The new video introduces The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands’ guests and audiences to the empowering Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative
The TreadRight Foundation – a not-for-profit supporting people, wildlife, and the planet for generations to come – has unveiled its newest video highlighting the organization’s recently added People project in Jordan; the Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative.
The TreadRight led experience was hosted by TreadRight Ambassador Céline Cousteau, who was joined by a group of influential storytellers on a journey of exploration and discovery in awe-inspiring Jordan. The central goal of their trip was to gain a greater appreciation for and understanding of the Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative’s important work and future goals, as well as the struggles they might face as they look to achieve them.
Unemployment for women in Jordan is at around 33% in urban areas and even higher than that in rural areas. The cooperative was founded in 1993 with the goal of making the women in the region financially independent as well as raise their standard of living by increasing their income and preserving local heritage.
Managed and run by local women, Iraq al-Amir has provided training projects on a variety of heritage handicrafts for more than 150 women from all villages of the Wadi Seer district of Jordan. The products are then also sold in the gift shop, as well as online.“The TreadRight Foundation is supporting the Iraq al-Amir Cooperative and together we’ll be working with this cooperative to upgrade the gift shop, as well as provide merchandising expertise, and allow the group to expand their food services, creating more income opportunities for the cooperative’s members,” explains Jordanian sustainable tourism consultant Muna Haddad. “We’re working together to help the cooperative to become a viable business.”
“As an organization and with the support of the TTC family of brands, we are working to make travel matter. The Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative is a perfect example of the kind of initiative that can harness the power of travel and tourism and use it to make real, sustainable positive changes in people’s lives,” says Shannon Guihan, Program Director, The TreadRight Foundation. “It was a privilege to be so warmly welcomed at the cooperative and to hear the women’s incredible and powerful stories of lives transformed for the better through Iraq al-Amir. Now TTC has the honour of introducing our audiences to those stories through our new video and by taking guests to visit the cooperative in Jordan.”
The TreadRight Foundation’s People pillar encourages the cultures, traditions, and arts of the communities TTC visits, seeking to enable these communities to experience the true benefit of travel and tourism through economic empowerment. This is achieved through support of micro-enterprises and community-based travel and tourism initiatives that build a positive future for community members and their families. TreadRight looks forward to helping TTC’s family of brands continue to make travel matter, working with influential storytellers, aligning with sustainability leaders, and partnering with meaningful projects across the planet.
“We are very excited that the TreadRight Foundation chose to help the Iraq Al Amir Women’s Cooperative. This support helps to empower women and increase income for local communities and will have a ripple effect by also educating and encouraging men to support these types of initiatives that will only help their households and families thrive”, said Malia Asfour, Director of the Jordan Tourism Board North America. “The Jordan Tourism Board is ready to support tour operators that work with social enterprises in Jordan, offering their clients meaningful experiences and positive interactions with local communities” she said.