Queen Rania visits development programmes by local youth, women in Wadi Musa   

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Tuesday visited the town of Wadi Musa in the governorate of Maan, where she met with the founders and beneficiaries of a number of local economic empowerment programmes, and a group of proactive youth from across the governorate spearheading local initiatives. 

 During the visit, Her Majesty met with Yousef Al Falahat, the founder of Thakafat, an initiative that creates financial empowerment opportunities for community members by connecting them with tourists seeking an authentic Jordanian experience, according to a statement released by Her Majesty’s office.

Thakafat’s various projects, the majority of which are women-led, allow tourists to learn more about the area and its people by partaking in experiences including cooking, craft making and spending time with local residents. Sourcing the supplies it uses for its projects from local merchants, including grocery stores and bakeries, Thakafat not only guarantees the authenticity of the experiences it offers, but also contributes to the sustainability and growth of local enterprises.

 A member of Thakafat’s team, Anmar Al Jbour, told Her Majesty about the inspiration behind the initiative and shared their plans to expand beyond Wadi Musa to Al Salt and Madaba, while others shared details about how they launched their initiatives with Her Majesty.

Her Majesty then stopped by Esraa Kitchen, a Thakafat project that introduces tourists to Jordanian cuisine by allowing them to sample local food and participate in its preparation. The kitchen, which provides part-time work opportunities to local women, has welcomed over 4,200 visitors from 32 countries around the world to date. 

Queen Rania also visited the Nabataean Ladies Cooperative in Wadi Musa, where its board members and president, Fawziyeh Hasanat gave the queen a tour of the showroom and silver jewelry-making workshop. 

Established in 1999, the cooperative aims to revive the art of Bedouin silver making and provide a unique tourist experience, while also creating jobs for local women. 

The cooperative had previously received a financial grant from a programme run by the Jordan River Foundation and funded by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. The grant facilitated the cooperative’s purchase of machinery and raw materials required for the making of silver jewelry, and helped train 26 of its beneficiaries in the craft. With assistance from the Jordan River Foundation, the cooperative also managed to market its products at the Jordan River Designs exhibition. 

The Queen then visited Abu Elias Restaurant, which serves traditional Jordanian dishes, to meet with a group of youth from across Maan working on creating and expanding their own community empowerment projects. Their initiatives range from projects in the arts, environmental awareness, translation and typing, chocolate making and molding, to volunteer work with families in need, including the delivery of assistance packages and housing renovations.

At the meeting, Her Majesty commended their efforts and drive, as well as the originality of their projects, which have benefitted countless local families and community members.