You've Made All of This Possible!

Dear Friends of Collateral Repair Project

One of the blessings of being such a small organization is that we become intimately involved with those we assist, becoming “extended family”. We want each and every one of you to feel included in this far-away family, too, because without you, we could not be here.

One of the drawbacks of our size is that we operate with a bare-bones staff. The time we spend in our work on the ground prevents us from making regular updates to inform you about our projects and how your support is reaching Iraqi refugees in need. We’d like to take the opportunity now to let you know more about what you have accomplished this year.

2010 and our 4th year of our work with Iraqi refugees in Jordan is winding to an end. This has been a challenging year for us as donations have decreased while the situation for Iraqi refugees here is worsening. There were times we were uncertain if we would be operating from one month to the next, but, through your continued generosity, even in these rough times, we’ve endured. We, on behalf of those you have helped, thank you warmly for your continued support. Truly, we cannot do it without you!

With love and best wishes for a more peaceful new year..... from Sasha, Mary, Ghazwan, Marilyn & Karen

We shall find peace. We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds

~Chekov~

This year, Iraqi refugees in Jordan will need your support more than ever. Please help.

DONATE

This has been a tumultuous year in Iraq with increasing violence and insecurity. Iraqis are still fleeing for their lives but a major difference we are seeing this year is that, unlike years previous, most of the new arrivals come with little or no savings. Another difference is that it is no longer as relatively easy for new arrivals to get the vital UNHCR monthly financial assistance that Iraqis (barred from employment as non-residents) must rely on to pay for their most basic needs. Now, after registering as Asylum Seekers, they must wait many months to find out if they will be accepted as “refugees” and, until they get this determination, they are not eligible to receive this critically necessary financial assistance.

Imagine fleeing your country for your lives, bringing nothing but suitcases of your clothes and then, finally reaching safety, having no way to pay rent or even buy food. This is what happened to Um Mohammed, who arrived 2 months ago with her two children and only $7!

Because of this change in UNHCR policy, we are now constantly getting pleas to help pay rent, buy food, and basic necessities such as blankets and heaters.  Due to this devastating situation and our budget limitations, we are now providing our Emergency Assistance almost solely to help these families. We have great concern as their numbers are increasing as our and other organizations’ resources are dwindling. The need is far beyond our capacity to help but we must do what we can.

WE CAN DO IT WITH YOUR HELP

has paid back-rent and utilities for many families this year as well as providing food, blankets, sleeping mats, fans and second-hand refrigerators (in summer) and heaters with fuel now that it’s winter. We have helped with hospital bills and purchasing medication. We have also purchased school supplies, books and shoes for children whose parents had no money to purchase them - and much, much more.

In only the past few days....

We visited 36 year old Hussein. He and his elderly mother arrived in Jordan in mid-October. Hussein was working in Baghdad city maintenance when a car pulled up and three masked men with Kalashnikovs and rifles jumped out and opened fire on him, presumably because he was of a minority sect in his neighborhood. They left him for dead with 9 bullets riddling his body - one exiting through and destroying his left eye. He survived but is now paraplegic. When we asked what resources they brought with them to Jordan, he told us that he sold the only thing he had left of any value -his electric wheelchair - for $400. They used this money to travel and to pay two months’ rent in advance on their tiny, substandard apartment and to buy food. Hussein was given a dilapidated manual wheelchair that is missing one arm-rest, putting him at risk of falling out. There is no room in the apartment to maneuver the chair anyway, nor can he use it to go outside in the narrow access that has many steps. He must spend his entire time in bed, never leaving home, and rely on his frail mother for his personal care. He has a regular twin bed and his mother has piled blankets and a small end table behind his shoulders to allow him to sit upright. Now their rent is coming due again and they still do not receive financial assistance.

Hussein and his mother need to move into another apartment that will allow Hussein to escape the confines he endures now. He needs a functional, safe wheelchair and hospital bed. They need money for rent and food.

Abu Haider called us for help. He and his wife have three children - two have Thalasseemia Major - a blood disorder that requires several thousand dollars in medications each month to keep the children alive. This family must survive on approximately $300 a month UNHCR financial assistance. UNHCR, because of their budget cutbacks, ended paying for Thalasseemia treatment this year. With so little income, the parents literally beg to pay for medication for their children - and they never get enough money to pay for the full regime of drugs their children need.

