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AMMAN — An Irbid school initiative aiming to “spread the practice of social work and offer help to the underprivileged in Irbid” has attracted attention from news agencies, radio stations, social media pages and donors as far away as the US, its founder said Wednesday.
Around 550 students from Aydoun Elementary School in Irbid participated in the “Kaset zeit min kul beit” initiative, under they donated olive oil from their homes.
Aydoun is a small town with a population of around 80,000 in Irbid Governorate, located some 90km north of Amman.
Zaher Bataineh, a Jordanian businessman living in the US, said he would donate around JD100 every month to support first grade students, Yousef Telfah, the teacher who started the initiative, told The Jordan Times.
“He saw my initiative on Facebook and commended the students’ and teachers’ efforts in collecting oil for underprivileged families and students. He said this is not something we usually see in Jordanian public schools,” Telfah said.
The money contributed by Bataineh will be used to improve social and cultural activities, he explained.
“We also have a ‘star of the week’ programme to support and encourage students, in which four students who succeed in school activities will receive money as a reward each month, as requested by the businessman,” he added, noting that this will encourage children to participate in initiatives and excel in their subjects.
The idea for the initiative originated from Kafr Abbush, Tulkarm, in the West Bank, Telfah said in previous remarks.
The Irbid school has collected almost three gallons (60 kilogrammes) of oil, which will be donated to underprivileged students and families around Aydoun, according to teachers.
