On Tuesday November 16th, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah accompanied Her Royal Highness Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on a visit to the Queen Rania Family and Child Center (QRFCC) in Jabal Al Nasr in east Amman, where the Queen introduced the Duchess to the center's various programs aimed at empowering women and children.
The Duchess is currently accompanying her husband, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on a trip to Jordan to commemorate Jordan's centennial as well as 100 years of bilateral friendship between the United Kingdom and Jordan. The visit is the couple's first major overseas tour since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
The Jordan River Foundation (JRF) established the QRFCC in 2005 as part of the foundation's Child Safety Program, which promotes child protection and well-being. The community-based center, located in the Jabal Al Nasr neighborhood, provides holistic services to combat child abuse and strengthen the family unit.
JRF Director General Enaam Barrishi greeted Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness and led them on a tour of the center's programs and interventions for children, youth, and women.
Their first stop was at "Beit Sgheer," or "My Little Home," a simulated home environment that uses hands-on activities to teach children and parents the fundamentals of healthy home dynamics, positive childcare practices, and child abuse prevention strategies.
Queen Rania and Duchess Camilla watched as young children moved between the six rooms of the "Little Home," each station performing a different interactive activity. The simulation encourages children to discover their purpose and potential, as well as to develop a sense of agency and independent decision-making skills.
The Queen and Duchess then went to the QRFCC's Creative Space, where they joined a group of adolescent girls for a session on self-esteem and assertiveness. The Creative Space hosts a variety of basic life skills and expressive art workshops for both girls and boys between the ages of 12 and 17.
The Queen and Duchess stopped by a small exhibition of Jordan River Design handicrafts in the center's courtyard, where they met a group of the women artisans who handcrafted the items as part of JRF's Social Enterprises project. Among the items on display were several from a collection launched in collaboration with multinational furniture company IKEA, which currently sells the Jordanian collection in a number of its stores around the world.
The women described how the foundation's employment and training programs changed their lives by allowing them to earn a living through their handicrafts and empowering them to support their families.
Queen Rania and Duchess Camilla also attended a session of expressive art therapy for survivors of gender-based violence. They worked alongside the survivors to create clay hand prints, which were donated to the QRFCC to commemorate their visit.
JRF's Expressive Art program, which began in 2016, provides a healing outlet for female victims of various forms of violence, assisting them in overcoming their trauma and establishing life goals.
JRF also operates a toll-free Families and Children Helpline, which provides emotional support, assistance, and referral services to children and adults, connecting families to existing services at QRFCC or other relevant public services. The helpline, which was established in 2007, is part of the global Child Helpline International (CHI) network and can be reached in Jordan by dialing "110."
JRF is a non-governmental organization that was founded in 1995 with the goal of promoting both child safety and community empowerment. The foundation, chaired by Queen Rania, works to ensure the implementation of child rights and the reinforcement of positive child-rearing methods within Jordanian families, as well as to provide home-grown solutions to some of Jordan's most pressing challenges.
Interview with Chris Ship from ITV
In an interview with ITV News' Royal Editor Chris Ship, Queen Rania has called for "global collaboration" to address the climate crisis, as she welcomed The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on their first Royal Tour in two years.
Queen Rania described Charles as a "leading figure" in the fight against climate change. Queen Rania described Charles as a "leading figure" in the fight against climate change. She also highlighted the Queen's health after her majesty was forced to miss Sunday's remembrance service owing to a sprained back.
"The forecast here in the Middle East is pretty grim... here in Jordan," Queen Rania remarked of the impact of climate change.
"The prognosis here in the Middle East is quite dire... here in Jordan, we're considered the second most water scarce country in the world, and dwindling rainfall still hits us where it hurts," Queen Rania said of climate change.
"Our carbon footprint is quite small for a country like Jordan." If we truly want to make a difference in the world, we must work together globally and make common commitments."
Queen Rania praised the involvement of the British royals in environmental campaigns, describing Prince Charles as "a major figure in the struggle for our world" and someone who has "been speaking about this subject for so long."
"Prince William is equally enthusiastic, and it's been a tremendous pleasure for me to work on the Earthshot Prize," she continued.
When asked about Queen Elizabeth II's recent period of rest due to medical advice, Queen Rania stated, "We're constantly worried about her health, but she's a strong woman who is quite active even at her age."
"We can only hope to be as active as she is at that age, so please know that our best wishes are always with her, and we hope she has many years ahead of her."
The Jordanian royal spoke to the 95-year-old as "someone we hold in extremely high esteem" and "someone I myself look up to," adding that the Queen is a "inspiration" to the rest of the globe.
Queen Rania says temperature rises in the Middle East predicted +4C by 2050.
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 16, 2021
“Even the most ardent sceptics cannot escape the fact that we have done some great damage to our planet.”@QueenRania told @itvnews “if we don’t do something soon, we all stand to lose.”#ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/4Dm0rpNOWI
She also highlighted Queen Elisabeth's health after Her Majesty was forced to miss Sunday's remembrance service owing to a sprained back.
The Queen on the Queen:@QueenRania told us “we are always concerned for her health but she is a strong woman”.
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 16, 2021
She also said Queen Elizabeth is “somebody I look up to personally” and is a “symbol of what it means to be a true figurehead and stateswoman”.
pic.twitter.com/ah5W7T4IUt
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