Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10am-2pm Sat Oct-Jul)
and community-development initiatives tackling recycling,
poverty reduction and hunger alleviation.
JARA
(Jebel Amman Residents Association;
www.jara-jordan.com
)
A village initiative
within a city, it spearheaded the now-famous
Souk Jara street market
(Fawiz al-Malouf
St; 10am-10pm Fri May-Aug)
.
Jordan Handicraft Producers Association
( 4626295; 34 Khirfan St; 8am-4pm
Sat-Thu)
Encompassing 500 members working from home or from small workshops, it
showcases the output in a 120-year-old stone building.
Jordan River Foundation
( 4613081;
www.jordanriver.jo
; Bani Hamida House,
Fawzi al-Malouf St, Jebel Amman; 8.30am-7pm Sat-Thu, 10am-5pm Fri)
The show-
room in Jebel Amman displays works from three major projects - Bani Hamida Women's
Weaving Project, Al-Karma Centre Jordan River Designs Project (embroidery) and Wadi
Al-Rayan Handicraft Project (woven cattail-reed and banana-leaf products).
Madaba Tourism Development Association
(
www.visitmadaba.org
)
A voluntary
community-based organisation, it develops tourism products that use local skills and re-
sources.
Made in Jordan
( 2155700;
www.madeinjordan.com
)
In Wadi Musa, it sells crafts
from various local enterprises. Products include olive oil, soap, paper, ceramics, table run-
ners, embroidery, camel-hair shawls and bags.
Nature shops
These figure prominently at the
Wild Jordan Centre
( 4616523;
www.rscn.org.jo
;
Othman Bin Affan St, downtown)
in Amman and RSCN visitor centres
in Ajloun, Azraq, Mujib, Dana and Wadi Rum.
Noor Al-Hussein Foundation
(
www.nooralhusseinfoundation.org
)
Maintains a show-
room in Aqaba as well as links to now-independent projects selling NHF-labelled
products in Iraq Al-Amir, Salt and Wadi Musa (Nabataean Women's Cooperative).
Shopping for Crafts
Regardless of the 'added value' element, if you are after goods
of a high quality it pays to visit specialised craft centres as op-
posed to one-stop shopping in souvenir shops. Unfortunately,
some shop owners have jumped on the cooperative bandwag-
on and claim to be part of charitable foundations when they
are not. Check that a shop's sign exactly matches the outlet
you are looking for!
Good Buys
»
»Silver jewellery (Wadi
Musa)
»
»Handmade paper (Iraq al-
Amir, Aqaba and Jerash)
