Noor Al Hussein Foundation
The Noor Al Hussein Foundation (NHF) was established by Royal Decree in 1985 to help improve the overall quality of life of Jordanians by responding to their diverse socio-economic needs, introducing innovative, dynamic and sustainable development models, and setting national and regional standards of excellence. Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor, NHF and its programs have helped advance development thinking in Jordan by progressing beyond charity-oriented social welfare practices to integrate social development strategies more closely with national priorities.
The NHF has been working in five main areas: community development, women and enterprise development, micro-finance, child and family health, and culture and arts. In the twenty-one years since its establishment, the NHF has developed pioneering projects that have become an integral part of Jordan’s economic and social development and have served thousands of needy families. These projects have received regional and international recognition as development models and training centers, particularly on women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation programs.
NHF’s participatory approach to rural development – which integrates labor-intensive and self-employment approaches with business development, health, education, and socio-economic empowerment of women and their families -- has helped thousands of people to develop their vocational skills, increase their income, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Since 1999 NHF has been focusing on the following core areas:
Community Development Project,
Child and Family Health,
Culture and Arts, and,
Micro-finance
, with an emphasis on women’s empowerment. These projects have received regional and international recognition as development models and training centers by the World Health Organization, CGAP, Mix Market, and PlaNet Rating Commission.
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The Noor Al Hussein Foundation’s success in implementing an integrated, participatory approach at the national and regional levels is reflected by numerous indicators. As a result of NHF’s interventions at the local level, family incomes have risen; unemployment has been reduced for both men and women; school enrollment rates have increased, especially for girls; and the number of female dropouts has also decreased. The number of women receiving prenatal care has increased, breast-feeding practices are on the rise, and mothers and children better utilize the services of the national health centers. Consequently, children’s health and nutrition have improved. Contraceptive use has increased, accompanied by a decrease in family size. A rising awareness in communities of women’s and children’s rights has paved the way for the reduction of gender disparities and the enhancement of equality for women. There has been an increase in awareness of the importance of safeguarding the environment and an overall improvement in community infrastructures.
Such changes have spread to communities throughout Jordan and the region, demonstrating that NGOs can play a vital role in integrated, sustainable development, and that they can successfully act as catalysts, advocates, and supporters of an effective social safety net.
NHF's
Community Development Programs, consisting of the
Quality of Life Project, the
Qudorat Program, the
Poverty Pockets Project, and
NHF's Training Unit
(Business Development and Social Training), provide innovative methodologies for socio-economic development. NHF's Community Development Programs reach thousands of families in villages across Jordan, focusing on capacity-building, income-generating project initiation, and micro-finance.
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The Foundation’s strategy focuses on a business-oriented, marketing approach for micro and small enterprises with a special emphasis on women’s empowerment and self-reliance. NHF provides extensive on-the-job training that enables women to manage their own businesses.
Through the efforts of its
Cooperative Unit, NHF has handed over some of these projects to local women who have transformed them into cooperatives and carved a successful niche in the marketplace. NHF continues to support these independent cooperatives with product development and marketing.
Due to the overwhelming success of its micro-credit programs, NHF received a grant to launch an affiliate microfinance company in 1999, the
Jordan Micro Credit Company (Tamweelcom). Today, Tamweelcom is reaching thousands of small entrepreneurs, allowing them to start new businesses or expand existing ones.
The
National Music Conservatory established a unique Jordanian children’s orchestra and has been the main proponent of music education, training and cultural exchange in Jordan. The
Performing Arts Center combines development with the arts through its innovative theatre–in–education approach that disseminates development messages through drama and interactive theatre. It has also established Jordan's first drama and dance schools. Both the National Music Conservatory and the Performing Arts Center are dedicated to furthering cross-cultural understanding through the arts within Jordan and the world.
The
Institute for Family Health, formerly known as the Institute for Child Health and Development, is a national training center for child development specialists to help raise child health care standards in the country. Currently, the Institute extends comprehensive health care services to address the family's overall well-being.
The success of NHF Projects has confirmed that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can play a leading role in sustainable development, and act as catalysts and supporters for the social safety net.
Jordan – Noor Al Hussein
Foundation
:
P.O. Box 926687
Amman 11110 - Jordan
Tel: (962-6) 560 7460
Fax: (962-6) 560 6994
Email: khf-nhf@khf.org.jo
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