The Khubaizeh Festival was initiated in February 2016 by Children of the Valley NGO, to celebrate all plants of the Jordan Valley area. Al-khubaizeh was chosen as a name because it is one of the most popular plants among Jordanians, because it is healthy and tasty, and can be used in many different recipes.
It is an old plant that has been used for thousands of years by Greeks, Romans and Egyptians as food and medicine. It also grows naturally without man’s cultivation, it is also native to Jordan.
The Second Khubaizeh Festival, to be held from the 14th of February to 21st of March 2017, which is the peak period of the plants growth, will include many activities and programs; such as cooking khubaizeh in different recipes by local women and volunteers, and offering it along side other freshly picked vegetables from the farms around us, to a farmers market which will be held every weekend (Friday and Saturday) during the Festival period. It will showcase authentic food and fresh produce from the local area, such as vegetables, fruits, eggs, dairy products, honey, and provide recipies for using these ingredients. We will also have, especially during the weekends, cultural and artistic activities such as music, singing and theatre, as well as a special area for children’s activities.
The Khubaizeh Festival will be in the Children of the Valley farm, which is situated in South Shuneh, known and recognised as one of the Jordan’s poorest areas. Thus, the Festival will create many direct and indirect jobs for the people of the area; supplying products to the market, or as employment for staff working during the festival. We will focus on employing local women, including Syrian refugees that live nearby our farm.
During the festival the staff will learn skills that will help them continue with micro-entrepreneurship and create their own businesses. It will be also an opportunity for cultural exchange between locals and visitors, which will also be a networking opportunity
The women trained at the Festival will recieve certificates from our NGO, showing their participation.
It will also provide a venue for them to sell their own products, such as pickled vegetables, jams, homemade soaps, handicrafts, and whatever else they can offer.
Children of the Valley is a non for profit NGO with the mission of building capacity for youth in the Jordan Valley. Created in 2014, we aim to overcome high unemployement rates in our region.