OUTCOME OF SUCCESS STORIES INITIATIVE IN JORDAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008254

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PD:MQUINN, NEA/PD:DBENZE,
IIP/SC:WPARKER, IIP/SC:MNEELY, PRM/ANE
USAID FOR ANE/MEA:RSTEELMAN, ANE/MEA: JLINDSEY,
DAA/LPA: JGIORDANO
STATE PASS TO AID

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: OPRC KPAO OIIP ECPS OEXC JO KMDR EAID PREF
SUBJECT: OUTCOME OF SUCCESS STORIES INITIATIVE IN JORDAN

REF: SECSTATE 047093


1. SUMMARY: LAST SEPTEMBER (FY03),THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION
OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN AMMAN PARTICIPATED IN A STATE
DEPARTMENT PROJECT DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT OF U.S.
ASSISTANCE AROUND THE WORLD. IN COOPERATION WITH THE JORDANIAN
MEDIA (TELEVISION, RADIO, PRINT, AND INTERNET),10 U.S.-FUNDED
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS/PROJECTS RECEIVED POSITIVE REPORTS AND
PROMINENT PLACEMENT IN LEADING NEWSPAPERS AND CONSIDERABLE AIR
TIME ON JORDAN RADIO AND TELEVISION AND ON THE INTERNET. THE
MEDIA FEATURES FOCUSED ON SUCCESS STORIES THAT DEALT WITH
INDIVIDUAL LIVES AND COMMUNITIES TOUCHED OVER THE LONG TERM BY
USAID-FUNDED DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND PRM-SUPPORTED UNRWA
PROGRAMS. THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE HOST COUNTRY MEDIA SUCCESS
STORIES HELPED RAISE AWARENESS AMONG JORDANIANS OF THE VARIETY
OF U.S.-FUNDED PROGRAMS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE
AVERAGE CITIZEN. THEY ALSO HELPED DISPEL TWO PRINCIPAL
MISCONCEPTIONS: THAT U.S. DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DO
NOT IMPACT INDIVIDUAL LIVES; AND THAT U.S. ASSISTANCE SERVES
SHORT-TERM POLITICAL GOALS. END SUMMARY.


2. JORDAN TV HIGHLIGHTS UNRWA AND USAID:

I) UNRWA'S WOMEN'S PROGRAM CENTERS AT REFUGEE CAMPS WERE
COVERED IN A 25-MINUTE SEGMENT IN JORDAN TV'S DAILY LIVE
MORNING SHOW "A NEW DAY" ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9. THE PRESENTER
HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT "THE UNITED STATES IS UNRWA'S SINGLE
LARGEST DONOR" AND THAT "THIS YEAR (2003),THE UNITED STATES
CONTRIBUTED $129 MILLION TO UNRWA IN ADDITION TO THE
ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS IT PROVIDES TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS
AT REFUGEE CAMPS IN JORDAN." A 12-MINUTE REPORT WAS ALSO AIRED
WITHIN THAT SEGMENT, PROFILING TWO WOMEN WHO SET UP MICRO-
ENTERPRISES: A HOME HANDICRAFTS BUSINESS AND A HOME FOOD
BUSINESS, EACH FINANCED BY A LOAN FROM UNRWA.

II) WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES AND A WATER REUSE PROGRAM
WILL BE FEATURED ON TWO OTHER SEGMENTS WITHIN THE SAME JORDAN
TV LIVE MORNING SHOW SOME TIME WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. THE
FOCUS WILL BE ON HOW THE LIVES AND BUSINESSES OF THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY IN PETRA AND WADI MOUSA IN SOUTHERN JORDAN HAVE
DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED.

III) WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, JORDAN TV WILL PRODUCE AND
BROADCAST ONE MORE SEGMENT WITHIN "A NEW DAY" SHOW, FOCUSING
ON UNRWA'S VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IN
JORDAN, WHICH OFFERS PRACTICAL TRAINING TO PALESTINIAN REFUGEE
YOUTH.



3. SUCCESS STORIES ON RADIO JORDAN:

I) ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, RADIO JORDAN'S ARABIC SERVICE
DEDICATED ITS DAILY LIVE MORNING RADIO SHOW "THE FAMILY WORLD"
TO SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT WOMEN IN SOUTHERN JORDAN, WHO HAVE
BENEFITTED FROM A USAID-FUNDED MICROFINANCE PROJECT. THE
PROGRAM AIRED INTERVIEWS WITH FIVE BENEFICIARIES, WHO STARTED
UP THEIR OWN BUSINESSES AFTER RECEIVING MICRO LOANS.

II) ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30, THE SAME RADIO SHOW HIGHLIGHTED THE
SUCCESS STORIES OF TWO WOMEN IN AZRAQ IN EAST JORDAN, WHO ARE
CURRENTLY WORKING AT A HANDICRAFTS WORKSHOP RUN BY THE ROYAL
SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE - A LOCAL NGO SUPPORTED
BY USAID.


4. PRINT MEDIA: OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, A TOTAL OF SEVEN
SUCCESS STORIES ON FOUR USAID-FUNDED PROJECTS WERE PUBLISHED
IN THE THREE JORDANIAN ARABIC DAILIES.

I) IN A SPECIAL PAGE CALLED "THE JORDANIAN WOMAN," WHICH IS
PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, THE ARABIC DAILY
AL-RAI FEATURED THREE SUCCESS STORIES, WITH PHOTOS, ABOUT
THREE WOMEN IN AJLOUN GOVERNORATE (NORTHERN JORDAN) WHO
PARTICIPATED IN A USAID-FUNDED "START AND IMPROVE YOUR
BUSINESS" (SIYB) PROGRAM. THEY LAUNCHED A HOME SEWING AND
TAILORING BUSINESS, A KINDERGARDEN, AND A GROCERY STORE.

II) ON OCTOBER 1, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM FEATURED A
FULL PAGE SPREAD, WITH COLOR PHOTOS, ABOUT "BRIDGING THE
DIGITAL DIVIDE," A USAID-FUNDED INITIATIVE, WHICH IS
IMPLEMENTED BY A LOCAL NGO TO RECRUIT, TRAIN AND DISPERSE
YOUNG JORDANIANS AS VOLUNTEER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRAINERS
IN CENTERS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM.

III) ON OCTOBER 8, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI PUBLISHED A SUCCESS
STORY ABOUT THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE INITIATIVES (PHCI)
PROJECT, A FIVE-YEAR USAID-FUNDED, $40 MILLION PROJECT -
INITIATED IN 1999 - THAT IS RENOVATING 380 PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
CENTERS THROUGOUT JORDAN AND PROVIDING TRAINING TO THEIR
STAFF.

IV) ON OCTOBER 3, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR PUBLISHED A
SUCCESS STORY ABOUT LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY
AREA THAT BENEFITTED FROM A USAID PROJECT AIMED AT
REHABILITATING CONTAMINATED WELLS AND SPRINGS. IT QUOTES A
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT "OVER 35,000 CITIZENS AS
WELL AS THREE HOTELS ON THE EASTERN COASTLINE OF THE DEAD SEA
BENEFIT FROM THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE FOUR REHABILIATED
WELLS.


5. INTERNET RADIO: WWW.AMMANNET.NET PUBLISHED A SUCCESS STORY,
WITH COLOR PHOTOS, ABOUT THE JORDANIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FAMILY
PLANNING AND PROTECTION (JAFPP),WHICH USAID HAS BEEN
SUPPORTING FOR MANY YEARS. THE REPORT CARRIED SOUND BITES FROM
INTERVIEWS WITH TEN WOMEN WHO PRAISED JAFPP'S SERVICES.


6. RESULTS / IMPACT: THE SUCCESS STORIES CLARIFIED TO THE
PUBLIC HOW MUCH U.S. ASSISTANCE JORDAN IS RECEIVING AND HOW
INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES HAVE GREATLY BENEFITTED. THE
OUTSTANDING NUMBER AND PLACEMENT OF THOSE SUCCESS STORIES WAS
AN EXCELLENT REMINDER OF U.S. ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE HIGH-
PROFILE AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE WAR ON TERRORISM
OR THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT THAT USUALLY GRAB LOCAL
MEDIA ATTENTION.

THE POST IS VERY GRATEFUL TO IIP AND PA FOR FUNDING THE TRAVEL
AND OTHER EXPENSES OF THE JOURNALISTS WHO COVERED THESE
STORIES. THE RELATIVELY MODEST AMOUNT HAD A BIG IMPACT IN
SPREADING AWARENESS OF THE BENEFIT TO ORDINARY JORDANIANS OF
THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. GNEHM