Global Voices Online » Ebtihal Mahadeen

Jordan: Community Work Changing Lives

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:08:42 +0000

In a heartwarming story from Jordan, Sha3teely blogs about his local community's efforts to help a visually impaired street vendor.

Here are the main characters:

توفي والد علاء وهو مازال مراهقاً صغيراً وأصبح على عاتق علاء مسؤولية كبيرة تكمن في رعاية أسرة من خمسة أفراد. ومن هنا بدأت رحلة أخرى لعلاء حيث لم يجد سوى العمل على بسطة صغيرة قرب أحد المساجد في عمّان.

Ala's father died when he was a teenager, and left his son to shoulder the responsibility of caring for a family of five. From then on, Ala' had no choice but to work as a street vendor near a mosque in Amman

توفيق وخالد صديقان من روّاد ذاك المسجد الذي حوى بسطة علاء. وفي كل مرّة يمر بها توفيق وخالد من أمام البسطة تقصر المسافة بينهم حتى أصبح السلام واجباً بين الشباب. وفي كل مرّة يمر توفيق أو خالد من أمام البسطة يتوقفان قليلاً للاستماع إلى قصص علاء الطريفة واسلوبه الساخر في وصف واقعه الذي يعيش

Tawfiq and Khaled are two friends who go to the mosque where Ala's had his humble business. And each time they passed by him they said hello and stopped for a short pause to listen to his funny stories about the reality of his situation

And then one day:

وفي يوم من الأيام اختفت بسطة علاء وطال غيابه واستمر هذا الوضع ما يقارب الشهرين مما أثار استغراب كل من توفيق وخالد اللذان سوارهما القلق والحيرة تجاه صاحب البسطة الضرير. وبعد شهرين عاد علاء إلى موقعه فسارع توفيق وخالد لسؤاله عن سبب هذا الغياب. فكان السبب أن التنمية الاجتماعية إعتقلت علاء بسبب البسطة وأصبح هذا العمل لا يجدي نفعاً أبداً ولكن لا يوجد لديه أي خيار آخر سوى الاستمرار في هذا الدوّامة.ومنذ تلك اللحظة قرر خالد وتوفيق أنه أصبح من الضروري تغير واقع هذا الرجل المأساوي ومساعدته بأي طريقة.

One day, Ala disappeared and was no where to be seen. Tawfiq and Khaled wondered what happened to their friend, who returned after two months. Ala's told his friends that he was arrested by the Ministry of Social Development, and that his work is no longer feasible, but that he has no other choice. From that point on, Tawfiq and Khaled decided that they had to do something to change this man's life.

Thinking of a way to help Ala':

في البداية حاول خالد وتوفيق تأمين كشك صغير لعلاء يستطيع من خلاله العمل ولكن عملية الترخيص كانت مستحيلة … وبعد أشهر عدّة إتصل علاء بالشباب وأخبرهم أن هناك بقّالة معروضة للبيع بالقرب من منزله. ومع أن الرقم كان فلكياً بالنسبة لعلاء ” ٨٠٠٠ دينار” إلاّ أن هذا الأمر لم يثبط من عزيمته وإقدامه. وهنا بدأ الشباب بالتفكير جدياً في المشروع ومساعدة علاء على تحقيق هدفه

At the onset, the two friends tried to get Ala' a small kiosk to work from, but were unable to obtain a license for it. After several months, Ala' told them that there was a small shop for sale close to his house. And even though the price for the place was set at JD 8000 (a little over $10,000), an astronomical number for Ala', he was determined to get it. This was when Tawfiq and Khaled started thinking seriously about helping Ala' realize his dream.

The story gets better:

وجد توفيق وخالد أن مساعدة علاء لن تكون مجدية بمجرد إعطاءه بعض النقود وأن عليهم أن يعملوا أكثر من أجل تغير حياته جذرياً. ومن هنا قرر الإثنان أن يتحول علاء من صاحب بسطة إلى صاحب دكّان قادر على شق الطريق بنفسه … بدأت عملية جمع المبلغ لشراء الدكّان، وقد ساهم الجيران والمعارف وأهل المسجد في ذلك.. وقام خالد وتوفيق بإقناع إمام المسجد بإلقاء خطبة عن المشروع لدعم الفكرة.وفي النهاية تم تحصيل المبلغ إمّا على شكل تبرعات أو ديون يتم سدادها من أرباح المشروع فيما بعد.

