Princess Basma honours leaders of ‘positive change’ in society

AMMAN — Abdulmajeed Hjouj would have been on a very different path today had he abandoned his normal life and caved in to social pressure.

Since he was two-years-old, Hjouj, now in his twenties, suffered from a disease that affected his hearing and speech, which made him a target of bullying at school.

“I challenged this by starting to learn lip-reading on my own,” he said on Wednesday.

Things then went from bad to worse when Hjouj’s father decided to leave the family, making him — the eldest child — the sole provider for his mother and siblings.

The east Amman resident defied all obstacles and worked as an office boy at the Health Ministry in 2009, during which he earned a diploma in graphic design.

Hjouj did not stop there.

The winner of the Princess Basma Award for Human Development and Community Service for 2015 took a new direction in life as an activist and volunteer who took it upon himself to help people with disabilities integrate into society.

After receiving 39 certificates in different areas and establishing his own volunteering initiatives, he became a lecturer with a wide spectrum of followers on social media networks.

“Life is black and white, and you are responsible for colouring it,” he said during the award ceremony in the presence of HRH Princess Basma.

Hjouj won the award along with Abdullatif Sultan, who took the role of breadwinner for his seven-member family, two of whom suffer mild to severe disabilities.

After living in Spain, the family had to come to Jordan due to the father’s illness.

Having two members with disabilities, the family, who lived in Wasseyeh village in Madaba, suffered social stigma.

“Despite earning a very good score that would have enabled me to choose an academic stream, I chose the vocational field as it is the shortest path to the labour market,” Sultan said.

He is now a chef at a hotel located in the Maeen Hot Springs area, earning enough money to enhance his family’s living conditions and get married.

“People used to look down on me for being a chef, but when they saw how successful I have become, they started to show interested in my work. Eight of my friends decided to study hospitality,” he noted.

This year’s award focused on young people who have overcome personal difficulties and made creative use of their experiences to influence their peers in effecting positive change.

“The winners reflect a trait that is very much embodied in Jordan — defying all challenges. The award has managed to honour great models of success,” Princess Basma said.

She stressed the importance of celebrating young people’s creativity and developing their talents. 

The award, which was launched in 2011 by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), aims at encouraging citizens to participate actively in developing their community and country.

The princess presented the awards to the winners and to Lydia Nimri in recognition of her efforts in designing the award’s logo.

Amal Sabbagh, head of the award committee, said applications undergo “strict” evaluation to make sure they are in line with standards, noting that eight of the 19 applications were from women.

During the ceremony, also attended by JOHUD Executive Director Farah Daghistani, a panel discussion was held, allowing the audience to suggest topics for next year’s award.