On the Road to Economic Empowerment

August 12, 2002

Country: Jordan

Topics: Education, Economic Development, Children

Equipped with a satellite connection and computers, the Smart Bus has connected kids in rural Lebanon with the rest of the world. A similar bus will be used in Mercy Corps' new program in Jordan. Photo: Mercy Corps Lebanon

The Smart Bus is rolling into Jordan.

Fully equipped with audio-visual equipment and a satellite Internet connection, the Smart Bus will be part of Mercy Corps' new, two-year Rural Community Cluster Development Program (RCCDP) in Jordan.

The program will work with village community committees to initiate projects that address community needs and expand economic activities through projects such as school and health clinic construction.

The size of a school bus, the Smart Bus has become a fixture in the rural villages of Lebanon, providing businessman, farmers and students with a connection to the outside world. It has been one of the tools Mercy Corps has used to enhance economic opportunity in rural Lebanon as part of its "cluster" model program, which brings people and communities together from specific geographical areas to work on physical infrastructure and social issues.

A similar approach will be followed in Jordan where people living in rural communities often experience limited economic opportunity and where unemployment rates are especially high. The country's economy has also been impacted by the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Mercy Corps will partner with the Jordan River Foundation, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that has operated in the country for over six years. The Jordan River Foundation works to promote business skills development, especially among women, as well as the protection of Jordan's cultural and environmental heritage.

Mercy Corps has also recently received support to begin a 30-month program in the West Bank that will create economic opportunities through school repair and construction projects.