Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

November 4, 2009: On Tuesday, November 3rd, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced new aid funds for Muslim communities around the world.

Following up on President Barack Obama's promise to improve U.S.-Islamic ties, Clinton outlined specific projects toward that end. U.S. aid will support Middle East business and job creation, help civil society organizations use digital technology, and improve women's education.

At a gathering of Arab officials in Marrakesh, Morocco, Clinton outlined a $76 million project to increase economic opportunities in Yemen, a $30 million program to help unemployed youth in Jordan, and a 2010 conference in Washington to connect innovators in the Middle East with American business leaders. 

The programs are relatively small, but reflect the U.S. desire to encourage economic development in the Middle East, especially the cultivation of human resources. "We are committed to building ladders of opportunity to help develop the enormous talent that resides in the people of this region," said Clinton.

SOS Children's Villages Cares for Vulnerable Children across the Middle East

The international charity SOS Children's Villages has been working since 1969 to provide opportunities for orphaned and abandoned children in the Middle East to develop healthy, productive lives. With 500 villages in 132 countries, SOS trains local women to run SOS households within SOS Children's Villages.

These SOS mothers care for children in Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Queen Noor, Honorary Ambassador of SOS Children's Villages-Jordan, recently stated, "A strong tenet of SOS is to respect every child's right to dignity, love, security and the freedom to practice any faith, whether Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or other. SOS is a prime advocate for tolerance, gender equality, diversity, and cultural understanding."

Giving Children a Chance

Three laughing boys on the playground in an SOS Children's Village in Casablanca, Morocco - Photo by Mr. Thomas Stankiewicz

SOS Children's Villages has been offering hope to needy children in Jordan since 1987. SOS-Amman, in Jordan's capital, cares for a hundred children in 16 family houses. The Children's Village also has a computer lab, a supermarket where produce from the SOS farm is sold, and a home for retired SOS mothers.

Helping a child in Jordan or elsewhere in the Middle East grow up in a loving environment doesn't cost much. Consider sponsoring an SOS child today.