Jofeh, South Shuna District, Jordan -- Established by the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf (HLID) in 1994, the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Center fosters a community disability program in the Central Jordan Valley. Today, the Center provides services to more than 200 deaf, blind, physically disabled, and intellectually challenged children and adults in thirteen villages throughout the South Shuna Muslim District of Jordan.

The mission of the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Center "Beit Saleem“ is to develop and provide comprehensive services for disadvantaged and marginalized people, especially women and persons with disabilities. It wishes to enable and equip them for inclusion and participation in their families and civic society in a meaningful way. This goal is facilitated by encouraging and training others, both disabled and non-disabled, to take on these tasks as well.

The Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Center is also known as “Beit Saleem” because the primary Center building was donated by the Debabneh family in honor and memory of their son, Saleem. The center was built in 2005 with the environment and climate of the Jordan Valley in mind. The eco-friendly building features a unique zero-impact cooling system which is a blend of ancient desert knowledge and modern techniques.

At Beit Saleem, the Center offers a variety of vocational programs for its clients. The vocational programs began in 2002 with six local female students. Currently, vocational training programs include sewing, embroidery, weaving, woodworking, and paper recycling. Students are also build their confidence and independence through basic computer and agricultural skills programs. Manager of the Center, Yousef Rizik outlines the aim of the vocational programs by saying, “The goal is to provide solid job skills and experience to allow graduates of the program to lead active and independent lives, be more financially independent, while also preserving Jordan’s rich cultural heritage of traditional handcrafts,”

All of the items produced by the students are currently sold at regional bazaars, the center gift shop, at the Marriott Dead Sea Resort, as well as in Germany, England, and Jerusalem. The Center is currently seeking partners around the world to expand sales into new countries and regions. Photos and descriptions of products can been seen on the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation website (under construction): www.jofehcenter.moonfruit.com

The second major program of the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Center is to provide Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). The CBR team provides their services at schools, businesses, local family homes and at the Center. Services provided include school mainstreaming support for disabled children, and family assistance to teach how to best support their disabled child’s growth and independence. The CBR team also provides specialists in physical, occupational, speech therapy, and healthcare. In addition to classes in sign language and early childhood education, the CBR team partners with local charities to provide hearing and vision tests, as well as to distribute hearing aids and wheelchairs to community members in need. In order to provide service to thirteen villages spread throughout the center Jordan Valley, buses from the center log more than 250 km every day

This is a project which very much mirrors the aims and goals of the Diocese. The Diocese seeks to empower and encourage those who live with difficult circumstances and to show the love of Christ to those in need. Whilst seeking through the activities to raise income for the Center there are always needs that cannot be met by these sources. Funding is a constant concern and without support from outside the Center has to limit its activities and the ministry to the community.