AMMAN - For the first time in its history, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is joining forces with the private sector to establish a project that will support socio-economic development in the Ajloun Forest.
HRH Prince Ali launched the Orjan Soap House Project on Sunday evening at the Soap House in Jabal Amman.
This is a new direction for the RSCN, which is partnering with Trinity, a young Jordanian company founded by Dina Azar.
The name is taken from a small village on the outskirts of the Ajloun Forest Reserve in the north, where seven local women hand make the all-natural olive oil soaps.
Azar is responsible for training the women in the art of soap making and will be leading a number of workshops over the following year to train more women in this ancient tradition.
She explained that the business gives back to the community by employing local residents and using the community's natural resources. For example, the olive oil used to make the soap is purchased from the village.
RSCN's nature-based enterprises, "provide jobs tied to the protection of natural areas and create improved livelihoods for poor rural communities", according to project's founders.
By purchasing any of their products, "you are directly contributing to the protection of nature in Jordan".
Those invited to the launch had the opportunity to do so. Ranging from antioxidant-rich pomegranate soaps to mint soaps with toning properties, interested buyers had plenty to choose from.
The soaps cost between JD1.95 for a small cake to JD5.75 for a large bar.
When asked if she felt she was getting value for her money, one foreigner responded, "yes, because the soap is all natural and hand-made. Also, I am supporting Jordanians and their environment".
According to Azar and Maria Vinci, a marketing assistant at Wild Jordan, there are big hopes for the Orjan project.
"Our future goals are to increase capacity and employ more women... we definitely want to have a bigger market," Vinci told The Jordan Times, adding that there was a possibility of expanding the products to include lotions and lip balms.
The products are currently available at the Soap House and at the Wild Jordan Shop and their outlets.
Azar explained that the soaps will also be placed in five-star hotels, in areas visited by tourists, and hopefully marketed abroad.
Wild Jordan, the RSCN's business unit created to develop socio-economic programmes in Jordan's nature reserves, plans to engage the private sector in other initiatives in the very near future, according to Vinci.
In his address at the launch, Prince Ali highlighted the importance of the initiative, which was cofunded by the European Union and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
The versatile olive
• The olive is the king of the table, according to an Arabic saying.
• It should not come as a surprise then that olive oil is on its way to becoming the queen of the bathtub.
• Known for its nutritional role in reducing the risk of heart disease, olive oil is also a beneficial ingredient in soap-making due to its moisturising properties.
• Besides cooking, it is used to manufacture cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.
• Olive trees and olive oil are integral parts of the Middle East's cultural and culinary traditions and have been for thousands of years.
• Olives are one of the most important and numerous trees in Jordan, covering an area of around 1.26 million dunums.
• In 2006, the Kingdom harvested around 243,500 tonnes of olives, of which 44,848 tonnes were allocated for domestic consumption and 198,683 tonnes were used to produce olive oil.
• According to the International Olive Council, which Jordan joined in 2002, the olive tree is the source of income for over 12 million people around the world.
By Sandy Hanna
© Jordan Times 2007
