Austrian embassy helps refurbishment of SOS Village in Irbid

AMMAN — SOS Children's Villages Jordan on Thursday celebrated the National Austrian Day with the visit of Austrian Ambassador Michael Desser and his wife Nanete to the SOS Village in Irbid, where they extended a JD5,300 refurbishment grant on behalf of the embassy.

The organisation works to support vulnerable children and families through family-based care, education, support for young adults and emergency programme for refugees, according to its website.

The couple and accompanying an delegation were received by the residents of the village in Irbid, to whom they distributed Austrian flags to the children, as a celebration of the Austrian national day, marked annually on October 26.

In a phone interview with The Jordan Times, Desser said that they were "overwhelmed" by the reception they received, both by the mothers, and in particular by the children who welcomed them with cultural presentations.

The diplomat toured the various facilities of the village after announcing the grant aimed at refurbishing and expanding the local multi-purpose hall and adding a computer centre. 

"Whenever we have the opportunity to find moral support or some kind of contribution, to strengthen both the village and the project, we will, so that we can transmit compassion for the children who are being taken care of in such a wonderful way," said the ambassador. 

After a tour of the village, provided by Muna Hamdan, the national director of SOS Jordan, the guests had lunch at the house of Mama Imtiaz, a SOS Village mother. 

During the lunch, one of the mother representatives Mama Najwa who has been with SOS Villages for the past 18 years, told the audience about the numerous success stories she has witnessed throughout her journey with the organisation.

Referring to one of her former "child", who recently opened a local supermarket in Irbid, she praised the "outstanding" achievement of the children SOS is fostering.

Several youth who have worked to empower their peers in the village were also invited to attend.

SOS Chairperson Reem Habayeb commended the “festive atmosphere” of the event and thanked the embassy and Austria for their support. 

SOS Children's Villages Jordan was first launched in Amman in 1987, and later expanded to various cities in the governorates of Irbid and Aqaba.

"The idea started off in Austria, and when the late King Hussein visited the country 30 years ago and brought it to Jordan," explained Desser.

The village operates on a family-based model through the support of village mothers, aunts, brothers and sisters who have regular family gatherings. 

“Securing a family for each child is our ultimate goal. We have succeeded in entrenching a very strong sense of belonging among our children in their alternative families, and now we are focusing on their integration into society,” Hamdan said at the event. 

“Even after leaving the village at the age of 18, we continue to provide them with the needed financial and psychological support…it is an umbilical cord that is never cut,” Habayeb told The Jordan Times over the phone.