Amman, Jan. 22 (Petra) – HRH Princess Basma bint Talal, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), convened on Wednesday with the faculty and student body of the Raja School for the Deaf.

The meeting followed the school’s prestigious victory at the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize, a global recognition awarded for their pioneering project titled "The Speaking Eco-School."

The project is designed to empower students with hearing impairments by integrating them into the frontiers of environmental sustainability and advanced agricultural technologies.

Through "The Speaking Eco-School," students leverage modern methodologies to address critical ecological challenges, positioning them as active contributors to the Kingdom's green transition.

During the dialogue, which included JOHUD Executive Director Farah Daghistani, Princess Basma emphasized that this achievement underscores the limitless creative potential of Jordanian youth. Her Highness highlighted that the project’s focus – optimal water resource management, soil reclamation, and smart agricultural technology – is vital in the current global climate of environmental volatility.

By transforming conceptual ideas into a tangible reality, the Raja School has created a sustainable model that benefits both the educational institution and the surrounding local community in Russeifa.

The Raja School’s project tackles regional water scarcity and environmental literacy through a multi-faceted technical approach:

– Smart Agriculture: Implementing high-efficiency irrigation and crop management systems.
– Water Harvesting: Utilizing graywater recycling and rainwater collection to maximize resource utility in an urbanized, resource-constrained area.
– Accessible Education: Delivering all technical training in sign language, ensuring that students are not merely participants but leaders in environmental advocacy.
– Digital Marketing: Training students in e-commerce to market the school’s sustainable produce, fostering entrepreneurial skills alongside ecological awareness.
A Legacy of Educational Excellence

The technical support provided by JOHUD ensured that the project was engineered to overcome the specific geographical challenges of Russeifa, characterized by high population density and limited arable land. Eng. Shadi Al-Qaisi of the JOHUD technical team noted that the initiative will now serve as a blueprint for innovation across Princess Basma Development Centers and other educational institutions nationwide.

Established in 1977, the Raja School for the Deaf remains a regional leader in specialized education. It utilizes a "Total Communication" philosophy that integrates sign language, lip-reading, and speech therapy. This latest global accolade reaffirms the school’s role in bridging the gap between specialized education and global sustainability standards, proving that inclusive educational environments can produce world-class innovation.

//Petra// AA

22/01/2026 10:31:48