Our autumn newsletter 2022
November 2022
Outside it is greening and blooming and there is some news to report from the Arab Episcopal School in Irbid. Our spring newsletter tells about the “International Day of the White Cane”, the new solar system on the school roof, our support especially for girls and much more.
Click here to read the newsletter in German.
Our spring newsletter 2022
March 2022
Outside it is greening and blooming and there is some news to report from the Arab Episcopal School in Irbid. Our spring newsletter tells about the “International Day of the White Cane”, the new solar system on the school roof, our support especially for girls and much more.
Click here to read the newsletter in German.
Our special edition newsletter for Christmas 2021
December 2021
Obituary for Dr. Winfried Dalferth
September 2021
On 17 September, after a short, serious illness, the first Chairman of our Support Association passed away. His death has moved many people in very different places, it just doesn’t fit this energetic, cheerful and warm-hearted person, who with his many gifts and interests, his humour and his accuracy got things started and initiated things in so many places in our regional church and also in our association.
Above all, however, we as an association and as a school mourn with his wife and his family, who have lost much more than we can measure.
For us as FII e.V., Dr. Winfried Dalferth was of existential importance! Without him, the association would probably not have come into being for a long time; with his expertise and his love of detail, he was not only our “first” chairman, but also the head and heart of the FII. It is not least thanks to his commitment that the support of the AES can now happen sustainably and in a reliable form, that the many people who care about this school have a common platform and a centre where help is coordinated and bundled.
“I will bless you and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2) – with this word that God once promised to Abraham, we remembered and commemorated his great commitment at our first general meeting “without him” in October 2021.
Winfried Dalferth lived (as I felt) out of a great gratitude – and drew from this gratitude the energy with which he actually became a blessing for our school in Irbid. Without putting himself in the foreground, he set the course for our association with great precision and foresight so that we could fulfil our self-chosen task sustainably and well.
We can and will preserve his memory in such a way that we continue our association in his spirit and help the Inclusion School to develop further – so that it can become a blessing for many more visually impaired, blind and sighted girls and boys, Christians and Muslims.
For the association and the board of the FII
Thomas Cornelius
Our summer newsletter 2021
July 2021
Summer is here – and so is our Summer Newsletter 2021.
Click here for the newsletter in German language.
Click here for the newsletter in English.
Our spring newsletter 2021
March 2021
Our spring newsletter has been sent to our association members and all those who support AES through donations.
Click here for the newsletter in German language.
Click here for the newsletter in English.
New school term begins at AES
Samir, the founder of the school, tells us about the daily school life in March 2021
On February 08, 2021, the second school semester began. Everyone was happy that the time of home schooling was over and we could go back to school. In three stages the students were to arrive. By 07 March, all would have been there completely. But it was not possible. Two weeks after the first group of students, the newly arriving students doubled the number of Corona infected. So the return of the students to the school had to be stopped.
Now the school is again trying to provide distance education. However, distance education for the blind and visually impaired is especially difficult because the technical requirements are often lacking. The blind teachers therefore try to provide support to the students wherever possible and to make the lessons easier for them.
After the number of people affected by the epidemic increased from 700 to about 5,000 every day and the number of daily working hours in the stores was reduced, it was decided at the end of February to close the school completely every Friday after five weeks of opening.
Regarding the economic situation in Jordan, which is deteriorating daily due to the closure of many businesses, statistics in Jordan show that 24 percent of Jordanians have become unemployed. 400,000 people have lost their jobs due to the epidemic. These are not the ones whose working hours have been reduced by 50 percent.
In schools, there have been significant shifts in school fees, as only a small number of parents continue to pay school fees despite school closures. This will not change in the school year ahead.
Unfortunately, since only a few vaccines have arrived in Jordan so far, only a small number of people could be vaccinated.
In Jordan, hundreds of thousands of people are still waiting for their vaccination. Also, for example, my father and mother, both over 82 years old. The vaccine was given to my mother, but my father is still waiting for his turn. Priority was given to doctors and nurses in Jordan.
We pray to the Lord to help us in this disaster that has hit the world, as in the whole world we have lost many people in Jordan due to this epidemic. The number of people affected by the epidemic in Jordan is about 450,000 and the deaths are almost 5,000.
Reverend Samir Esaid
School founder
In den ersten Tagen des zweiten Schulhalbjahres kam das epidemiologische Untersuchungsteam des jordanischen Gesundheitsministeriums in der AES vorbei und testete alle Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter auf Corona.
Ein medizinisches Team der Caritas Jordan Association testet die Schülerinnen und Schüler der Arab Episcopal School zu Beginn des zweiten Schulhalbjahres auf das Coronavirus.
The AES in Lydia’s world
February 2021
Lydia writes about what it’s like to be blind. In 2019, her blog was nominated for the Grimme Online Award. We are very happy that an article about the AES appeared there.
And more than that, Lydia has set up a money pool through PayPal. All who wish can donate in the equivalent of a coffee for the AES until March 31, 2021.
More links:
Click here to go to the blog post.
Click here to go to the Money Pool.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the AES
Samir writes to the FII office on 20/03/2020:
We are fasting and praying a lot for the situation, with the hope of a change soon. Therefore, we do not want to grumble and take it out of his hands.
In our country the situation is not much different from that in Germany, with the exception that in Germany there is probably even more food in the supermarkets. Stores that are not existentially necessary should actually be closed, although not everyone complies. The same situation prevails in public transport. For this reason, as of today, even stricter controls have been introduced. Whether penalties have also been imposed is still unknown to me. The borders of the city districts have also been closed. So for now, we can’t get out of Irbid. Also airplanes usually can’t get in or out without a special permit.
The school is not in session at the moment because of the ban on meetings. It was set for 2 weeks for now, but the corona cases are increasing in Jordan, despite the precautions. Perhaps this period will be extended. During this time, the students will receive instruction via the Internet and/or television.
Marie Ann and also the other two volunteers have already made intensive contact with the Foreign Office some time ago. Due to the border closures, the three were picked up yesterday by a car of the German embassy and brought to Amman to an apartment that they have to pay for out of their own pockets. There they will stay until hopefully soon a plane will bring them to Germany. Unfortunately, we do not know how long this will take. Again, we can only pray that it will be soon!
I really hope that the situation will calm down a bit soon, but of course we take it out of God’s hands.
I pray for your health! All love and God’s blessings,
Reverend Samir Esaid
School Administrator
