AMMAN (JT) -- The Poverty Alleviation through Community Development (PACD) project was officially terminated this week.
The project, carried out jointly by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the Ministry of Agriculture successfully supported the government in its fight against poverty in remote rural areas of the Kingdom, according to a statement released by the German embassy in Amman.
The closing event was held under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture Akef Zu'bi earlier this week.
In his address, the minister highlighted the project's efforts and achievements in alleviating poverty, especially among rural women.
Director of GTZ in Jordan Joachim Prey highlighted the good relations and longstanding collaboration between the GTZ and Jordan, which celebrated 30 years of cooperation in 2005.
J?rg Weik, the German project manager, and Basem Shamoun, the project's senior expert, briefed the participants on the project's working approach and its results and impacts.
The project developed an approach based on local level participation and strengthening of self-help efforts, the statement said.
Project experience showed that with the mobilisation of self-help efforts remarkable results can be achieved, and that ownership is one of the key elements required for sustainability in development work.
The project, which started in 1994 under the name "Watershed Management," established and supported local organisations for women, generally as cooperatives under the Jordan Cooperative Corporation, and some as voluntary societies.
A total of 17 local organisations were supported and more than 2,000 loans were extended for income generation and other activities to improve the livelihoods, according to the statement.
In addition, the project was able to attract considerable funding from other donors for the women's groups, allowing implementation of further activities.
Shamoun said 30 per cent of all income-generating activities produced revenues of more than JD1,000 annually, while another 50 per cent earned more than JD500 yearly.
The size of the loans -- repayable within three years -- depended on the type of activity to be implemented, with a maximum of JD900.
The cooperatives are now stable enough to continue on their own without external support, the statement said.
Eman Amarat of the Jabal Al Akthar Cooperative, Refqa Dodin from Manshiye Cooperative and Barakat Zghoul from Al Hilal Voluntary Society spoke about their experience with the project and how it contributed towards improving their income.
Germany is one of the Kingdom's main cooperation partners in various development programmes. To date, Jordan has been among the highest per capita recipients of German aid. During the last four decades bilateral development support to the Kingdom amounted to more than one billion euros in grants, soft loans, and technical assistance.
© Jordan Times 2006
