“Qatrat Al-Rayhan” Village…the first model of integrated village development projects

The Rural Development Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture is carrying out a series of projects within the framework of development villages in cooperation with civil society organizations, with the aim of enhancing participatory action and unifying efforts with all parties to achieve integrated development in these villages.

“In this context, the first development project was implemented in the village of “Qatrat Al-Rayhan” in Al-Ghab Plain, with the contribution of government bodies and a number of organizations which had a positive impact on the local population” Director of Rural Development Directorate at the ministry Raeda Ayoub said in a statement to SANA.

She pointed out that, within this project, FAO provided a multi-purpose food manufacturing unit with solar energy to operate it with the aim of benefitting from the agricultural products that can be manufactured during their production season, and providing direct job opportunities for 11 working women to supply the local market with a natural and handmade rural product of high quality.

According to Ayoub, the Arab Center for Studies of Dry Zones and Dry Lands “ACSAD” also provided a bio-digester and shredder for agricultural waste residues, with the aim of benefiting from cow manure in producing high-quality liquid fertilizer and environmentally friendly . 

Ayoub indicated that the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development Authority provided loans to empower rural women and train 30 beneficiaries in the village to establish their own projects.

According to Ayoub, the Ebdaa Microfinance Bank contributed to financing small and medium-sized projects for the people in “Qatrat Al-Rayhan” village, at a capital of about 50 million SYP, in cooperation with the General Authority for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development, as it financed projects for 120 families at a cost of around 1.2 billion SYP.

Ayoub added that  the Ministry of Agriculture sought to achieve the highest benefit from rural financing through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) by creating the Rural Microfinance Fund (the Revolving Fund), as the number of families benefiting from the revolving fund financed by IFAD reached 71 families, and the value of the loan was 1 million SYP.

Rawaa Ghanam