Tafila, Jan. 8 (Petra) -- Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa on Thursday visited Tafila Governorate, inspecting needy families and a number of social projects and services provided by the ministry, including income-generating initiatives for productive families and facilities affiliated with the ministry, as part of efforts to assess citizens’ needs firsthand.
Bani Mustafa began her tour by visiting several needy families, where she reviewed their living and housing conditions. She directed that immediate assistance be provided and that the ministry’s programs and engineering teams study the possibility of rehabilitating a number of homes to ensure safe and healthy housing for the most vulnerable families.
The minister also visited the Tafila Sons Association for Special Education, where she met with the association’s president, Abdullah Hanaqta, and reviewed the services provided to persons with disabilities, including physical therapy units and income-generating projects such as a greenhouse, jam and rest workshop, and a hotel room project. These initiatives aim to enhance the association’s financial sustainability, create job opportunities, and ensure continuity of services.
Her tour included the Tafila Comprehensive Day Center for Inclusive Services, which provides special education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychological support and counseling. The center serves 58 children, including 25 in day services and 33 in early intervention programs.
The minister reviewed the center’s operations, noting it delivered 1,512 sessions in 2025 within early intervention and community-based rehabilitation programs, and underlined the importance of continued development to improve service quality for the local community.
Bani Mustafa also visited the Ain al-Bayda Community Development Center and its expansion project, which added new halls following directives by the prime minister to enhance services, facilities, and the number of beneficiaries.
The center implements several development projects, most notably the Oasis Curriculum project, which trains 90 women and girls annually in productive crafts, and the Makani project. It also operates a kindergarten and nursery serving 143 children, provides job opportunities for residents, and empowers 16 women to establish income-generating projects.
In the al-Bahrat neighborhood, the minister met with women from the area and listened to their demands related to living conditions. She instructed relevant officials at the ministry and the National Aid Fund to study the requests and work toward implementation within available resources.
During a meeting with charitable organizations in the governorate, attended by the president of the General Union of Charitable Societies, Amer Khawaldeh, Bani Mustafa listened to key observations and demands and directed officials to examine them and address them within available means.
In support of economic empowerment, the minister visited a spare parts, oils, and mechanical services project in the Wadi Zeid area, funded by the Ministry of Social Development, and said the ministry would continue backing income-generating projects for families and individuals.
She highlighted the importance of partnerships with nongovernmental organizations within humanitarian and relief frameworks and the need to strengthen their developmental role, including classifying organizations and enhancing institutional performance. She also said the ministry would conduct a comprehensive survey of persons with disabilities in Tafila Governorate, in coordination with relevant authorities, to ensure services are based on accurate data and actual needs.
//Petra// AJ
