Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Randy Randolph | Erie, Pa., native 1st Lt. Chadwick Knight, a targeting officer with 3rd Squadron, 7th...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Staff Sgt. Randy Randolph
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD - Growing up in Baghdad's Adhamiyah District can be rough for young children. Facing the threat of roadside bombs, and other attacks at the hands of insurgents is enough to rattle the nerves of adults who are seasoned combat veterans.
For orphaned children in Adhamiyah, growing up under these conditions is even harder. Lacking the comforting touch or soothing voice of a parent, young orphans must become strong beyond their years, as they cope with the burdens of life without parents.
To help improve the quality of life for orphaned children in Adhamiyah, Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, used their civil affairs team to assess the Al Zuhor Orphanage, Aug. 5, laying the ground work for future improvement projects aimed at creating a better living environment for the children who live there.
"The orphanage is already a beautiful facility, one that provides excellent opportunities to underprivileged young women and children in the community." said 1st Lt. Chadwick Knight, a targeting officer with 3-7 Cav. from Erie, Pa. "This is a glorious opportunity for coalition forces to provide assistance to those who genuinely need a helping hand in the world."
When the Soldiers arrived at the Al Zuhor Orphanage, they were greeted by the manager, Suda. According to Suda, the orphanage is equipped to provide shelter for up to 40 displaced females between the ages of 15-18 years old. The orphanage currently holds approximately 34 females at the facility and 26 staff members who are primarily female, with the exception of one male security guard. Once the girls at this facility reach the age of 18, they are given the opportunity to reside there and attend college if they maintain good behavior.
On the same compound, there are two special needs homes. One serves as the orphans' re-education house, a building that provides shelter to approximately 40 women between the ages of 10 and 25. This facility is managed by Rafeda Shalal.
According to Rafeda, all of the children from both facilities attend either the Numan Secondary School or the Safina Primary School, both located in Adhamiyah. All of the facilities are government-owned and operated.
After viewing the facilities, the assessment team met with Suda and Rafeda to discuss some of the issues concerning the operations of the orphanage. Their biggest concern was the difficulty they were having in transporting food to the facilities after curfew hours.
"This is something that we can easily work on fixing," said Knight. "Right now we want to make sure that we can see what the facility's problems are, document them, and then work with local contractors to ensure that the problems are taken of."
Maj. Jim Shafer, the 3-7th's civil affairs team leader from Lakewood, Ohio, assured Suda and Rafeda that all of her concerns would be addressed and that coalition forces would work to provide solutions to the essential service deficits faced by the orphanage, such as electricity and fuel for generators.
After the meeting, the troops spent time playing with the children and handing out school supplies and soccer balls. In addition, the Soldiers brought humanitarian assistance bags containing various food items such as beef, vegetables, pasta, water, and tea for the children to supplement the orphanage's existing food supplies.
"Overall the meeting was very successful," said Knight. "This is just a small part of what we can do to help the kids here. We were able to establish a rapport with members of the community, and that's what it's all about. If we can make life easier for these kids we not only put a smile on their faces, they put a smile on ours."
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2007 08:55 |
| Story ID: | 11706 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 460 |
| Downloads: | 426 |
This work, No child left behind: Civil affairs assistance takes aim at Adhamiyah orphanage, by SFC Randy Randolph, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
