Jordan
Every child who comes to the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) center in Jordan brings their own unique gifts, personality, and life to our work. As much as we want to grow their potential in areas where they experience challenges, we also want to encourage their potential in the areas where they express joy and talent.
Imani first came to our center in 2018 as a young teenage girl with a hearing disability, with the goal of improving her speech. However, we soon discovered that she had a natural talent and love for art. Her notebook was filled with pencil sketches and coloured drawings. One of the Operation Mercy staff members also shares a love of art, and so from the beginning it was decided that they would have one session every couple of weeks to develop Imani’s skills in both drawing and painting. Over the months, Imani learned and practised mixing colours, as well as how to paint skies and other scenes from nature—often the two of them sitting side by side, painting together at the center.
Now, several years later, Imani is a student at the University of Jordan, studying art. Recently, she reached out to us, asking if there was something she could do at the center while on a break between semesters. In fact, we had yet to finish the murals on the outer walls of the center facing the village street. And so, once again, Imani and the CBR team member mixed colours together and painted. This time, though, they painted words—sharing colour and hopeful messages with the community.
For all of us, it was encouraging to see this quiet teen now turned into a confident and talkative university student. It was a reminder that as we walk through small steps of growth with our students, these small steps can lead to a more hopeful future for them.
A Savings Group Success Story
My name is Ghada, and I am a member of the Artery of Hope Savings Group.
Today, I would like to share a success story—an idea that started with the savings group and grew into a project to cultivate more than 60 dunams of land.
Walking Through Challenges Together
“Everyone has faced different challenges in their lives,” Hamza says. “If one of us cannot walk through one of these challenges, a [fellow] participant can help him overcome this challenge.
“Will we finally move now?”
“Will we finally move now?” The smile on Rania’s face was unmistakable. A combination of elation, joy, and anticipation was reflected in her expression as she entered the room and,
Contributing to the Community
Many unemployed men end up spending a lot of time at home doing nothing. Feeling isolated, they often have too much coffee and tobacco, too little exercise,
Sing Hello
“Fahid, it is your turn to sing!” Our volunteers encourage and then, with a little bit of prompting, Fahid begins to sing for us.
An Event for Mothers
“This is for me?” One of the ladies asked, looking at the beautiful hand-held mirror she just decorated. Her question is perhaps not surprising. For these village women,
Professional and Interpersonal Development
“The people here stood with me,” says Om Waleed*, recounting her young daughter’s need for surgery. “Even though my family is all the way in Syria,
Farming in the Jordan Valley
The biggest challenges facing agriculture today are climate change, soil degradation or excessive salinity in the soil, water scarcity, pests and diseases, and the need to ensure food security for a growing population.
From Desert Diesel Tank to Fertile Market Garden
10 years into the Syrian conflict, people remain resilient for their children’s sake, and they still hope to go home even if they can’t imagine how that will work out.
An Exercise Programme For Women
At the end of 2024, we ran a six week exercise program for Jordanian and Syrian women in Zarqa. The women who attended hadn’t had any connection with Operation Mercy in the past.
Saiid’s Smile
Saiid was beaming, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. Not only was his house finished to the point that he and his family could start living in it,
Colours of Hope
A new initiative started at the beginning of the year with the aim of training a group of teenage boys with disabilities in practical skills. By learning to repair wheelchairs,
Nutritional Diversity: From Farm to Table
There must be zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, corn, cabbage, and peppers.
Visits to Farms
Our Agricultural Cooperation for Development (AC4D) project in Jordan is working within communities to support farmers with immediately adoptable and cost-effective technologies to aid in to management of the most pressing issues in smallholder agriculture in the Middle East.
Shoulder to Shoulder
“Before,” shares Hamza, “my relationships were limited. Now, in the project, my relationships grow and grow.”
Nurturing a Talent
Every child who comes to the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) center in Jordan brings their own unique gifts, personality, and life to our work. As much as we want to grow their potential in areas where they experience challenges,
Change Impacts Relationships and Community
This man speaks of the dynamic relational and inner life that develops when participants move through Keystone’s 3-to-6-month training.
Incorporating Technology with Traditional Farming Practices
A new generation of younger farmers, having access to the internet, are considering how to incorporate technology with traditional farming practices.
Innovation and creativity are key!
Innovation and creative marketing are a key (and necessary) component of young farmers in Jordan
Joy Through Playing
After the earthquake in Morocco destroyed homes and buildings throughout the High Atlas Mountains and other regions, our partners assisted with relief efforts and then with rebuilding –