Zara Spends a Day of Friendship & Fun at Ghor Al-Mazra’a Led by Zikra Initiative
Waiting to Exchange: Employees of Zara Investment Spend a Day of Friendship and Fun at Ghor Al-Mazra’a Led by Zikra Initiative.
A group of employees at Zara Investment (Holding) participated in Zikra Initiative’s “Bandora Day” held at Ghor Al-Mazra’a at the Jordan Valley. The trip was intended to introduce the group to one of Jordan’s most impoverished local communities. In addition, it was geared towards offering an insight about the local life and customs of that area. Upon arrival, the group spread all over tomato fields where they actively engaged in picking tomatoes and got to sample a small taste of what life is like in the country side. Shortly after that, the group moved to an interactive workshop with several stations situated in a tented area on a hilltop with magnificent views of the Dead Sea.
The workshop consisted of various stations led by local women where the group experimented first hand with making local handicrafts. There was a station for making “kuhul” (local eyeliner), while another was busy with a local artist teaching how to tattoo beautiful shapes using Hennah. Another station, which was a great hit, was the station for baking local bread known as Shraq led by the lovely Um Assad. Other stations included bead making from olive pits, kufieh embroidering, grain grinding, banana leaf basket weaving, and many others. All of these stations were placed under a charming tented area covered with fronds.
While all of this was taking place, a delicious traditional dish “Gallayet Bandora” (Tomato stew) was being prepared by some members of the visiting group. The visit ended with visitors and local residents including children savoring a delicious lunch consisting of the freshly made bread and Gallayet Bandora.
Rabee Zureikat, the founder of Zikra Initiative commented “The interaction between the visitors and the local community breaks stereotypes. And when business people meet with the local women and farmers of al Ghor, a magical experience takes place as both parties start to learn from one another, leading to a newfound form of respect.”
At the end of this visit, the whole group seemed elated by what they had just discovered, not only about the area and its residents, but also about themselves. In essence, meeting new friends at Ghor Al-Mazra’a made all realize that extending a hand, even if at a very small scale, is needed to make a positive difference in each other’s lives. More important, it is also fun! The day that started with picking tomatoes, ended with picking brains on ways to be there for one another.
Lina Annab, General Manager of Zara Investment commented on this trip “We are now more aware and on the lookout for ways that we, as individuals, as well as corporate citizens, can contribute to
make our world a better and braver one. The visit to Ghor Al-Mazra’a and the vision of Zikra Initiative have indeed awakened in us a nagging feeling of waiting to exchange to make a positive change. ”
About Zikra Initiative:
Zikra Initiative bridges communities by creating Exchange-Tourism, a process that creates attractions program between the urban and rural community based on an exchange model. Zikra Initiative creates trips for the urban community to travel, participate, and experience Jordan’s heritage and roots in interactive workshops led by the local community. In exchange, visitors pay a nominal fee that is channeled into a microloan in addition to other economic and social development projects. The ExchangeTourism creates an equal relationship, stimulates development, breaks stereotypes and empowers both communities to instigate or participate in positive change.
Print
Send to friend