By nharnish
!!!!مرحبا
Hello!!!
Imagine a city sprawling across a hilly plain, crumbling ruins, and a constant bustle of people wherever you look. Amman greeted me with open arms, although the dry climate and constant noise took some getting used to.
My time here has already been filled with incredible learning experiences and excitement all around as I've learned how scarce water truly is in Jordan. Imagine our surprise when the other students at the Jordanian Institute of Diplomacy and I learned we would have a water quota of 2 cubic meters each week.
Well.. What happens if you run out?
Nothing. No showers, no drinking water, and no brushing your teeth. The basic luxury of water we enjoy in the states becomes a valuable commodity within days of my arrival, and the need for real change in water usage within this region hits home. Luckily, there are hundreds of organizations specializing in water development. These programs all have their successes and failures in the field, but they all hope to improve the standard of water usage different ways.
In my attempts to find an internship while studying abroad I came across two very interesting water projects. Engicon, a Jordanian Engineering company, works with the Jordanian government and even our own to develop water infrastructure within the country. contrasting with this model of development is the Public Action for Water, Energy and the Environment run boy our own USAID. instead of doing technical work, this program looks toward social marketing to change how Jordanians use water to help diminish the individuals impact on water usage. I'll be following both of these organizations to see how they operate and the successes they each find.
Water remains my focus while learning in Jordan, but my own research has been overshadowed by recent events... Syria.
Its one thing to read about the conflict on the news, it's another to be a few hundred miles away from it all. Jordanians and foreigners alike huddle close in cafes, whispering in hushed tones about a war happening at their door step. Everyone asks the same thing, but no one gets an answer.
What's going to happen?
So many possibilities, everyone decision being complicated move that could result in utter chaos in the region. No one knows what will come, but everyone wants the fighting to stop.
Despite this worry and uncertainty, there is also a feeling of calm. It is an odd thing to be so close to violence but feel so safe. Jordanians I've spoken to are not worried that the conflict will spill over into Syria, and they know that whatever happens Jordan will remain a safe haven in what many see as a war-torn part of the World.