Queen Rania encourages youth participation in community development

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Queen Rania encourages youth participation in community development


At the Launch of JRF Community Empowerment Center in Aqaba




(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- Aqaba) –Her Majesty Queen
Rania Al Abdullah attended today the launch of the Jordan River
Foundation (JRF) Center for Community Empowerment named after Her
Majesty in Aqaba. The Queen Rania Al Abdullah Center for Community
Empowerment aims to provide comprehensive social and economical services
in coordination with the local community and stakeholders and is
supported by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Aqaba
Development Company (ADC).
Her Majesty was received at the center by Ms. Valantina Qassisieh,
JRF Director; Eng. Ghaleb Al Qudah, JRF Deputy Director and a group of
local officials.
Her Majesty toured the center’s facilities, stopping by the daycare
and counseling rooms and greeted the center’s employees at their
offices. Her Majesty commended JRF and the center’s employees on their
dedication and the great results that she’s seen during the launch.
Queen Rania passed by the “power of colors” workshop for 20 kids and
their mothers in the center’s interactive activities hall. Her Majesty
talked to the mothers and their children and heard from them about the
positive benefits they reaped from the workshop.
The Queen also checked up on the computer lab, where a group of 21
youth were participating in a workshop that targets adolescences between
the ages of 14-16 years.
A group of 14 women beneficiaries of the center met with Her Majesty
during her tour. The group is currently participating in a training
course that aims at enhancing the women’s communication and outreach
skills with youth and teenagers.
Her Majesty also met with a group of forty beneficiaries from income
generating projects funded by Citigroup and Old Aqaba City Association.
The meeting was attended by youth volunteers group “Maghaweer Al Aqaba”.
The Queen expressed her pride in the results she witnessed firsthand
in the center, stressing the importance of volunteerism in community
development efforts by all parties involved. Her Majesty especially
focused on the importance of youth participation in such efforts,
encouraging them to be actively involved in their local communities.
Her Majesty had laid the corner stone of the center in April, 2008.
The center provides community empowerment services that target families,
adolescences and youth, social workers, students, researchers and local
community organizations.