USAID Community Engagement Project Celebrates Completion of Projects in Al Mafraq, Jordan

USAID Community Engagement Project (CEP) Celebrates Completion of 11 Development Projects in Al Mafraq, Jordan

USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein and USAID/Jordan Mission Director Beth Paige pitched in with students and community volunteers to help upgrade Al Matallah Elementary School.
Mafraq, Jordan — Government officials, Mafraq community members, children, teachers, media representatives and a USAID delegation headed by USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein gathered at Al Matallah Elementary School located in Al-Sarhan community in Al Mafraq today to celebrate the completion of eleven development projects as part of USAID’s Community Engagement Project (USAID CEP) Rapid Grants Program launched earlier this year.  The program has enabled Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to achieve quick results to respond to local priorities in Mafraq, Irbid, and Tafileh.
USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein toured Al Matallah Elementary School, rehabilitated by the Northern Western Badia Charitable Association through a $10,000 USAID CEP grant.  Representatives from implementing CBOs were present to elaborate on the project’s impact.  Al Matallah School was selected as a priority project by the CBO to provide a safe and friendly environment for Al Sarhan’s children.
“USAID is proud to be part of today’s activities, celebrating the great work that so many local organizations have achieved through the USAID CEP rapid grants fund,” stated Mark Feierstein, USAID Associate Administrator.  “We are not celebrating an ending, but a beginning.  I’m confident that the dedication to improving your community you’ve all displayed today will continue to grow.”
Local government representatives, USAID CEP team members, and local media representatives also visited other projects benefitting from the program including two pedestrian bridges, playgrounds, and public parks. They ended their visit at the Al Mafraq Youth Center with the Al Mafraq Governor and Mayor.
“When I look at these 11 completed Rapid Grant Projects I’m amazed at what the CBOs were able to accomplish,” stated Beth S. Paige, USAID/Jordan Mission Director. With a maximum grant amount of $10,000, the CBOs used ingenuity to stretch every dollar, even locating other resources from the communities and local government to implement larger, better projects than what was originally proposed.”