By Jeremy Reynalds

The Presentation of the Lord Greek Orthodox Church in Amman, Jordan takes seriously the Biblical command to help the poor — regardless of who they are.

In a recent interview, the Rev. Dr. Ibrahim Dabbour told me while his church has many poor families which receive assistance from the church, that help goes beyond church members and even members of his faith.

“Christians and Moslems alike,“ he said. “We help them all. Jesus said to love everyone. We have to live here in Jordan as witnesses to Jesus Christ.”

The church helps about 150 families on an ongoing basis. Dabbour said his ministry helps with food, used clothing and an assortment of other items.

Dabbour said, “We collect monies from the rich and give to the poor.”

He added that those assisted would have “nothing” without the help given to them by the church.

Dabbour said the church gives about $5,000 monthly to the poor. Some of those funds are spent on paying for medical emergencies as well as major surgery. However, Dabbour said, funding dictates that the church can only pay for between 10 and 20 percent of major surgeries, although minor issues are paid for in entirety.

Christmas is also a special time. Dabbour said the church provides a Santa, gifts and a special meal for the children.

However, the church also believes in the Biblical admonition to work. Church youth have set up a referral agency to match employers with people needing jobs.

But while his church believes in responsibility, Dabbour said the ministry gives money and other help to those individuals who for whatever reason are unable to work.

He said, “(For example). “We have a mother with two mentally challenged youth. We give money for them. We can’t help with that medication, though. Other NGO’s (non- governmental organizations) help with that.”

I asked Dabbour whether there is government assistance for helping the poor. He said help offered is negligible, and that those asking for it have to wade through a mountain of bureaucracy — which can sometimes take about six months.

Dabbour’s ministry extends beyond Amman. He said every two or three months the church takes a number of volunteer doctors, goes to some of the very poor villages outside Amman and helps with much needed medical care.

I asked Dabbour about the overall level of church involvement in Jordan with helping the poor. He said, “Every church has some activity, but we have more than most. This is a rich area so we help most.”

Dabbour said he would like to do so much more, but he is constrained by lack of resources.

I asked him what he would like to tell Americans. He said, “Send blankets, heaters and school bags and we will distribute them. If you want to come, you can do that. (You can help) give them immediately to the poor families.”

Cash is also welcome. Dabbour said that additional funds could help build an orphanage and provide Internet access and vocational training — essential skills in an increasingly technical society that could help make an ongoing change in the lives of those assisted and break the cycle of poverty.

Dabbour said he would like to remind Christians in the United States they are one body with Jordanian Christians and with that in mind, he hopes they will help the needy in Jordan.

He added, “We pray for them. We would also like them to pray for us. And pray for peace. That is the most important thing — peace.”

Poverty in Jordan

But how bad is poverty overall in Jordan ? To help assess the situation, I talked to Hana Mitri Shahin, the executive director of the King Hussein Foundation.

She said that poverty is on the rise in Jordan because of an influx of refuges, inflation and a lack of trained workers to meet the needs of potential employers.

Rebecca Salti, a social entrepreneur in Jordan for three decades, said, “Jordan has always been a country of refuge, but the need is straining the system.”

Mitri Shahin said that when workers from her organization go into economically depressed areas and ask the greatest need, a typical response is, “We have no job opportunities.”

With that in mind, Mitri Shahin said, the Foundation attempts to promote productivity and give workers the skills needed to succeed in the marketplace.

In addition, workers also touch on individual responsibility. Mitri Shahin said, “We tell them, ‘You are poor because you have ten children and cannot afford to feed them.”

Street Children

When families have a large number of children, there‘s a good chance that one or more of them will end up begging on the streets of Jordan.

That practice is illegal. A campaign by Jordan’s Anti-Vagrancy Department at the country’s Ministry of Social Development fines, and sometimes imprisons, youthful panhandlers or their families.

A recent editorial in the Jordan Times dubbed that campaign “well intentioned,” but “not the measure that goes to the root of the problem.”

Questscope, an Amman-based non-governmental organization (NGO) promoting social development in the Middle East, and providing resources for other organizations, is working to help provide answers to this growing problem.

Haitham Al-Zou’bi, a UNHCR Project Manager with Questscope, told me that some juvenile street peddlers are on the streets for between 12 and 17 hours a day. It is a problem, he said, that took a long time to be officially recognized.

Al-Zou’bi said many of the children have an economic role within their family, and have even formed an informal structure or network for their activities. He pointed out that some of the young people come from families who don’t believe in education, and others began begging on the streets as a means to fill up the empty hours after school.

Questscope Jordan Program Director Jawad Al-Gousous said the organization is trying to provide the youngsters with a new way of thinking.

He said, “When you change their thinking, then they start to be aware of the importance of going back to school.”

Al-Zou’bi added, “We are trying to mainstream these kids, and tell them they have another chance. We say, ‘If you missed the last train, there is another one coming from the station.”

