A community initiative founded in 2008 as a response to the lack of accessible spaces and employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Jordan. It creates a space for interaction, arts, growth, and support, aiming to include people with disabilities as active participants in society. Noor Al Barakeh association operates in a park with an accessible garden and a multipurpose space. They organise various social activities for people of all ages, and a weekly local produce market which generates income to sustain the initiative.
The association started when the mothers of children with disabilities came together to create activities for their children in agriculture, arts, and recreation. At first, they used a piece of land offered by a community member, but to ensure the longevity of the project, they approached Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and were offered a park in Rabieh, Amman. Supported through donations at first, they renovated and revived the neglected park. They then established the weekly Nour al Barakeh farmer’s market which takes place in the park every Saturday, and is the main source of income for the initiative.
The association is composed of committee members (mainly the mothers), volunteers, and trainers who offer classes to the youth. Their community has been consistently growing, with vendors at the market, to visitors, and participants in their program of events. In the space they built, the association organises various cultural and sports workshops mainly targeting youth with disabilities, who are amongst the most marginalised in society. The governance of the park is a shared responsibility between the association and GAM; while GAM maintains it, Nour al Barakeh oversees it on the days of their programmes and events. This arrangement was established after continued community persistence, with the hope that it will encourage greater cooperation and support from GAM concerning the park’s management.
Nour al Barakeh has not only created inclusive spaces for individuals with disabilities, where they are active and can join in tailored programs, but has also managed to break barriers in society and foster a different reality, where people from across Jordan gather on Saturdays in an accessible community park, around local and homemade produce. They also aim to expand their work to include job opportunities for people with disabilities through a library and cafe in the park.