In Celebration of Jordan’s Centennial Minister of Education Patronizes the Launch of Umniah’s JD1 Million “Forsa” Initiative

November 23, 2021 – Amman, Jordan: The Minister of Education Dr. Wajih Owais patronized the launch of Umniah’s Forsa initiative, which aims to renovate sports complexes and playgrounds at a number of government schools. Dr Owais’ attendance at the event confirmed the ministry’s readiness to establish effective partnerships with private institutions in order to further develop school infrastructure as part of its efforts to raise the quality of education in the Kingdom’s schools. The ceremony was attended by Minister of MoDEE Ahmad Hanandeh, Umniah CEO Ziad Shatara, Secretary General of the Ministry of Education Dr. Nawaf Al-Ajarmeh and Dr. Najwa Qabilat.

In his remarks at the launch, Dr. Owais thanked Umniah for the initiative, which will work to improve school playgrounds and sports complexes, ultimately reflecting positively on academic achievements and skills enhancement by providing students with a safe and effective outlet for their extracurricular activities. Dr Owais went on to add that the initiative is in line with the ministry’s efforts to improve the environment within its schools in order to create a more effective and stimulating learning environment.

Also at the launch, Shatara, said, “The one JD million “Forsa” initiative, which will renovate the sports complexes and playgrounds of government schools, is in line with our corporate social responsibility strategy and stems from our belief in the importance of this vital sector. By investing in public schools and furthering the educational sector, the entire country will feel the sustainable impact and positive repercussions in the long run.”

Shatara went on to add, “By implementing this critical initiative at a community level, Umniah continues to offer its support and backing to the Ministry of Education (MoE) in its efforts to realize comprehensive development for students, enriching their values and increasing their confidence in the ecosystem of their schools. Additionally, the initiative will improve their mental and physical health by providing them with a healthier and safer learning environment, helping them adopt healthy habits that include sports, which will work in their favor with their return to their schools and face-to-face learning following an absence of more than a year and a half as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative will also provide new volunteering opportunities on Nahno, the national platform for youth volunteering and participation, with ample opportunities to volunteer in school beautification activities including planting trees, painting walls as well as running workshops and training courses for students.

Also during the event, Umniah Chief Commercial Officer Zaid Al-Ibrahim announced the completion of renovation works at a playground in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques School for Boys in Zarqa, which serves more than 1,300 students in the area. This year, the initiative will work with five other government schools that serve more than 6,000 students.

Al-Ibrahim also explained the importance of physical activity and its positive repercussions on the educational achievements of children, adding that physically active students often have better grades and attendance, higher cognitive performance and improved behavior. Higher levels of physical activity are also linked to improved cognitive performance in students, in addition to improved bone health, the ability to maintain a healthy weight, better heart health, lower risks of depression and numerous other long-term benefits.

Umniah’s Forsa initiative is part of the company’s celebrations to mark Jordan’s Centennial and is a pillar of its corporate social responsibility strategy, which works to support and implement long-term projects that have a sustainable impact on local communities. Through Forsa, Umniah will renovate sports complexes and playgrounds in public schools at a cost of over JD1 million over a period of five years in governorates across the country.

The name of the initiative, Forsa, can be defined in Arabic as either school recess or an opportunity, and was chosen to reflect the company’s belief in the importance of providing safe spaces for school students to engage in extracurricular activities, especially sports, as a mean of improving both physical and mental health as well as their academic achievements.

Umniah will execute the first phase of the project in five public schools before the end of this year, in cooperation with technical engineers from the Department of Buildings and Projects at the Ministry of Education and Madrasati, a Queen Rania Foundation initiative that works to renovate schools. In order to qualify for the Forsa initiative, schools must meet certain requirements set out by Umniah, including enough space for a sports complex, qualified physical education teachers as well as an openness to allow Umniah and local community organizations to hold extracurricular activities in the space.

Since the launch of its corporate social responsibility strategy, Umniah has been tirelessly investing in the educational sector, which the company sees as the backbone of increased sustainable development in the country. With this in mind, the company has harnessed its expertise and know-how to support the advancement of the educational environment of public schools.