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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Christian Richter, Head of Employment and Education Middle East KfW (German Development Bank) and Muhammad Usman Akram, Director of UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman, signed yesterday a financing agreement to expand support for maintenance in schools and generating livelihood opportunities in Jordan.

The grant financing of 40.5 million Euro will be made available by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on behalf of the German Government to support labor-intensive school maintenance through a second phase of the program.

The project will focus on providing maintenance and cleaning of schools located in communities that host the highest number of refugees, while also striving to improve livelihoods through providing cash for work opportunities for both vulnerable Jordanian citizens as well as the Syrian refugees living in host communities.

The project will be implemented over the course of five years in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, school authorities, Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Social Development, aiming to 12,000 work opportunities, and maintaining and cleaning 390 schools in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, Balqa, Ajloun and Zarqa Governorates

The MoE highlighted the importance of this project with KfW and UNOPS, given its focus on one of the Ministry’s priority areas, which is the provision of students with a safe and adequate learning environment.

Dr. Mark.Schwiete, Director KfW Amman Office, underlined the long-lasting and fruitful cooperation with the Government of Jordan in the field of education, stating that: "Education and Employment is an important focal area of the German Jordanian Financial Cooperation."

"Via KfW the German Government (BMZ) has amongst others, financed the construction of 37 schools, provision of informal education as well as financing for teacher salaries up until now. This new project complements our joint activities with the Government of Jordan and will contribute to the improvement of learning conditions through the provision of basic maintenance and cleaning to public schools."

This labour intensive cash for work project is a response to target poverty and unemployment providing short employment opportunities to vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees and ensuring 25% female participation.

Beyond the short-term employment, the project will also enhance access to longer-term employment opportunities through training and hands-on experience. The project also contributes to the national COVID-19 response through sanitization of schools and provision of hygiene supplies.

Muhammad Usman Akram, Director of UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman said, "UNOPS places high importance on initiatives that directly support the Government and the people of Jordan. We are pleased to further our cooperation with KFW in support of vulnerable Jordanians and Syrians while contributing to the improvement of the education sector in Jordan".

KfW finances investments and advisory services on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Financial Cooperation started in the 1960s with main focus on Education and Employment generation as well as water and sanitation. The ongoing and envisaged projects in Jordan amount to about 1.3 billion EUR.

UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman covers projects in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen and implements work in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments and other UN agencies.