25 Years of Poverty Relief and Refugee Assistance in Jordan – Jordan

From seasonal food aid to farm workers to medical aid to Syrian refugees, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation (BTCF)’s footprint of love in Jordan has continued uninterrupted since its first winter distribution in 1997. . In 1997, we provided monthly rent subsidies and necessary food packs such as rice, sugar, tea bags, lentils and cooking oil. A farm worker is short on income from his November to his April, and the food assistance provided by BTCF will help him get through these lean months.

As of 2022, the scale of winter relief has expanded to include 1,600 families at 19 distribution stations in 11 rural areas, including the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea Valley. BTCF also provides children and women with winter clothing and shoes, as well as fuel to survive the cold weather. Recipients often prove that the warmth, care and affection of BTCF volunteers are worth even more than the food they bring.

With a population of just 11 million, Jordan is a safe haven for nearly three million refugees from neighboring countries such as Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan and Lebanon. Many of the refugees live in huge camps such as Zaatari and Azraq, 150 km from Amman. In 2016, the need for medical assistance increased significantly, so BTCF is one of the strengthened organizations. Since 2016, BTCF has been helping refugee children and adults and has performed over 1,000 surgeries, from minor cases such as tonsillectomy to large cases such as open heart surgery, hernia surgery and gallstone removal. rice field. BTCF also provides hearing aids and dentures for those who are completely edentulous.

Every six months, BTCF volunteers host a medical day in the Mafraq region, providing free health checks and medicines to refugees there. If necessary, Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) Jordan assists patients to come to Amman for further examinations and laboratory tests. For more serious cases, BTCF will provide full medical support including surgery and hospitalization if necessary.

Since 2016, BTCF Jordan has assisted 35 families, including war widows and orphans, living in the Tzu Xin building in Amman’s Ain Basha district.

In addition to providing support for rent and educational expenses, TIMA doctors visit each month for free health checkups and host birthday parties for residents. In July 2022, three girls living in the same building passed their college entrance exams, allowing them to fulfill their dream of attending college in Jordan. From July 2021, BTCF Jordan started holding taekwondo training classes for children in the building. This not only provides physical training, but also imparts mental strength and discipline. Since March 2022, the foundation has also provided vocational training to widows. Students can choose between Nursing, Tailoring, Cooking, and Hairdressing. These skills not only help women become self-sufficient, but also help them become role models for their children.

Over the past six years, BTCF has funded the education of 155 Syrian schoolchildren, 30 Syrian and 30 Jordanian college students. As a way to pay for love up front, students often participate in foundation charities to bring love and care to those in need. A community education center that promotes recycling and the use of recyclables in arts and crafts, such as painting and turning used clothes into paintings. These activities not only help participating children take care of the earth’s resources, but they also train teamwork and cooperation.

The BTCF is grateful to the Jordanian community and all its aid recipients for accepting the work of Buddhist charities in this predominantly Muslim country, and to donors around the world for supporting its mission. I’m here. Jordan Volunteers look forward to continuing to develop their work to help more refugees and people in need in Jordan in the future.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is a global non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1966 by nun Chen Yen. We have brought relief to 128 countries through our medical, philanthropic, educational, and humanities missions. The heart of Tzu Chi is embedded in its name. In Chinese, Tzu Chi means compassion and qi relief, alleviating the suffering of those in need while creating a better world for all through compassion, love and hope. For more information, visit tsuchi.us.

For additional information and media inquiries, please email Johan Alwall, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, johan.alwall@us.tzuchi.org.