Jerusalem
and the Middle East
Church Association

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Director Revd Brother Andrew de Carpentier
www.allah-kariem.org

In the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East there are no less than 33 Institutions serving the whole community. Here, we feature the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, based in the ancient Jordanian city of Salt. It began as a small school in 1964, and has been growing ever since and now offers Rehabilitation,Education, Vocational Training and other services for deaf and physically or mentally challenged people.

Government recognition:

At the behest of the King, the Jordanian government established a Higher Council for the Affairs of People with Disabilities, to support and develop the various national services for the handicapped. The Institute received generous grants for its work with the Deaf and in the outreach programmes.

The Ministry of Education offered all the children a new warm jacket before the cold started. The children were very happy to be allowed to choose the colour they liked. Even deaf- blind Mohammed tried to feel which jacket he liked best. One of the onlookers, who didn’t know the children, was dumbfounded about Mohammed’s ability to move independently, talk in sign language and chose by himself.

Many blessings

In spite of a sudden increase in the cost of living of, at times, between 50% and 100%, it was neither necessary to decrease the quality of the care for the children nor to put a squeeze on the salaries. On the contrary for the first time in the history of the Institute every member of staff received last Christmas an extra bonus of £120.

One day in the spring, Mrs Samawi from Jordan came to announce the gift of the new vocational training building. That very same day a new friend in England, Mr. Urwick jr., donated out of the blue from his company’s charitable trust the amount of £25.000 for where most needed.