Queen Noor during one of her regular visits to Sweimeh Village, the site of the first Noor Al Hussein Foundation's Quality of Life Project. The project provides training and support for grassroots community participation in the planning, management and evaluation of social and economic development schemes. Grassroots development councils, development funds and technical support committees are established for each beneficiary area to identify needs, allocate resources and implement projects accordingly. Special emphasis is given to training women and supporting them to become actively involved in their own development process.
Economic schemes focus primarily on agriculture, nutrition, cottage industries and handicrafts.
They include home gardens, fruit orchards, goat, cow and poultry raising, fish ponds, bee-keeping, broom and basket making, tricot knitting and sewing, textile and carpet weaving. The Quality of Project has been implemented in 16 villages throughout the country. By 1995 more than 55 per cent of the villages' inhabitants were benefiting directly from the Project, which also serves indirectly over 50,000 people living in those villages and the neighboring areas. Mothers Clubs are established to ensure that rural women are trained and supported to take an active role in the development and well-being of themselves, their families and communities. WHO and the Quality of Life Project are working on a 3 year project to establish a regional advocacy, training and coordination center in Amman.