The Jordan Times
By Laila Azzeh
 

KARAK - Students at a special education centre in the south are busy making a better life for themselves with a helping hand from the National Goodwill Campaign.
 

The Mutah Special Education Centre in Karak, 118kms from the capital, trains people with different disabilities on various skills to help support themselves.
 

Abeer Qaraleh`s years of sewing courses at the centre, affiliated with the Welfare of Disabled Persons Society, have paid off.
 

The 27-year-old, who is hearing impaired, now exhibits "excellent" sewing skills according to her teacher Amneh Sarayrah, who in turn excels in sign language.
 

"I`ve been teaching the girls sewing and embroidery for almost 20 years now," she told The Jordan Times, noting that scores of her disabled students have graduated over the years and managed to find work.
 

However, things are not all "rosy" at the centre, she noted, explaining that transportation is one of the main problems facing the centre`s students, who sometimes have to skip classes because they have no means of reaching the centre.
 

In rooms next to the sewing workshop, students with various mental and physical disabilities attend classes or receive vocational training, while others with autism are learning to adapt to the surrounding environment.
 

HRH Princess Basma, president of the National Goodwill Campaign higher committee, on Tuesday toured the centre, which is supported by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD).
 

During her visit to Karak, Princess Basma also visited a number of societies and was briefed on their activities and challenges.
 

Underlining JOHUD`s commitment to provide all means of support to the societies to enable them to continue their humanitarian work, she highlighted the fund`s efforts to build "genuine" partnerships with the private sector to alleviate the suffering of the underprivileged.
 

The Princess presented assistance to 10 societies in Karak to establish income-generating projects, such as a yogurt factory, sewing workshop, kindergarten and multipurpose hall.
 

Launched by JOHUD in 1991, the National Goodwill Campaign has served numerous underprivileged families and has grown over the years to become synonymous with support for the poor and marginalised.
 

In cooperation with the private sector, the campaign has enabled needy families to benefit from vital services by providing health and education assistance as well as income-generating projects.