Rice … A basic meal for Jordanians in need
Husni, a 48-year-old Jordanian father of four boys and two girls has a physical disability (in medical terms, he is considered 85 per cent medically disabled). He has been living in a small house in Zarqa city for 15 years, 20 kilometres north of the capital Amman. The house consists of two rooms, a guest room, a kitchen and a bathroom. He pays 90 Jordanian Dinars ($USD 127) per month for rent including electricity and water.
“My heart aches from inside because I am doing my best to make my children’s life better but I am incapable of doing that,” commented Husni.
He used to collect cans and sell them for a living, but his last carriage –which he uses to transport cans- no longer functions, though he tried his best to fix it in all possible means. As a result, his mobility has decreased drastically. He also added that he is in need of a better carriage, in order to return to work, collect cans and sell them. “My heart aches from inside because I am doing my best to make my children’s life better but I am incapable of doing that,” commented Husni. He sells one kilogram of iron for 6 JODs ($USD 8.5) and one kilogram of plastic for 15 piasters (21 cents). He earns 108 JODs ($USD 152) from the Ministry of Social Development every month.
The influx of Syrian refugees has contributed significantly to food insecurity and increased the vulnerability of many Jordanians. In order to improve the food security situation and to prevent further deterioration of food security, World Vision International in Jordan has distributed 3,000 Metric Tons of Rice donated by The Government of Taiwan to around 91,000 beneficiaries (18,197 households) to the most vulnerable households across 12 governorates of Jordan from the 1st of May 2014 till the 30th of June 2015, through implementing partner, Tkiyet Um Ali (TUA).
Husni and his family benefitted from World Vision’s Taiwan Rice project and shared “The rice is just like gold, I asked my wife to cook it and it turned out to be better than the one sold in the market. We cook it with Mansaf (traditional Jordanian dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgur) and Maqloobeh (meaning up-side down, a Jordanian/Palestinian dish made of meat, rice and fried vegetables)” explained Husni.
“All I want is to take care of this house and this family,” says Yazan.
Bahaa Al-Deen, Husni’s 17-year-old son earns190 JODs ($USD 268) per month, but he pays around 75 JODs ($USD 102) for transportation. Husni’s other son, Yazan, aged 18, lives with his father and helps him get around. “All I want is to take care of this house and this family,” says Yazan. Moreover, Ala’a, Husni’s 13-year-old son is studying in the 7th grade loves science and enjoys playing football and doing sports. “I would like to work in the army or police station when I grow up,” comments Ala’a.
Alyia Khan, World Vision Jordan’s Commodity Officer stated that food is the basic need for all human beings and food insecurity is the major concern of the time. “We are glad to be able to provide Jordanians with rice to meet their nutritional needs. People are very happy and appreciate our contribution,” added Alyia.
Husni has a simple wish for his family, “I wish my children could become the best they can be.”