The Jordan Times
By Laila Azzeh


SOUTHERN SHUNEH-Kafrein, an area in the Southern Shuneh District hit hard by poverty and unemployment, had a date with the National Goodwill Campaign on Monday.

Underprivileged families received holistic assistance that varied from scholarships and medical treatment to financial and in-kind assistance.

HRH Princess Basma, president of the campaign′s higher committee, presented urgent assistance to some 300 families and orphans, while 20 students received financial support to continue their higher education.

Among them was Sarah Khreis, a second year biotechnology student, whose large family is struggling to make ends meet.

The Balqa Applied University student′s father works in construction for JD200 a month, which barely puts food on the table for his 12 children, four of whom are university students.

The campaign′s activities also included a dental awareness campaign targeting 200 children and 50 women.

Princess Basma and members of the campaign′s higher committee presented the children with toys, clothes and personal hygiene products.

Inaugurating a yogurt and pickles plant at a society in Kafrein, the princess underlined the importance of the private sector′s cooperation in supporting local communities within its social corporate responsibility.

She listened to a briefing on the plant′s needs, while the campaign donated several appliances to ensure product quality.

Princess Basma also visited Southern Shuneh Hospital and checked on the kidney dialysis unit, which was established under the poverty pockets empowerment programme implemented by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) with the support of the Planning Ministry.

A total of 24 patients benefit from the unit every week, according to hospital director Fayez Kharabsheh, who highlighted the difficult experience patients had to go through when they had to travel to the capital or other regions for treatment.

The JD39,270 unit is equipped with state-of-the art devices.

Classified as a poverty pocket region, the Southern Shuneh District in the Jordan Valley is populated by around 48,000 residents, whose average family size is estimated at 6.6 members.

The illiteracy rate in the district stands at 30.7 per cent, with the vast majority of inhabitants working in agriculture, followed by government jobs.

Launched in 1999 by JOHUD, the National Goodwill Campaign provides support for the poor and marginalised across the Kingdom.