Jordan Telecom Group and Orange Foundation sign agreement with Jordan River Foundation

The Orange Foundation, and Jordan Telecom Group Foundation, JTG’s corporate social responsibility arm, have signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan River Foundation (JRF) to support educational, health and social reform activities of Rasoun village in Ajloun.

The agreement was signed by France Telecom Group Chairman and CEO, Didier Lombard, and Jordan Telecom Group CEO, Mickael Ghossein and Jordan River Foundation Director General, Valentina Qussisiya.

“The understanding has many components; all aimed at reviving a remote village by addressing its pressing needs to improve the standard of living of the whole community,” FTG Chairman and CEO said, during his recent visit to the Kingdom. 

In commenting on JTG Foundation’s activities, Ghossein highlighted JTG’s commitment through JTGF to develop and build societies as part of the Group’s ongoing social responsibility towards the local community. “The private sector has to be involved in supporting the local people.  We constantly look for opportunities to empower needy citizens to utilize economic opportunities,” he added.

According to the MOU, Orange Foundation and JTG Foundation, will be providing capacity building and training to local residents in Rasoun village, situated within the Ajloun Governorate, as they need support in establishing and managing income generating projects. Both Foundations will also support the establishment of a bakery, a public transportation bus for residents needing to travel to/from the cities of Ajloun and Irbid, equip the Health Centre, and maintain the current torn down playground in addition to establishing a youth centre.

Furthermore, the accord includes the creation of a revolving fund to enable residents to create their own small and micro businesses providing a wider range of job opportunities for both women and men. Enabling education also forms part of the agreement including the renovation of a school and the establishment of a children’s nursery for those women wanting or needing to work and having the peace of mind that their children are well cared for.

“We want Orange to instigate positive change, not only by introducing world class communication services, but also by supporting the community with a touch of our services on a daily basis,” Lombard concluded.

Since their creation, the Orange Foundation and JTG Foundation have been involved in numerous major community involvement programs consistent with the Group's extended mission to enable everyone with the means through which to communicate clearly and frequently. Both Foundations have three clear social responsibility themes: healthcare/disability, education and culture.

Valentina Qussisiya, Director General of JRF said: “this agreement was designed to meet the various necessities that the people of Rasoun highly need. The project that Orange will be executing will create a great improvement as their generous support will benefit all community members. The work that will take place will aim at improving the quality of life of villagers and support sustainable social and economic programs. We hope that other private sector entities can offer Jordanian villages what Orange has offered Rasoun. "

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah visited citizens of Rassoun in the governorate of Ajloun last June and participated in a workshop conducted by the Jordan River Foundation's Capacity Building and Business development unit to help the local community define their priorities and needs in social and economic development The workshop included local community members,  where a brainstorming session was conducted to explore new ideas and concepts of sustainable development initiatives to be implemented.

JRF, a non-profit Jordanian organization, was established in 1995 and is chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah. The organization is dedicated to establishing social, economic and cultural interventions that enhance the lives of thousands of people throughout the Kingdom. Its mission is to promote, in partnership with stakeholders, the development of a dynamic Jordanian society by supporting sustainable socioeconomic programs that empower communities based on their needs and priorities.

4/9/2007