National Aid Fund continues mission to economically empower vulnerable groups

AMMAN — The National Aid Fund (NAF) sets a direct path to economically empower its beneficiaries, supporting progress towards achieving poverty eradication, according to its spokesperson.

Speaking with The Jordan Times, NAF Spokesperson Najeh Sawalha said: “The fund is committed to help the most vulnerable families thrive and improve their economic status”.

Moreover, the fund has taken steps towards implementing an action plan for the integration of its existing cash support programmes, which would assist to build “a strong, unified and sustainable funding system”, he added.

The fund follows around 57 indicators, including the health and educational aspects, family size, debt burdens facing beneficiary families, and other procedures, to make sure that aid reaches the most vulnerable segments, without any adverse distinction, Sawalha said.

“There are around 100,000 beneficiaries of the fund’s monthly financial aid programme, and the new programme which is the Unified Cash Transfer Programme is currently assisting around 120,000 individuals,” he highlighted.

According to Sawalha, the number of beneficiaries from the two aforementioned programmes has reached 219,000.

Regarding the fund’s economic empowerment orientation, Director of NAF’s Training Directorate Ibrahim Zreiqat told The Jordan Times that the fund works together with other stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Labour and the Vocational Training Corporation, to deliver skills that are in greater demand in the labour market.

The fund seeks to equip beneficiaries with skills and opportunities that enable them to become self-sufficient and become more financially stable, Sawalha stressed. 

“Once those families become economically stable, this enables us to add new families that are in need instead,” he said.

“Economic development is not a programme but an orientation we follow, in order to enhance the capacity of families to thrive,” he added.

Currently, 108,443 individuals benefit from the fund’s Monthly Aid Programmes, 1,068,347 individuals benefit from the Bread Subsidy Programme, 120,000 receive assistance from the Unified Cash Transfer Programme, in addition to a number of other programmes.