Al-Zou’bi said when the police catch kids begging, they contact the parents and ask them to make a commitment to keep them off the streets. In such a situation, the young people may spend a day in custody. However, that time may be much longer if the parents can’t be reached or they don’t come.

Al-Gousous echoed a refrain uttered by many agencies in Jordan ; the government is trying to help but there is a serious lack of resources to face the escalating number of those in poverty.

Mental Illness

I asked Mitri Shahin how the Foundation deals with individuals who are suffering from depression, or other emotionally debilitating issues. It is not enough to tell them to “Go get a job.” They are not able to do that.

Mitri Shahin said the Hussein Foundation helps such people with psychiatric services, self esteem and confidence building sessions. When some of those issues are resolved or worked through, they are then connected with the Foundation’s business development department in the hope that this will be the first step in getting them back on their feet again and becoming productive citizens.

However, ongoing and serious mental illness is another matter, Mitri Shahin said. “Most of the mentally ill are kept at home, and there is a taboo that it is not talked about. Many of them are not getting access to proper treatment.”

Hani Hazaimeh, a reporter for the Jordan Times (not speaking as a government representative or as a spokesperson for the Jordan Times), said that an incoherent mentally ill person found wandering the streets would be placed in a special center while efforts were made to locate his or her family. However, if the search was unsuccessful, they wouldn’t be returned to the streets to wander.

“They would be locked up and taken care of,” he said. “While the family has the first responsibility to take care of them, if the family can’t (do that), then they (the government) would help.”

An article in the Jordan Times by Khetam Malkawi addressed the concerns of parents of mentally ill children.

One individual worried about the future of her 19-year-old son “with no ability to be independent.” She told the Jordan Times, “I cannot afford to send him to a private center, and I refuse to send him to a government center that is like a prison. What is the future of my son … the street ? I will not allow this to happen.”

Finances were a recurring concern of those parents caring for mentally ill children. One mother of an eight-year-old told the Jordan Times, “I cannot afford to pay for my son’s treatment. He suffers from a severe disability and needs special care and medication. (As a result) his siblings cannot live a normal life, and we have to minimize expenses to pay for my disabled son’s needs.”

Ali Shawahin, an expert on intellectual disabilities, told the Jordan Times that while Jordan is considered a developed country in terms of disability legislation, “mentally disabled persons are not addressed in a way that guarantees them a decent life and future.”

While there are a number of facilities for the mentally ill, the Jordan Times said families of those needing care refuse to utilize them, demanding higher standard facilities where residents are not restricted in a room, reportedly the situation with the current centers.

The Homeless

I asked Mitri Shahin about the homeless situation in Jordan. She said while it is on the increase, it is not a major problem. The homeless number in the hundreds, not thousands, she stressed.

“Those who are in need find somewhere and someone to host them,” she said. However, she worried, if inflation continues, the number of homeless may increase beyond the ability of the extended family to help.

And, Mitri Shahin said, there is a shortage of beds in Jordan for homeless and abused women.

Solutions

The key to rising above the cycle of poverty and homelessness is education, Mitri Shahin said. Her organization is trying to do what it can, but with an increasing need, is strapped by a lack of funds. The Foundation’s scholarship fund is always seeking help.

She said that last funding cycle the organization had “580 applications, and we could only fund 102.”

She added that the education provided through the Foundation’s scholarship efforts is first class, and “instills leadership abilities, peace building and conflict resolution.”

Dabbour’s church also oversees a thriving school. Headmaster Edward Eid told me the school has about 500 students both Christian and Moslem.

Discounts based on academic skills are given to both poor and needy students. The school, which operates under Jordanian Ministry of Education guidelines, teaches both Christianity and Islam with masses mandatory for Christian students

Eid said, “Most Muslims love to have their children attend our school. We have discipline, and they have religious freedom. We teach them social responsibility. There’s close oversight of students and teachers.”

Eid explained that in Jordan’s public schools, there are Islamic studies but no teaching of Christianity.

Jordan River Foundation Deputy Director General and Community Empowerment Program Manager Ghaleb Al Qudah said his organization is, “Trying to get people out of poverty and improve their lot in life.”

However, Al Qudah is also worried. He said, “Income is not keeping up with inflation. If this continues, I see more families unable to support their members and more crimes. The solution is vocational training and more jobs.”

He said with training starting to be offered that meets the needs of the employer, the government is encouraging the private sector to initiate projects in poor areas.

Al Qudah’s organization also helps shelter abused children. He called that situation a problem, “but not a crisis.”

The Future

The jury is still out on how Jordan will cope with its growing problem of poverty, but one thing is certain ; all the agencies involved in meeting the need could do more with additional resources.

To get in touch with Dr. Dabbour, write to him at P. O. Box 851382, Amman, Jordan 11185. To learn more about the King Hussein Foundation, go to www.kinghusseinfoundation.org and to contact Questscope go to www.questscope.org.

Assist News Service