Fadiyah Odah Shtawi Al Odat
“My parents and family were even more excited than I was when I first told them about my employment in the leather workshop, they saw it as a place where I could get the best skills and benefits. RSCN gave me and every other woman working for the project social security and health insurance, in addition to extensive training and field trip visits. We always get to meet different kinds of people from all over the world that come to see our work.”

“The Society changed the way we perceive our community and the nature around us; it broadened our minds with new ideas of how to conserve the nature we live in…. All we wanted at first was to get paid for our job and go back to our homes and lives; nowadays, it feels like we belong here…We all love our job in Feynan, because it made a big difference in our lives”.

Fadiyah is a 25 year old dedicated employee at the Feynan leather workshop. She has been working with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature for 7 years now.

Noura Al Shtawi Al Azazmeh
“I buy clothes and food supplies for my children and household, from my own money that I worked hard to earn, by the end of each month I feel content and I know I’m a mother that works hard to provide a better future for her family. All the women that work here feel lucky, we are at home, and we work and give from our hearts and spirits. RSCN made us love our environment and everything around us, the things we never appreciated are now of utmost importance to us” 

Noura has been working with dedication and passion in the Feynan Leather Project for four and a half years.

Ali Salem Mohammad Al Amareen
“I never used to care about the environment and never used to know the importance of nature conservation. After joining RSCN and understanding its philosophy on nature conservation, I was assigned as the president of the cultural committee in the Youth Center of the Greagra Village. I now make sure I spread awareness among young men and women of my own age to love their nature and take better care of it.”

“All I can say is that I am now finishing my second year in university studying accounting…... Without this job, I would have never started my university. I am thankful to god and grateful to the Society.”

Ali, 21 years old, is a passionate and dedicated employee at the Feynan Eco-lodge.

Bassam Hussein Odah Al- Saudi
“I am one of those people who are nature lovers since childhood. I honestly believe that nature is a common ground for all humans, and we should all nurture it to make that it is sustained. All I want is for my children and grandchildren to see and enjoy what we enjoy now.

RSCN built on the concepts that I have always harbored about nature. The studies and conservation efforts that have been carried out in Dana made me understand why the area, with its amazing and diverse eco-systems, is important not only to our country but to the world.

Working with RSCN has allowed us to better understand the nature around us, we no longer feel threatened from the animals or feel the need to pull out trees. We know the value of every creature around us, and appreciate their existence.

I cannot deny that working with RSCN has helped economically, I now get more than double the salary I first started with, and thank God, I’m more than happy with the outcome of my work.”

Bassam has been working with RSCN for 12 years now; he started his first 5 years as a voluntary guide and then was assigned as the Rummana Campsite Manager.

Mousa Mohammad Sulaiman Al Sadeen
“From a social perspective, RSCN is extremely favored amongst the local communities around the reserve, and especially due to Dana’s good reputation. Therefore, working here at the reserve is a great opportunity and honor. My family was the first to encourage me to start my job here at the reserve, and now I do the same to all my friends and family members.

My whole impression about nature changed from the first day I started working with RSCN, especially concerning the relation between people and their surrounding environment. What I learned here at the reserve is immense; I now feel like an ambassador of nature, spreading awareness everywhere I go.

Mousa, Dana’s Eco-Tourism Manager, has been dedicated to working with RSCN for the past 7 years.

Tayseer Abdullah Ali Qutaishat
“I have been self-dependent since I first started working as an eco-guide at the Dana Biosphere reserve two and a half years ago. It is probably one of the most rewarding jobs a person can ask for, as it requires that I spend many hours in my natural element. Moreover, I get to share my passion with people from all over the world, especially other Jordanians.

The society has helped me learn new and different things directly and indirectly, and that’s something I always look forward to everyday on the job. My knowledge about conservation efforts, ecosystems, and tourism hospitality has developed in a way that I never expected.”

Tayseer is a 24 year old English and IT college student. He began working with RSCN two and a half years ago as an eco-guide in Dana.