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JOHUD strives to empower communities
in Jordan
to be able to influence the key decisions which affect their lives. Since JOHUD was established more than 30
years ago, it has adopted a community-based focus, choosing to go out to the
most remote and underserved areas on the country so that the people there get
access to the goods and services to which they are entitled. JOHUD tackles geographic and social isolation that otherwise
can create barriers of exclusion; JOHUD
aims to strengthen the social cohesion and harmony that is a positive factor of
life in Jordan.
The role of community plans
In each of the 50 locations where
JOHUD operates a Princess Basma Centre, they start with a community based plan.
This process helps provide people with a voice and a
platform to be heard. When the community sets the priority for action, they are
more committed to the process and are more likely to sustain the positive benefits.
Strengthening local institutions
People are more effective if they work
collectively towards a shared goal by forming committees and associations,
which can then have more of a long term impact. JOHUD helps build the capacity
of such institutions from informal women's and youth groups, to women's and youth committees, to business
associations, parents groups and coops. JOHUD helps groups register as coops,
and then provides training in such fields as book keeping, governance
structures and election of representatives and officials, organizational management
and reporting back to constituencies. Transparent and accountable local
associations provide a solid foundation for local level democracy.
Working with local stakeholders
Our work always aims to empower and
involve the whole community. The CDC-led planning process involves working with
local service providers, such as the directorates of health education,
education, social development and agriculture. Representatives from these
service providers and local authorities attend CDC planning activities, and
help advise on better coordination and where to fill the gaps. This also provides
more reliable evidence on which to make informed decisions, and to tailor
services to meet local needs. 
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JOHUD
Projects: Involving the community in education:
PTAs strengthen
parents, teachers and community relationships
Bridging the
gap between parents, teachers and children
In Jordan, parents
want to be involved with their children's education. But sometimes may not know
that there is a Parent Teachers Association (PTA) at their local school.
Through the PTA Project, this need has been addressed. The PTA project
mobilizes the community, helps them understand how they can be involved,
provides parents with the necessary knowledge and skills to interact more
effectively with the school. It also strengthens the necessary formal
structures so that parents have a more important voice in decision-making about
their children's education. There are now five active PTAs in five public
schools, the PTA programme is now being replicated in other parts of the
Kingdom.
Education
Reform: Preparing for a knowledge economy
The concept
of a PTA is not new to Jordan;
in many schools (both private and public), PTAs have been very active.
However, in other communities, especially where there are limited resources, or
where the school is geographically or socially isolated, it has been more
difficult for parents and teachers to maintain an active role for the PTA. Now,
with significant investment being made in the upgrading of the whole of the
education system with upgrading of infrastructure, the provision of
state-of-the art equipment, redesign of the curriculum, and the training of
teachers in new methodologies, it is of vital importance that parents are
fully involved in the process. During the design phase of the ERfKE project,
the need to strengthen the parent-teacher linkages became clear. The PTA,.a
collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Counterpart International and
JOHUD, addresses this need.
Life-long
learning - involving the whole community
The school
is at the heart of any community: for every family, it provides a unique space
where their children gain the necessary knowledge, skills and self- confidence
to allow them to develop to their full potential as adults. The school also
strengthens the whole community, reinforcing the positive moral, social and
cultural values that create the strong fabric of Jordanian society. As
more parents, teachers, administrators, children and community leaders
participate actively in promoting life-long education and learning, the social,
economic and political development of Jordan is enhanced.
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