NDA Initiative Holds Al Rimmal Neighborhood Wide Meeting

NDA Initiative Holds Al Rimmal Neighborhood Wide Meeting

Under objective 3.1, the ACED Program works with the Local Community Development Directorate (LCDD) to lay the foundation for increased local community participation in decision-making by designing and establishing localized processes, implementing activities to increase citizen participation, and executing broader efforts to link ASEZA and the local community.

A key component of community mobilization is the formation and facilitation of Neighborhood Enhancement Teams (NETs) to represent their Neighborhood, ensure active participation by a broad range of citizens, identify priority projects agreed to by their constituents, and oversee the implementation of the highest priority projects.

• Conducted Initial informative visits with key stakeholders including: school directors, teachers, NGOs, business people, religious leaders, ASEZA directorates, and other known community leaders.
• Recruited and provided basic awareness building training to 15 Neighborhood volunteers to support the activity. [6/8/2008]
• Raised awareness of the program and the Neighborhood Wide Meeting throughout the Neighborhood by having volunteers as well as ACED Program, LCDD and JRF staff hang up posters, distribute brochures, and talk to individuals and community leaders in their houses, workplaces, and meeting places. [6/8-28/2008]
• Collected initial information from 350 families in Rimal on priority needs and nominate leaders for NET; through a simple door-to-door survey. [6/10-12/2008].
• Conducted 3 focus groups (youth, women, men) with 36 participants to verify the survey results, collect additional needs, and nominate additional leaders for NET; [6/21-22 /2008]
• Contacted nominated Neighborhood leaders about participating in the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) and the Neighborhood Wide Meeting (NWM). [6/22-26 /2008]
• Held the Neighborhood Wide Meeting (NWM) to discuss the priority needs of the community and to introduce Rimal's NET. Over 90 meeting participants signed the attendance sheets. [6/28/2008]

• LCDD and ACED Program representatives announced and introduced this community development activity as a new and innovative partnership between ASEZA and the citizens of Aqaba – starting with Sharqia Neighborhood –were success stories happened. Rimal is the second Neighborhood for implementing this Activity.
• The NWM Facilitator explained the step-by-step process for the Neighborhood, including:
  • Activities that had been accomplished already – the survey, focus groups, awareness building;
  • The agenda for this meeting – discussion of local priorities, introduce Rimal Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET).
  • The next steps – NET translates needs to potential projects and verifies these with community, applies to ASEZA and the ACED Program for funding support, raises community contribution, oversees implementation of project, repeats the process starting with identifying priorities.
• The NWM Facilitator presented the results of the survey and asked smaller groups to discuss these priorities with co-facilitators in order to choose their three highest priorities.
• The three highest priorities as determined by Al-Rimmal citizens are;
  • Lack of parks and public spaces,
  • Streets, sidewalks and street lighting maintenance, and
  • Poor conditions/services for neighborhood cleaning and waste management.
• Facilitator explained the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers selected by the citizens for the NET, and noted that 8 volunteers (nominated leaders) had already accepted to be on Rimmal NET. More volunteers were welcome from the meeting, resulting in the meeting participants adding 4 men, and 3 women to the group.
• The Al-Rimmal NET was officially formed with 15 members (6 women, 7 men, 1 female youth, 1 male youth) and the
• first (orientation) meeting for was set for June 29, 2008