AMMAN — December appears to be, for the Swiss at least, what Orson Welles would call one of “brotherly love and a cuckoo clock.”
The embassy of Switzerland in Amman is organising a number of cultural and charity activities as part of the annual “Swiss Week,” which will take place this upcoming week.
“Since 2001, the embassy of Switzerland has been working to maintain constant communication between our two cultures,” said Paul Widmer, Swiss ambassador to Amman.
The highlights of this year's week are two charity events. The first is the “Charity Gala Dinner,” which will take place on Dec. 4 at the Sheraton Hotel at 8:00pm, organised under the patronage of HRH Prince Raad and HRH Princess Majida Raad, and in cooperation with Al Hussein Society of the Habilitation/Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged and the Our Lady of Peace Centre.
“The aim of this dinner is to raise as much funds as possible for children with special needs,” said Widmer.
In addition to its charity theme, the dinner aims to advance Jordanian tourism in Switzerland, particularly to the area of Valais. A raffle draw will be conducted with many valuable prizes to be given. The grand prizewinner will receive two tickets to Switzerland on Royal Jordanian, with four-star hotel accommodation in Valais.
The dinner will include a magic show performed by record-breaking magician-comedian Peter Lömann and a musical performance, featuring the talents of Käthi Kaufmann and Kurt Ott, on the traditional Swiss instruments of panflute and alphorn.
“Such events help us offer better services to the children in our care,” said Annie Medzhagopian Abu Hanna, executive director of Al Hussein Society. “The dinner will showcase handmade designs of some of the children in our organisation.”
According to Abu Hanna, Al Hussein Society handles more than 1,500 physical challenge cases a year.
The society has recently launched the “Mobile Clinic” project co-funded by the Swiss government, which assesses, educates and dispenses medical aid and equipment to patients residing in remote areas of the country, who cannot otherwise access charity centres.
“Through this project, we hope to increase public awareness on those with special needs, particularly children,” added Abu Hanna.
“Cultural events such as the upcoming Swiss Week allow organisations like ours access to foreign funding, which solves many of our monetary problems and helps to provide broader services to people with special needs,“ said Majdi Dayyat, president of the Central Committee at Our Lady of Peace Centre.
The Swiss government has recently supported the Our Lady of Peace Centre with the establishment of a charity shop at the Baptism Site in the Jordan Valley, which will be used to sell the handicrafts made by handicapped persons and children in care at the centre.
“This is a special project which enables this special category to become an active part in the community,” commented Widmer.
The second highlight of this year's Swiss Week is the variety children show “Magic for Kids,” which will take place on Dec. 5 at Al Hussein Cultural Centre at 5:00pm. Children are invited to attend “The Tramp,” an entertaining magic show performed by Lömann, followed by a comedic musical performance joined by the Swiss duo “AlpPan.”
“This will be a very entertaining event for children and a chance to gather more contributions in favour of children with special needs,” added Widmer.
A special food-tasting, aimed to familiarise Jordanians with Swiss cuisine specialties, aptly called “Swiss Flavours,” will take place on Dec. 5 through Dec. 11 at the Sheraton Hotel. The buffet will feature, among other delicacies, the two traditional Swiss dishes of Raclette and Fondue. Fans of viticulture will also have a chance to sample a wide variety of Swiss wines.
“If there is anything shared between the Swiss and the Bedouins, it's the [love of] food,” commented Widmer. “We are hoping this food-tasting will better aquaint Jordanians with Swiss cuisine.”
The embassy of Switzerland has been contributing to various development projects in the Kingdom. Recently, the embassy teamed with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, co-funding a number of preservation projects and activities promoting of eco-tourism. The Swiss government has also contributed to UNRWA programmes in different areas throughout the country, including relief works in Maan and the creation of a refugee camp in Irbid.
The Our Lady of Peace Centre is a charity organisation belonging to the Latin Vicariate in Amman, which “aims to increase people's awareness on the crucial problem of individuals with special needs in Jordan, their right to a decent life, equal treatment, respect and dignity, “ said Dayyat.
The centre began its activities in 2003, and treats 120 to 150 individuals a year. The centre offers aid in the areas of opthalmology, dentistry and general medicine.
