ILO Delegation Reviews Impact of Employment-Intensive Projects in Jordan

The project uses the innovative "cocoon" method to sustainably plant tree saplings across 342 hectares in north-western Jordan, with plans to plant 120,000 trees by the project’s end, generating 1,250 jobs.

A delegation from the International Labour Organization (ILO), led by Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, has visited various project sites in Jordan to observe the positive impact of the Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP). The programme, funded by the German government through the KfW development bank, focuses on improving local infrastructure and environmental conditions while creating short-term jobs for vulnerable Jordanian communities and Syrian refugees.

During the visit, the delegation toured several key projects, starting at Al Basiliya Municipality in Mafraq, where the programme is developing a children’s playground and planting Paulownia trees to provide environmental and economic benefits. This initiative, part of the programme’s infrastructure component, aims to create 1,250 decent jobs with a total of 110,000 working days, and is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Administration and local municipalities.

The delegation also visited an agroforestry site involved in an afforestation project that contributes to Jordan's national goal of planting 10 million trees over five years. The project uses the innovative "cocoon" method to sustainably plant tree saplings across 342 hectares in north-western Jordan, with plans to plant 120,000 trees by the project’s end, generating 1,250 jobs.

At the Jerash Women’s Association, the delegation observed the programme's skills and enterprise component, which helps workers transition from short-term employment to more sustainable careers. The programme offers skills training and entrepreneurship support, aiming to train 1,100 workers, with 200 receiving training to start their own small businesses, some with seed funding.

Regional Director Jaradat highlighted the programme's success in improving the living conditions of vulnerable communities in Jordan and thanked the German government and local partners for their support. The delegation also met with various stakeholders, including officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, local municipality leaders, and representatives from the Jordanian garment industry.