Yubla

Yesterday we traveled north to visit a small city called Yubla.  (We were up in the northernmost corner of Jordan and could see Syria and Israel in the distance).

MCC has partnered with a local organization to fund an irrigation project in the pomegranate orchards around the city.  It sounded a bit like a co-op of sorts - where a group of farmers take turns tending the orchards and the new irrigation system.

Below you can see a small stretch of the irrigation ditch that was recently built with a grant from MCC (lower left corner).

Yubla sits up on a plateau and is surrounded by steep valleys and crags.  We were able to get a look around.

For many kilometers, these valleys are filled with pomegranate trees.  From far away, we could see recently constructed irrigation ditches snaking through the orchards.  These ditches (and several "catchments" that were also built to collect the water) have helped the farmers increase productivity and have a more reliable harvest.

On Thursday we will be traveling to Wadi Araba in southern Jordan to visit more of the partners MCC has been working with here.