Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization

On January 24, 2008 Nayab and I lead a group of King’s Academy students and faculty members in a volunteering effort to unload trucks and to repackage crates of medical supplies and food for the Gaza relief effort. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization at a local warehouse in Amman hosted us. It was actually quite an exciting union as we were the first group of volunteers for the organization- I was extraordinarily proud to represent an institution that is a pioneer of actual, physical service and community action in Jordan.

The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization has been sending 20 flatbed trucks with canned and dry foods, blankets, clothing and medical supplies to the King Hussein Bridge on a daily basis. The warehouse was literally filled with survival supplies donated from countries throughout the region. It was really humbling to be fully invested in laboring so intensely for a cause in such a direct way- the things we were touching, carrying, wrapping, were needed to save people from an all to terrifying fate. Everything else in our lives was trivialized, necessarily, and we felt very small and insignificant and yet that we also had a purpose and a responsibility.

The most amazing thing was the amount of energy and time employees have been investing in this venture when it is very uncertain if any supplies actually enter Gaza. Interception of emergency items is common and an unfortunate reality. But in such a crisis, what can you do but have complete faith that human nature is innately good and people in such dire situations will be given access to the emergency items sent. At least we can attain some peace of mind or feel a little less sick to our stomachs by being active and putting our frustration and sadness into action- one student told Jordan TV, who was interviewing and recording our group, “We are just happy to be able to support our brothers and sisters in Gaza in any way possible”.