The rapid progress that has been made in the Information Technology (IT) industry has resulted in remarkable advances and growing global access to information and communication tools. It has also created an extremely lucrative market for those working at the cutting edge of technological innovation.

JOHUD recognises the important role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) as a means of empowering communities. We also believe that connecting people to the growing ICT market can act as a positive and potent force for sustainable human development. As such, JOHUD supports national efforts to reinforce ICT infrastructure and ensure that the majority of communities have access to internet at home, in schools, and in community centres.

These efforts represent just one crucial component of a broader strategy that is being implemented throughout the nation’s education system: to create a knowledge-based economy in Jordan that will see our nation emerge as a leading regional hub for IT services.

Barriers to Technology
Although developments in the ICT sector are spreading throughout Jordan, the benefits of this digital renaissance remain out of reach for many of our citizens. Persistent poverty acts as a significant barrier to the benefits of technological innovation, as very few poverty stricken communities can afford the costs associated with essential hardware, software and, Internet service subscription fees.

Public spaces that provide low-cost Internet access (such as Internet cafes) exist throughout the country, even in low-income areas. However, this service is often only available to men, as some members of traditional communities consider it inappropriate for women to spend time in these places unsupervised. These factors make it necessary to bridge the digital divide in Jordanian society. Despite the challenges associated with achieving this outcome, JOHUD remains committed to its success.

Knowledge Stations to Bridge the Digital Divide
JOHUD has established 24 knowledge stations within its Community Development Centres, to ensure that as many Jordanians as possible are empowered through greater access to ICT. With the help of the National Information Centre, each knowledge centre has been provided with Internet access, helping those living in Jordan’s most remote communities to learn how to utilise Internet resources and software packages. Efforts like these extend Internet access to women and children of all ages, thus promoting self-driven education and learning for all community members.

Computer Clubhouses to Nurture the Most Talented Students
JOHUD has also created three excellent computer clubhouses, in Amman, Irbid, and Madaba. Each clubhouse is well-stocked with computing technology to help students learn a range of skills, from music production and graphic design, to robotics and coding. Our clubhouses are also partnered with a global clubhouse network, giving our participants unique, special opportunities to interact with and learn from groups from around the world at conferences, gatherings, and online forums.

Education, whether directed to adults or children, is vital for helping the country learn and develop. With higher standards of education, Jordanian community workers and leaders can help to identify better and more efficient solutions for Jordan's challenges.

Eureka Mobile Science Labs

Eureka is a PBYRC project which runs two Mobile Labs (a general science lab and an environment-themed lab), promoting core themes that complement the Jordanian school curriculum.

The mobile labs are after-school settings that aim to provide 10-16 year old students with safe spaces, opportunities and tools to interact with and implement different scientific experiments and environment-focused activities that connect them with real life.

The labs will encourage students to think creatively and scientifically, through activities that are engaging and easy to lead, with the goal of creating an interest in science and the environment, building their knowledge and skills and encouraging experimentation and exploration. The focus on science and the integration of environmental and conservation themes and ethics in communities will help to inspire Jordan’s youth and may lead to a greater interest in careers in the sciences and/or environmental protection.

The Mobile Science Labs regularly travel between Princess Basma Community Development Centers all around the kingdom, targeting a range of students in two main groups: younger children (Grades 4 -6) and young teenagers (Grades 7 – 9).

For more information, contact the team:
Telephone: +962 6 5052431 -246 
E-mail: eureka@johud.org.jo

ZENID

To ensure that our vision holds long into the future, JOHUD has recognised the need to invest in resources that can train future generations of Jordanians to lead the development field.


The Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute for Development (ZENID) was established in 1994 to provide training courses and to archive national, regional, and international human development knowledge and expertise. In response to growing demand, the range of activities and services that ZENID provides has expanded over the years. ZENID is now a vital institution that can provide individuals and organisations with the cutting-edge knowledge and skills needed for effective development work.

ZENID’s developmental expertise has been informed by decades of experience collecting, analysing, and storing the knowledge that its parent organisation, JOHUD, has accrued as Jordan’s foremost development organisation. Although past experience is vital, ZENID’s human development strategies and training programmes are regularly revised to adapt to the ever-changing conditions experienced in Jordan’s development sector.

ZENID provides accrued knowledge resources and best practice standards to a variety of volunteer groups, governmental agencies, student and youth groups, and women’s societies. Through the provision of training, awareness raising programmes, research, and consultations, ZENID improves competencies by equipping development actors with the tools, techniques, and knowledge required to strengthen their initiatives. These programmes are focused on human capacity building, whilst being flexibly designed and tailored to the particular needs of clients.

To help improve the capacity and awareness of the Jordanian public at large, JOHUD has also created the national Queen Alia Competition (QAC). This popular contest invites young people and adults from around the Kingdom to submit written entries for cash prizes (worth up to 2000JD for the best entries). Not only does the contest provide great opportunities to win prizes and recognition, it helps ordinary people engage in key development subjects, such as the environment, civic engagement, and moral subjects. Our related Jo-Green Competition also invites talented engineering students to submit architectural plans and designs for ecologically-friendly buildings, helping to uncover budding talent and encourage new generations of designers to engage with environmentally friendly concepts.

JOHUD also runs a separate competition that aims to identify and reward successful community projects and volunteers. Since 2011, the Princess Basma Award for Human Development and Community Service has been recognising initiatives and champions of change in local communities throughout Jordan. The competition, which carries the name of JOHUD’s chairperson, seeks to celebrate the work and achievements of Jordan's most successful development practitioners, activists and thinkers.