Liz Ford visits Jordan and the West Bank with JICA
Liz Ford from Guardian Global development visited Jordan and the West Bank in March 2012 with the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Catch up with her tweets here
- Arrival in Amman, and visit to the Aljoun Educational Directorate at Irbid Refugee Camp
Just arrived in Amman. Here with Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA, visiting projects in Jordan and West Bank this week #globaldev- Peace in the region is @jica_direct's laudable aim, but Japan is also reliant on Middle East for 70% of its oil #globaldev
- Just arrived at Ajloun education directorate. About to meet volunteers sponsored by #JICA to work in Jordan #globaldev
- On the classroom walls of Anjara basic primary schl in Ajloun, pics of teletubbies sit next to those of the king and the army #globaldev
- The schl has 720 pupils aged 6 to 15 and 40 staff. Headmistress Najah Shdeifat says much changed in Jordan over last 15/20 yrs #globaldev
- Classes are mixed for first 4 years then split by sex. In the past boys and girls were taught separately from start #globaldev
- Interesting visit to Irbid camp girls schl no.2 - no.1 meets in the morning. The schl is in Irbid refugee camp, set up in 1950s #globaldev
- Ask the 5 girls on the schl council where they want to live when they are older and the reply 'Palestine' comes back 5 times #globaldev
- Liz writes up her visit to the school and Irbid camp
Palestinian refugee schoolgirls study hard for an uncertain futureThere has been a girls' school at Irbid refugee camp in northern Jordan since 1952. No one could tell me how many girls attended the scho...- Economic hardship in Jordan means it's more acceptable for women to work. It makes economic sense. The World Bank wld approve #globaldev
- Headmistress of Irbid girls schl in the camp went to the schl when she was a child, then became a teacher there and now the head #globaldev
- Azaiza says most of her pupils will go on to university. Challenge is getting high grades so u don't have to pay #globaldev
- Irbid refugee camp doesn't look like a camp but I was told it wld remain one until the Palestinian/Israel dispute is settled #globaldev
- Tents at the camp have been replaced with concrete buildings. Most people have Jordanian citizenship #globaldev
- Refugees in the region
- Great evening yesterday talking to UNRWA rep about Palestinian refugees in Jordan and elsewhere in area #globaldev
- I was told refugees in Syria mainly based in Damascus and Homs and they are on the move. Gvt not hindering UN efforts I'm told #globaldev
- Tourism projects - Karak Castle and Jordan's National Museum
- About to head out to visit some tourist projects @jica_direct helps to fund #globaldev
- Karak project has worked in bringing intl tourists to region, 100,000 in 2010 #globaldev
- But last year visitor numbers dropped by about 20,000 due in part to Arab spring #globaldev
- Museum curator Sate Massadeh tells me March is a high season for visitors, but today there are only a handful of people #globaldev