The two thought that they won't be helping Ala' if they just handed him some money, and decided that they must work to change his life dramatically by turning him from a street vendor into a store owner. So they started raising money to buy a store for Ala' — neighbors, acquaintances, and mosque-goers contributed to their efforts. They even managed to convince the mosque's Imam to give a sermon about the project in order to garner support for it. Eventually, they managed to get the money either through donations or debts to be repayed when the project turns in profits.

The project gets bigger:

ولكي يضمن كل من خالد وتوفيق نجاح المعروف بدأوا بطبيق الأفكار التي تساعد على تطوير العمل وديمومته.. فتحدثوا إلى صاحب محل تجاري ناجح وأخبروه القصّه، ولم يطلبوا منه دعماً مادياً بل طلبوامنه أن يقوم بتدريب علاء ونقل ما يستطيع من خبرات لديه، فاستحسن الفكرة ووافق على الفور. …
لكن صاحب المحل التجاري الناجح وجد أن جهوده ستذهب سدى لأن حال الدكّان والبضاعة التي فيها كانت في حالة مزرية وشحيحة. فاقترح على خالد وتوفيق جمع نقود أخرى لشراء بضاعة جديدة. وبالفعل تم جمع مبلغ آخر من المال على شكل تبرعات أو ديون لتأمين المحل بالبضائع.

To ensure the project's success, Tawfiq and Khaled started to implement ideas to help sustain Ala's new business. They convinced a successful store owner to train Ala' and did not ask him for any material donations. The man said yes but complained that his efforts will be in vain as long as the new store remained in its modest shape with so little merchandise. He suggested that they raise some more money to buy new merchandise, and they did.

…and bigger:

طلب توفيق من عمرو “وهو مخرج للأفلام” من تصوير المحل قبل وبعد البضائع الجديدة، إلاّ أن عمرو وجد أن حال المحل مزري ويحتاج بالعربي إلى نفض “فاقترح أن يتم تنظيفه ودهانه من جديد”. ولكن الوقت لم يكن في صالحهم فالدكّان قريب من مدرسة للبنات وقد شارف إنتهاء العطلة وبدأ دوام المدارس، فكان لا بد من البدأ بعملية التغير بأسرع وقت.

Tawfiq later asked Amro, a film director, to record how the store was before and after hauling in the new merchandise. The latter, however, thought that the place needed an overhaul, so he suggested it be cleaned and painted. As the weekend was about to end and the girls' school nearby was about to get crowded, the crew were pressed for time.

Sha3teely continues:

في صباح يوم جمعة، إتصل بي عمرو وأخبرني أنه يريد أن يأخذني إلى مكان ما بعد صلاة الجمعة. فكان المكان دكّان علاء وهناك قابلت علاء وأخاه ووالدته وعرفت عن حكاية علاء. وقال لي عمرو أنهم يريدون تغير المحل خلال يومين.. ظننت في البداية أنه كان يمزح ولكن عمرو لم يكن كذلك.

One Friday morning, Amro called me up and said he wanted to take me somewhere after Friday prayers. He took me to Ala's store, where I met Ala' and his brother and mother and learned about his story. Then Amro told me that they want to have an “extreme makeover” for the store in two days, I thought he was joking. But he wasn't.

وصراحة تحول العمل من مجرد دهان جدران إلى تغيير كامل للمحل… وبدأ الشباب بالاتصال بمعارفهم من الحرفيين من حداد ونجّار وكهربائي ودهّين ومعلّم ألمنيوم. وشارك الكثير من الشباب والأصدقاء كل حسب خبرته ومستطاعه.. كما ساهم شباب الحارة وأصدقاء علاء في كثير من الأعمال التي شملت النقل والتنظيف والمساعده وسهروا حتى أوقات متأخرة لإنجاز العمل.

The project turned from just painting the place into a complete makeover. The guys started calling their acquaintances; masons, carpenters, electricians, painters… Many friends contributed to the work, each within their capacity. Neighbors and Ala's friends stayed up late working, moving stuff, cleaning, or lending a hand.

