Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
FINCA International Board Member
Emissary for the International Year of Microcredit 2005

"For many years now, I have been impressed by the power of a simple, small loan to those for whom fate and circumstance have resulted in disadvantage. Maintaining peoples integrity and showing them trust, whilst facilitating a way for them to rebuild their own lives is such a meaningful way of alleviating poverty. By placing microfinance in the global spotlight, awareness of this most effective anti-poverty tool will undoubtedly, and thankfully, increase."

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah (formerly Rania Al-Yasin) was born in Kuwait on August 31, 1970 to a notable Jordanian family of Palestinian origin. Married to King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein (then Prince) since June 10, 1993, Queen Rania has channeled her energies behind initiatives that aim to improve the livelihood of Jordanians from various sectors of society. Her activities and interests encompass issues of national concern, as well as several core issues including: developing various income-generating projects; encouraging the advancement of best practices in the field of microfinance; protecting children from violence; promoting Early Childhood Development; and incorporating Information Technology into schools. Queen Rania has been an active supporter of microlending in her own country, having started a community empowerment program in Jordan aimed at enhancing the economic and social well-being of women in underprivileged communities by establishing sustainable community-operated projects as part of her Jordan River Foundation..

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