Nora began selling her chocolates to family, friends, and neighbors. Despite the challenges presented by her age, Nora’s dedication to her business is palpable. In an effort to increase her clientele, she also sells her sweets at the local market. There she displays intricately wrapped packages of home-made chocolate covered nuts and other mouth-watering treats—made with the high quality chocolate she is able to purchase with the project grant. She notes that the quality of the wrapping and the presentation of her products are just as important as the quality of the chocolate.
“After I started the business, I had peace of mind because I was able to express myself and to financially
help my two daughters, who are divorced, and my grandsons,” she says. “I use the profits earned from my chocolate business to help my daughters take care of their children.”
Looking toward the future, Nora wants to expand her business and make chocolates for major celebrations and holidays and sell chocolates at shops and airports. Although she is no longer able to leave the house as frequently as she would like, her will to succeed allows her to overcome physical obstacles. Despite the challenges of running her own enterprise, Nora is thrilled about the opportunities her chocolate business has given her family.
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Jordan
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma

Asma
Jordan
Asma and her family are from Homs, Syria. After their home was destroyed in 2013, she, her husband, and their three children fled to Jordan where they now reside. Like the majority of the five million Syrian refugees who seek refuge in neighboring countries, Asma’s family chose not to remain in a refugee camp and moved into a low-income neighborhood in Jordan’s urban sprawl. Although she and her husband found informal work cleaning houses, cars, and cooking for neighbors, they were unable to earn enough to meet the family’s basic needs.
Today, she and her family are financially stable and Asma is operating a small cooking business. Her prepared meals and catered goods have gained a reputation in her neighborhood and demand for her product has grown, allowing the family to pay down their debts and meet their needs.
Asma was able to get her in-home business started after received business and financial literacy training, ongoing mentoring, and a cash grant from NEF's livelihoods program in Jordan. Through trainings she learned how to develop a business model, market her products, interact with customers, set prices, and enter into new markets. With the project grant, she purchased a refrigerator for food preservation, giving her as she says, the “push” she needed to get started. Asma’s household has seen a 50 percent increase in income from her in-home cooking business. Her customer base continues to grow, and she plans to invest in additional equipment and another refrigerator to keep up with increasing orders.
On how this experience has impacted her, Asma said, “I have a stronger personality now. I want to make sure my product is perfect, unique, and different from the other products in the markets.” She has gained confidence and independence, especially with regard to decision-making on where to spend money, saying, “Now if my kids ask anything from me, I can do it.” The family has now started to save some money for the future and emergency expenses which brings Asma and her husband great peace of mind. “Why should we be weak", says Asma, "we should be strong and able to face challenges. Why? For us, for our children, for the generations to come. We must persevere."
Ahlam and Maisoon
Ekram Abdullah
Ghosoun Ismail
Mona Shalash
Nora Amer
Community of Dayr Al Kahf
Asma