AMMAN — Jordan and the US on Thursday signed a five-year aid agreement worth $140 million that seeks to boost economic and political development across the Kingdom.
According to a US embassy statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, the agreement was signed in the northern governorate of Irbid by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ibrahim Saif, US Ambassador to Jordan Stuart Jones and USAID acting Mission Director Douglas Ball.
The grant aims at supporting the rule of law, citizen engagement and participation, and civil society across the Kingdom, the statement said, adding that the funds will also help local governments identify and address community needs by establishing mechanisms to bring residents and their elected officials together to identify, prioritise and fund small and necessary projects to improve their communities.
“Small investments can have a huge impact on entire communities,” Jones was quoted as saying at the signing ceremony, indicating that under the same programme, there would be larger grants in the future to Jordanian organisations that are best placed to understand the needs of local communities.
“I am proud that our partnership with the government of Jordan and the people of Jordan has improved Jordanians’ lives,” he said.
While in Irbid, the ambassador also visited two of the 12 recently completed development projects in the governorate that were part of USAID Community Engagement Project (CEP), the embassy said.
The project, implemented by Global Communities, awards rapid grants to community-based organisations to achieve quick results in responding to local priorities.
Projects in Irbid varied from maintenance and enhancements of roads, schools, healthcare centres and parks, to the creation of football fields for local youths, lighting installations, and clean-up campaigns, according to the statement.
The awards in Irbid were part of a total of 29 rapid impact grants awarded by USAID CEP to community organisations in Mafraq, Irbid and Tafileh in 2013 totalling approximately $300,000.
Government and embassy officials also toured Al Seeleh Healthcare Centre located in New Yarmouk Municipality, as the centre was provided with new equipment including an ultrasound machine.
The group also visited Abu Alloqous Primary School for Girls, where a grant to the Abu Alloqous Charitable Society improved the educational environment for students.
