Queen Rania checks on poverty pocket programmes in Sahab

Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday paid a visit to the Shams Al Amal Society for the Disabled in the capital's Sahab area, where she was briefed on the new methodologies applied by the Community Centres Association (CCA) in poverty pockets. The Queen met with the society’s board members and toured its facilities, stopping by some of their activities including Braille training, and automatic operator, computer and communication skills courses, according to a statement released by Her Majesty's office. During a meeting with a group of Sahab’s poorest families, CCA Chairman Sari Nasser and CCA Director Firyal Saleh briefed Her Majesty on their latest interventions and programmes in poverty pockets, implemented by the association in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC). CCA has adopted a methodology which entails working with families and empowering them on an individual basis, rather than through a community-based organisation, the statement said.   The needs of 100 families were identified after an extensive field survey was conducted. These families then worked on creating their own organisation that would cater to the needs of all poor families in the area by linking them to various job opportunities, renovating their homes, conducting training programmes, or providing them with loans to start their own businesses.   In Sahab, the community established the Sunna Al Haya Society through such interventions, according to the statement. Sahab was considered a poverty pocket in the 2011 MoPIC classification, and CCA was assigned to work on the implementation of various programmes to elevate the standards of living of the area’s worst-off families. Following the meeting, Her Majesty visited households in the area, including the home of Um Mohammad, where she checked up on the widow and her three children and inquired about their needs.