LEGO donation to Jordan – part III

During the last six months the embassy has been engaged in a nationwide charity distribution of LEGO toys to underprivileged children. Two 40ft containers with in total 1000 big boxes of LEGO – about 12 tons – have (almost all) been handed over to institutions such as Madrasati schools, orphanages, community centres, refugee camps, nurseries and kindergartens, rehabilitation centres and other institutions for children.

Today it was my great pleasure to hand more than 60 boxes over to the Minister of Health. It is the intention to distribute these boxes to 24 Government hospitals with children’s wards or nurseries. If these toys can help children better endure their hospital stay we at the embassy and LEGO would be very happy.

The children at the nursery at Prince Hamzah hospital certainly looked like they knew what to do with their new toys. All were rather quiet when we entered the room with the boxes. That changed when the LEGO was unwrapped and the kids started to play loudly and cheerfully building houses or cars and playing with the small plastic animals.  

Of course wherever a minister or an ambassador is received there is some kind of small reception – the hardship of diplomacy – but I sneaked back to the children when they were just playing under the supervision of their nursery teachers. And – boy - were they enjoying themselves? The noise level was noticeable higher than before and they were one big smile. They really made my day.