ACCTS-AWT 2020-03 | The Arab Center for Consulting & Training Services (ACCTS)

Website March 2020 / Newsletter

ACCTS Newsletter / March 2020

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

A heartfelt quarantine message to our friends and partners
Quarantine, day 13 - Curfew, day 10
Recorded on March 22

Donation

This exceptional time requires exceptional grace. We need your exceptional gifts, and we rely on your generosity, especially that we experienced a withdrawal of another significant donor; COVID-19 has already had a significant impact on the global economy.

We trust that the Lord is our provider, yet he makes the whole body fit together perfectly to build itself up in love. Therefore, I encourage you to contemplate where God would have you to invest in the work he is doing. We also invite you to consider how your giving can make a kingdom impact. By God's grace and generosity, we can continue serving.

ACCTS Security Plan
In this crisis, fear sneaked in, and ACCTS chose to keep on the faith race trusting in the Lord. We are in submission to the government requirement for curfew and following the instructions strictly. We are doing our part as good citizens listening to our master's voice.
Yet, nothing can stop us from accomplishing our mission. In such times, the spirit guides and gives special revelations for such a time like this. Therefore, ACCTS took measures that are commensurate with the best practices in such situations. We follow health safety measures in the office and our homes. We are revising our 2020 plan because of the COVID-19 crisis. Mothers among us are doing their best to play their role as servants and mothers, working, teaching, researching, and perhaps studying online. Dads among us are great support as well.

ACCTS team is still working diligently but remotely (online) with access to our servers' share-folders. We sustained the team by offering flexible working hours and early payments to help them meet their needs and prepare for the critical situation ahead.
Nevertheless, the team is working passionately in support of the cause of our nation, which has recently entered a serious stage in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Celebrating a successful campaign and a diligent social media team
On March 23, after two months of dedicated, persistent work, we posted our last post for our campaign on sexual abuse titled "Break the Silence," a long journey that started in June 2019. The importance of this campaign lies in raising the awareness of sexually abused girls and urge them to break their silence, and eventually reduce the sexual violence that women are facing. We want to see women healed and obtaining a full recovery that qualifies them for a bright, productive future without buried frustrations.
Amid all challenges, the campaign has been a big success, and we have seen many accomplishments. We are excited about what the Lord has been doing through this campaign, trusted in his wisdom and support. We feel satisfied having left a diverse resource, whether through articles, short videos, audios, social media posts besides follow up and counseling. Ending the campaign does not mean, of course, stopping the follow-up of the abused women. We have been encouraged by real-life stories of recovery, and we shared them on social media.
We have been receiving a good response on all our social media platforms as well, and women started to come to us and open up from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. It has also reached the Arab States of the Gulf, thanks to AWT ambassadors.

Campaign Impact
Women who interacted through comments and private messages 340
Women who received counseling not necessarily on sexual abuse 47
Sexually abused women who received specialized one-on-one counseling 14
Counselors recruited 16
Counselors involved 7

"I am so happy that Christians started to talk about the taboos and dig deep in the girls' burdens, especially the sexual abuse issues. It helps us find healing in the word of God. Thank you, AWT, for taking the lead."- Jordan

"I am following your campaign posts. They touched my heart. I am sharing them with girls who faced this situation and writing comments to help them speak out their burdens. Thank you for this page."- Bethlehem

The team has also seized the opportunity to support the women who are undergoing lots of pressure on Mother's Day that we celebrate here on March 21.

A positive presence on social media
ACCTS work switched 100% to social media during the quarantining. The Social media team is now busy, undergoing social media marketing training to develop a marketing strategy. We feel the urge to keep our positive presence on social media, spreading hope, giving practical ideas, and encouraging productivity and growth at all levels. One post praying for the protection of our country has spread throughout the kingdom on social media. Lots of people, media platforms, key figures, activists, and parties used it as a slogan to bless our country in many endeavors.
ACCTS has also launched initiatives on social media to provoke the youth to adopt practical actions to help their community so that their citizenship will not be mere slogans. We raised awareness through posts like this:

"The source of false knowledge is evil; exposure to false knowledge is a natural thing. Falling for false knowledge is a personal decision. Examining the facts is personal responsibility. The word carries a change of life, inspires nations, and makes the world a better place."- Nabeeh Abbassi

Her Factor, our first film of 2020
We are in the final stage of the post-production of our first film, Her Factor, a documentary film that presents the root causes of the unequal rights of Arab women. We are offering it to governments and many local and international institutions to consider women empowerment in their economic decisions. Ruba is also participating with it in Dare to Overcome Business and Peace Festival, a film documentary competition to defend women's rights and freedom of belief.

An exceptional contribution to our country
The Jordan Baptist Convention embodied the perfect example by placing the Zarqa Baptist School Building at the disposal of the government in support of the country's endeavors to face the Coronavirus crisis. The largest Arabic newsprint Arab News assigned an article on the Jordanian situation and included a sub-title on the donation of the Baptist Convention. It quoted Rev. Nabeeh Abbassi, "Our faith and our desire to be an active supporter of our country's national needs. Let us put all our resources and assets in the service of our people, and we pray to the Almighty to protect Jordan."