بعد الانتهاء من العمل تحسنت أوضاع البيع والشراء وتضاعف المدخول وأصبح علاء قادر على إعالة أسرته وأصبح فرداً عاملاً ومنتجاً في هذا المجتمع، وفي الوقت الحالي يقوم هادي -وهو محاسب متخصص- بأعمال إستشارات وتدريب في الإدارة المالية والمحاسبية في المشروع.أمّا بالنسبة للمدرسة المجاورة فقد قام الشباب بشرح القصة لمديرة المدرسة التي أبدت دعمّا كبيراً لفكرة الدكّان وساعدت على ترويج الدكّان بين طالبات المدرسة.. ولكن مازالت هناك تحديات كبيرة أمام علاء وهي تسديد الديون المتراكمة وضمان إستمرار العمل. والآن تأتي الخطوة التالية لعلاء وهي تعلّم قيادة السيّارة!! ربما!

After the work was completed Ala's business started to take off and his income doubled. He was able to support his family and became a productive member of society. Right now, an accountant called Hadi is doing financial consultation and training work in the project. The guys even reached out to the nearby school, whose headmistress encouraged the students to support Ala's business. Ala' still faces many challenges, like repaying his debts and making sure his business stays afloat. Now comes the next step for him: learning to drive! You never know!

Sha3teely has a video up about the project, directed by Amro:

In concluding his post, Sha3teely says:

جعلتني أدرك هذه التجربة أن بذرة الخير موجودة لدى الجميع، مهما كانت أفكاركهم أو إتجاهاتهم، وأن عمل الخير معدي وقادر على التأثير في الجميع. وأن المجتمع في لحظات الحاجة قادرٌ على التكافل والوقوف في صف واحد من أجل التغيير.

This experience made me realize that everyone holds a seed of goodness, no matter what their ideas and ideologies are. I realized that doing good is contagious and able to affect everyone, and that in its moments of need, the community can stand together for positive change.

Jordan: Bloggers Come Together in Celebration

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:13:37 +0000

Jordanian bloggers came together to mark the second Blog About Jordan Day on March 12, an initiative started in 2008 by Qwaider, who, this year, encouraged people to participate in the day:

It's blog about Jordan day, a time to take a few minutes, out of your busy schedule -saving the world- to give Jordan, the country that is as unlikely to exist as the universe itself. Yet, it's there, and it's loved. And despite all the dark disadvantages, and horrible challenges, Jordan and Jordanians press on, and take on major challenges, to displace a spot among the stars

Many bloggers opted to take part in the event by posting photographs, like Jordan Journals below:

A Jordanian Sunrise .. Image courtesy of Jordan Journals

Jordanian and expat bloggers wrote about Jordan's perks and advantages, about its problems and future, and some were inspired to reflect on their personal attachment to the country.

The Arab Observer, explained the importance of the occasion:

It is like a national holiday where sentiments of nationality and patriotism are spread in the air, mostly with appreciation for the achievements and prospects Jordan has

Naser recorded the top 10 annoying things he misses about Jordan, Sozan reminisced about her life in Jordan, while Wings of Butterfly wrote a short poem to celebrate the day:

As I walk through the street of Amman
Exchanging greeting and smiles
Noticing ambition in youths’ eyes
Being supervised by people who’re old and wise
I deeply sigh at the lovely sight
And realize that Jordan’s name had been carved on my heart

Ammar, from Confessions of a Vegetarian Shark, wondered “why Jordan seems to age much faster than it should, as signs of early dementia are creeping into the collective psyche:”

“See Jordan, isn't a cabinet position, and loyalty to Jordan, shouldn't be measured by how many government positions are held by a clan, a city, or a cardinal direction. Jordan isn't a farm, not a principality, it's not a bank or an ATM machine, not a supermarket, not a postcard, it's not a hotel, and it certainly isn't a never ending chain of intellectual experiments.”

And on the question of what Jordan is and isn't, Hareega evaluated the national mood:

“Whenever we realize that we actually have to work a little bit with no immediate gain on the horizon we get discouraged. We don't get democracy. We don't get patriotism. We think of it as a song and a flag and not as concept of self-sacrifice for the sake of others living in the same land”

Farah agreed:

People who complain about everything here without actually doing something bug me just as much as those who don't want to admit we have problems. We do, there's nothing wrong with that as long as we're willing to do something about it

But it wasn't all criticism. Some bloggers personalized the occasion by reflecting on their positive experiences in the country. In the words of Kinzi:

Where else would every person you meet have a cousin in every city you’ve lived?
Where else does everything stop the first rain of the season and even adults are seen drinking it in outside?
Where else is ‘pita bread and hummous’ a daily delight and not an expensive exotic delicacy?
Where else does one word of badly spoken Arabic elicit a roomful of oohs-aahs and encouragement to learn more?
Where else can you call for help from a creepy groper and have five men pounce on the wayward-handed one?
Where else can you walk by a neighbor you never met and they invite you for tea that minute?

