A safer park and community centre for Southern Jordan Valley residents inaugurated

Southern Jordan Valley, Jordan 9 December 2022- The Ghor Al Safi Zaha Cultural Centre and Park has been officially inaugurated. This park and community centre were developed and implemented by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in cooperation with Zaha Cultural Centre and the Municipality of the Southern Jordan Valley.

At the inauguration, Youssef Al-Bawat, the Mayor of the Southern Jordan Valley Municipality, called the new community center "a model for developing talent and creativity and for enhancing the growth and awareness of the community from an early age," and explained that "this center calls for improving the standard of living for the Southern Jordan Valley."

This was further emphasised by Rania Sobeih, the CEO of Zaha Cultural Centre, who expressed the community’s “need for centers concerned with creativity and innovation, outside of academic education." She also highlighted that, thanks to the strong partnerships of this joint programme, “Today, despite all the challenges, we are able to stand here in the Zaha Cultural Center in Ghor Al-Safi."

Lubna Shaheen, Senior Urban Programme Officer at UN-Habitat, explained that, due to the integrated participatory approach of the programme, the local community were also essential partners. She added that  “Sustainability is the basis for the success of this project, so we worked on building partnerships with the Municipality of the Southern Ghor and the Zaha Cultural Center, who in turn will operate and manage the park and the community center.”

Highlighting the significance of this joint work, Silvia Gallo, the UNOPS Head of Programmes said, “I’m very proud to be here today and see what UN agencies can do when they join forces and work with local authorities and communities.”

“This place is buzzing with life and hope,” said Frida Khan, the Country Coordinator of the ILO office in Jordan, praising the transformation. She added that this programme “represents the best of partnerships,” including between the UN agencies and with civil society, public institutions, and the private sector, and highlighted “the commitment of the municipality to its community.”  

The park now includes inclusive and safe play areas for all ages, with a specific consideration of children with disabilities, shaded seating areas, a multi-use area designated for social and cultural activities and for a market, which will serve as a platform for the creation of livelihood opportunities for vulnerable women, as well as an area that is allocated for the implementation of sustainable agriculture methods.

The community centre within the park will host the different social, cultural, and capacity building activities, including the tailored training on entrepreneurial skills and livelihood creation to enhance socioeconomic conditions of women. A community needs assessment was conducted to ensure that the community’s needs are met through the operational plan of the park and community centre.

“We are thankful that we got the opportunity to develop our businesses through this programmes support,” said Khadijah, a woman from the local community who participated in the opening day bazar and received training as part of this programme. “We have been benefitting from the opening of this park as we have been able to promote our products and now our businesses are becoming known in this area,” she added.

This was emphasized by Sabah, who described the park as a “comfortable open space for fresh air,” and added, “Since it is an open space in the centre of a residential area, it has been a space for us to promote our business and become known among many people.”

Yasmine, a young girl living near the park, explained the importance of this park for young girls, saying, “Me and my friends are comfortable and enjoy visiting this park to play and hang out. We didn’t use to have a space like this with these activities before.” 

This park and community centre were developed under the “Socio-Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Women in Ghor Al Safi through Improving Access to Safe, inclusive and Green Public Spaces” programme. This programme is considered the first of its kind in the area and will benefit the 37,040 Ghor Al Safi inhabitants, of which 46 percent are women, as well as those from neighbouring communities. It contributes to Jordan's social and economic recovery post-COVID-19 and has sought to unlock the transformative power of safe and green public spaces for strengthening livelihood opportunities and enhancing the socioeconomic empowerment of vulnerable women in Ghor Al Safi, which will aid in easing the household and financial tensions.  

This joint programme was funded by the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi Partner Trust Fund. It was made possible through contributions to the UN Response and Recovery Fund by the governments of Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Finland, New Zealand, Croatia, Iceland, Thailand, Slovak Republic, and Cambodia.