Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Representative visits Refugee Girls’ Center
The Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office—Isamil Mei—visited the Azraq Camp located in Al Zarqa Governorate of Jordan this week, accompanied by Mercy Corps Deputy Country Director, Arthur Molenaar. Upon arrival at the base camp, the Representative met with Gamal Yacout, UNHCR Azraq Camp Manager and Ali Al Qudah, Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) Manager who provided an update on the COVID‑19 situation and its impact on people’s life in the Azraq Camp. Ali Al Qudah shed light on the major services UNHCR provided and is still providing to refugees in the camp amidst the pandemic crisis, as well as areas of coordination with Mercy Corps for providing special services in the camp including health, education, psychosocial support, and recreational activities.
In his speech, Arthur Molenaar, Mercy Corps Deputy Country Director, welcomed the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in Jordan, Ismail Mae, and thanked him for the generous support and friendship from Taiwan to Mercy Corps girls’ empowerment programs: “Mercy Corps cherishes the long-lasting relationships with Taiwan. This is a rare true partnership based on mutual trust and respect. It has allowed Mercy Corps to build strong programs, including in Azraq and Zaatari camps, that have served over 12,000 children as well as 1,000 caregivers in this camp.”
Molenaar further noted: “The latest grant from Taiwan allows Mercy Corps to train girl-educators to reach their younger peers with puberty education and to design new girl-friendly spaces where girls can engage in recreational and educational activities. The funding also includes support to parents to improve their parenting skills and relationships with their children.”
From his part, the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in Jordan spoke: “After nearly one year of signing the MoU of the “Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Initiative” project between the government of Taiwan and Mercy Corps – Jordan, I feel great pleasure to come here, to the Village 5 of Azraq Camp, to witness and share the achievements of the project implemented here, through the joint efforts of the Mercy Corps staff and all the participants from the Camp, I would like to propose an applause for you all.”
“Today, I really had my eyes open while arriving at this Girls Center for its design and decoration led by our talented young girls. ‘Amazing’ is the only word I would like to share for this moment. Good job, you girls! I believe you all not only enjoy spending your time here for the facilities, but also the programs dedicatedly designed by the Mercy Corps team to help you in developing leadership skills, as well as the health manners and self- protection.”
Mr. Isamil added: “Taiwan, a faithful friend and long-term supporter to the national development of Jordan which can be traced back to the 1960’s and an active and responsible member of the international community, has closely followed the impact onto Jordan by additionally receiving more than 1.4 million refugees after the outbreak of Syrian crisis. To relief the burdens capping on the shoulders of Jordan and its people, and to echo the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, Taiwan has reached out its hand and provided aides valued more than 20 million U.S. dollars in related fields in Jordan to date, and Mercy Corps-Jordan has been one of our most important partners in Jordan.”
During the visit, the Mercy Corps team took the Taiwanese representative on a tour inside the girls’ center and demonstrated the kind of services offered to adolescent girls to increase their safety, improve their well-being, life and social skills.