Layla, from Caledoniyya, concurred that Jordan has a bitter-sweet taste to it:

Complex yet imbued with a beatific simplicity; hectic yet vastly empty; freezing damp yet equally arid, it is a country of contradictions, and if she had been a contestant on one of my favourite guilty pleasures, Jordan would be the ‘ugly-pretty’ girl on America’s Next Top Model.

Traditions still alive in Jordan.. Image courtesy of Hamede

On the occasion, Mohammad Badi extended a welcoming hand to his non-Jordanian readers:

If you’re not jordanian or even not an arab you will live in peace and also you’ll have the respect and the love from all, because we are in jordan one family muslims, christians and others living and sharing our feelings, dreams and thoughts with each others without no intolerance or bias.

Hope for positive change propelled some bloggers to write down their dreams for the country:

As much as I love this place and can always find something good to say, I know that the changes that need to happen can happen. One of the reasons I stay is that I want to be a part of such changes, even if in the smallest capacity. That's my hope. - Southern Muslimah

I dream that our country will have honest elections, and that our people will select their representatives based on qualifications and not nepotism or JD 50 bribes - Hamede

As Jordanian bloggers now await the next BAJD in March 12th, 2010, it would be interesting to see if their styles for commemorating the day will remain the same. Will there be more criticism? More praise? More hope? BAJD 2010 will answer these questions.

Jordan: Blog About Jordan Day Approaches

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:33:47 +0000

Blog About Jordan Day, an initiative started in 2008 by Qwaider, has begun. The day designated for all bloggers, Jordanian or not, to write about Jordan in any shape or form, is marked on March 12th of every year.

In the words of the blogger behind the idea, Qwaider says:

“It's that time of year again. March is the month of Blog About Jordan day. March 12th to be exact. This year it's going to be even more spectacular than last year.”

A Facebook group for the day states:

This is an initiative to start something that will hopefully last for years to come. March 12th of Every year will be called: Blog about Jordan day.

A live coverage on the day is also available here.

123-Jordan, or BAJD, garnered a lot of attention last year both online and offline, as a local radio station contacted several bloggers to interview them on the occasion. It remains to be seen if the 2nd BAJD will be as successful. We'll keep you posted!

Jordan: The Gaza Connection

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:19:05 +0000

As Israel continues its attack on Gaza, Jordanian bloggers move beyond condemning the violence and translate their words and feelings into action. A 7iber/Action Committee campaign to collect donations spirals beyond what was planned by its organizers, as The Black Iris reports:

I remember seeing the sheer volume of donations piled up in mountains, sprawled across the warehouse floor.
The next day was New Year’s Eve but we managed to get just enough people, arriving in different shifts throughout the day, to help sorting. This process has taken about four days as of now.

We are talking about roughly 40 tons of donations.

All collected in 48 hours, if not less.

Blogger Ali, among others, was actively involved in the campaign and he provides a detailed account of the sheer magnitude of the campaign along with videos of the event.

The feelings of Jordanians are also echoed by companies supporting their efforts to send aid to Gaza. Jordan Journals mentions efforts by Pharmacy One to collect medical supplies, which was an initiative of blogger Southern Muslimah. 7iber and the Action Committee report that their donations campaign could not have succeeded if not for the help of Aramex, Cozmo shopping center, and various food and beverage outlets which supported them throughout their hard work.

In addition to sending aid to Gaza, Jordanian bloggers keep a close eye on traditional media coverage of the situation. Jad posts a video of Queen Noor's interview on CNN, while Lina, author of Into the Wind blog, publishes a round-up of American media treatment of the situation, and Ramzy Baroud bemoans the largely verbal reactions of world leaders.

Other bloggers focus on the involvement of their governments in the attacks on Gaza. Qwaider writes critically about the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty, while Tololy urges Jordanians and Arabs in general to shoulder their responsibility toward Palestinians. More creatively, Sha3teely mirrors these sentiments through a cartoon.