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The Power of Partnerships
Episcopal Relief & Development’s mission to heal a hurting world could not be realized without the support and participation of our partners around the world. It is through our collaboration with dioceses, churches, non-governmental organizations, donors and others that we are able to change the lives of millions of people in need every year — and to do it with extraordinary cost-effectiveness.
To celebrate and recognize these important partnerships, Episcopal Relief & Development is launching a new web series called “The Power of Partnerships.” This monthly series will focus on the work of our partners across the globe as they join with their neighbors to create long-term solutions to the problems affecting their communities.
To kick-off the Power of Partnerships Series, we are focusing on the Jofeh Center in Jordan. The Center is an outreach program of the Holy Land Institute of the Deaf that we are proud to support in conjunctions with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
In a country where even those with the best advantages struggle to get ahead, the Jofeh Center is making a dramatic difference in the lives of physically and developmentally challenged children and adults. Located near the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, it serves 13 impoverished villages in the Dead Sea area. Run by a small staff and a large team of dedicated local volunteers, the Center operates a therapeutic school that serves 197 children with hearing, speech and physical therapy, and runs a vocational training program for physically challenged adults.
The Jofeh Center trains hundreds of physically and developmentally disabled adults in computer skills, embroidery, woodworking, paper making and textile production. Besides operating a store at the Center to sell the student’s handiwork, it created a micro-enterprise by engaging a large international hotel chain in the region to sell the students’ products in the hotel gift shop. Students are paid for all of their work and are trained with a viable skill while generating a small income.
The difference the Jofeh Center is making in the lives of those it serves is incalculable, and we are extremely proud of our role in this life-changing work. To learn more about vital program partnerships that your support helps make possible, please visit www.er-d.org/partnerships.
