Recognizing the importance of providing Jordanians with the resources they need to improve their economic circumstances, CHF International has been operating several key initiatives in the country since 1997.

Launched in November 2004, the QUDORAT program (meaning capacities in Arabic) is a national program designed to promote the abilities of local NGOs across Jordan to lead economic development initiatives. The program focuses on enhancing NGO’s abilities to effectively engage with communities, and professionally design and manage income-generation projects. By enhancing NGO capacity through technical assistance and training sessions, they will be better positioned to enhance the living standards of their community members in a way that will be truly sustainable.

The QUDORAT program is being implemented through a dynamic partnership between the Noor Al Hussein Foundation and CHF International, and it will work to enhance the NGO sector in six Jordanian in six governorates (Irdid, Tafila, Balqa, Aqaba, Zarqa and Mafraq) over an 18-month period.

To ensure beneficiaries have long-term access to credit in Jordan, CHF International established the Middle East Micro Credit Company (MEMCC) in January 2003. MEMCC is a local microfinance institution that has maintained the operational sustainability achieved by JACP (see below), and continues to provide access to credit for low- and middle-income Jordanians. MEMCC operates throughout Jordan, and has disbursed over 17,000 loans worth over US$20.42 million, with a successful repayment rate of 97 percent.

CHF International’s first initiative in Jordan was the award-winning Jordan Access to Credit Project (JACP), which was implemented from 1997-2003. JACP was designed to provide microfinance services to low- and middle-income Jordanians, as well as micro, small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs. By the time the project culminated in June 2003, CHF International was operating throughout the entire country. The program, which disbursed over 13,000 loans valued at over US$13 million, emphasized economic empowerment of women, and lasting poverty-lending solutions to small and micro businesses.

CHF International’s Rural Community Cluster Development Program (RCCDP), implemented from July 2002 – February 2004, also supported economic development. The program worked to promote citizen participation, as well as economic and social revitalization, in rural Jordanian communities. RCCDP focused on job and income generation strategies, as well as rehabilitating community and economic infrastructures. Thirty village committees and eight Village Cluster Committees (VCCs) were formed across rural Jordanian areas, creating a broad-based, skilled leadership network that can lead the future development of their communities.