Basma Ammari and Her Rapid Results Work in The Jordan Valley

Basma Ammari united with the Rapid Results team in August of 2008. Since joining,she has admirably led many successful efforts for change in the Middle East, Africa, and The United States. Currently, Basma is back in her hometown of Amman, Jordan bringing the Rapid Results Approach to the Jordan River Foundation Project (JRF). After a successful first round of community RRI training, Basma and JRF are currently in their second round of training communities on how to implement 100-day Rapid Results Initiatives as a vehicle for change. This second round is targeting two neighborhoods in Ghore Al Mazra’a, located in the Jordan Valley.  These neighborhoods are some of the poorest areas in Jordan and suffer from high unemployment rates, family planning issues, and public health concerns. Together, Basma and JRF decided to focus on the three most important issues affecting the valley: school cleanliness, neighborhood sanitation, and family planning.

Basma trained six JRF coaches on the Rapid Results Approach, providing them with the skills necessary to successfully support community teams focused on local change. The newly trained coaches were then paired together to lead three teams of twelve. These coaches assisted their teams in setting their 100-day goals and designing a step-by-step strategy to achieve them. On February 18th and 19th of 2013, Basma’s teams launched their 100-day initiatives.  The teams’ goals are as follows:

• Family Planning Team:Ensure that 300 new women from two targeted areas of the Jordan valley are using one kind of family planning tool available at the health center in 100 days.
• School Cleanliness Team:Ensure that 60% (of 150 students and staff from the two schools) of those surveyed give the two targeted schools a cleanliness rating of “good” by the end of the 100 days.
• Neighborhood Cleanliness Team: Ensure that 80% of those surveyed from the two-targeted neighborhoods in Ghore Al Mazra’a (in Jordan Valley) give a rating of “very good” to their neighborhoods’ cleanliness by the end of the 100 days.

Even though these goals are ambitious, the teams have proven they are ready to take on the challenge.  In order to make a difference in their communities all of the teams are working extremely hard at implementing their work plan and using the Rapid Results Approach. The school cleanliness team persuaded private businesses to donate cleaning supplies– a huge accomplishment that will allow the team to save their resources for other needs.  Basma reported the team has also successfully reached out to the Jordan Security Forces for help cleaning local schools. The team has even encouraged teachers and students to join in their efforts of increasing the schools cleanliness. To go the extra mile, the team collected donations and has begun planting trees and plants to help improve the schools appearance. The team’s impact has created an excitement in the school and a drive for change.

Likewise, the neighborhood cleanliness team has united with a local youth group for help. Together they have been working hard at cleaning up all the garbage and litter throughout the two neighborhoods. This is a huge achievement for the team and has strengthened their local impact. The team hopes the entire community will be encouraged by their progress and will join their effort. It is a powerful example when organizations work together to create a positive change.

The family planning team has also taken the initiative of attacking their goal head on by educating local women. They have been able to gather groups of women and educate them about the importance of different family planning tools. By educating local women on family planning, they are empowering them to make insightful decisions that will benefit them and their families. A key component of the team’s effort is their respect of the neighborhood community’s religious and cultural beliefs, which can be a very sensitive topic in the Jordanian culture. The team is fully motivated to make a difference in the lives of each woman they meet. Their drive to make such a difference with their own resources is encouraging the community.

“The Rapid Results Approach is making a huge difference in the teams’ effectiveness,” said Basma, who also added that all three teams have done this on their own and have not asked for any funding so far, which is not only remarkable, but also inspirational. It proves the team’s determination to accomplish change and shows their efforts are sustainable. The teams have reached out to the local community, who has been more than willing to help the initiatives. The teams have encouraged the community to mobilize around extremely important issues. The community is coming together to help make a difference and serve as an example. When Basma was asked what the biggest challenges her and her teams are facing, she responded, “nothing, everyone on the teams are so committed, there have been no challenges.”

Basma and her teams are quickly approaching the midway mark of their 100-day projects.  We look forward to hearing about their progress and wish them luck in their endeavors. Basma Ammari and The Rapid Results Approach are truly impacting the Ghore Al Mazra’a communities.