When Abu Haider called, it was to ask if we could help pay rent for them to move into a different apartment. The recent rains had cause the entire ceiling in their flat to cave in, barely missing  the mother. They had to move but had no money. We were able to pay for the half month’s rent they needed until they receive their financial assistance. Although it seems like an impossibility, we are trying to find a donor or institution that will provide the two children with bone marrow transplants ($200.000 per child) as this would be the only cure for this disease and assure that they will survive. We must try.

Semira is an elderly woman living alone. Militia entered her home in Iraq, setting her and her father on fire after beating them severely. Her father did not survive the attack. Semira, as a single person, receives only approximately $100 per month financial assistance. Her rent is $70. The remainder must pay for utilities, food, medications and transportation to her doctor appointments. She lives in a tiny very substandard apartment that had huge areas of wall missing. Rain poured in, flooding her home. The missing wall areas made it impossible to heat - but she had no heater. She also had no stove to cook on and would have to go to a neighbor’s home, just to heat water for tea. CRP provided her with a kerosene heater that she could also cook on - as well as 20 liters of kerosene. We also hired our Iraqi handy-man to enclose the open wall areas and reinforce the roof as water was beginning to leak in the deteriorating ceiling, risking it falling in on her.

With your support, we can help more people in crisis who truly have no one else they can turn to

PLEASE HELP NOW

Last winter, you purchased over 500 coats for children - from toddlers to teens. We hope that you will help us to meet our goal to keep 1000 kids warm this winter. For only $10, you can give a child a coat!

Warshat al-Amal (HOPE WORKSHOP) creates beautiful, functional and GREEN products entirely from recycling throw-way plastic bags! Their products include purses, tote bags and bath/kitchen mats. Lucy, a US volunteer who worked with the women here last summer to begin the co-op, is working on a web site for their products (still under construction)

Our 2010 party was a huge success. The children made Valentines, played games, had their faces painted, and even broke open pinatas to scramble for toys and candies. Every child received a gift bag. We also had a raffle for their parents and every family won a prize!

Iraqi refugees do not have funds to purchase cameras or pay for studio portraits. Some have now spent years in exile, their children growing quickly, with no visual record of them during these years. We scheduled “studio days” and had families sit for portraits that we printed to 8x10 size for them to take home.

Cloth Diapers for Babies:
Cloth diapers are impossible to find in Jordan. Everyone uses disposables - devastating to the environment and too costly for refugee parents to purchase. Parents end up cutting back on food or other family needs in order to diaper their babies. We are developing a project to hire Iraqi women to sew cloth diaper sets for newborns and older babies from patterns. We have a small amount of “seed money” to purchase initial materials with but still need to buy a couple of sewing machines, more fabric as we need it, and funds to pay the women who will sew them.

Co-operative Play Group
A new project that is just getting off the ground that was initiated by an Iraqi mother to bring mothers and their young children together to share fun and learning activities at CRP Center. Mothers will take turns creating and leading activities and, at the same time, building new friendships that will hopefully flourish outside of the center. CRP will provide the space, snacks, toys, books and craft supplies.

Milk for Kids:
We were providing infant formula for mothers who could not nurse and to vulnerable babies with compromised health - as well as powdered milk for young children. Although this was a worthwhile project, we made the hard choice to discontinue it because of its high cost and our budget constraints. We were only able to enroll a small percentage of the many families who applied

Parents who are struggling to feed their children cannot afford to provide them with toys. When we visit families, we take small gifts to every child age 12 and under. Favorites are crayons, paints and coloring books, light-up magic wands, harmonicas, riding balls, fairy wings, and hand-held video games. We bring the crayons and watercolor sets that have been donated to us in the US. The other toys are purchased wholesale here, at less than $1 each. A small amount to pay for a lot of joy.

Not all assistance we provide costs money. We often contact UNHCR to inform them of extremely dire situations and are often successful in accelerating getting help for their cases. We have built relationships with many of the large, international NGOs and we coordinate with them, working together to provide more holistic assistance to families in need. We refer individuals who need counseling to mental health and torture survival counseling centers. We sometimes also mediate with landlords, convincing them to be patient while our clients wait to be eligible for financial assistance if we are unable to pay the full amount of past-due rent. We also work with families to create budgets to help them learn to get by as best they can on their small financial assistance grants. We brainstorm with families to create solutions for other problems they encounter and check in with them periodically to check the status of their situations and provide more support if needed. We build intimate, enduring relationships with Iraqi refugees; they know they can count on us to care and help them the best we are able.  We cannot do it without you.

PLEASE GIVE NOW

We are pleased to announce that, in April, we opened the doors of our humble community center and it has become a “second home” (as described by many Iraqis who participate in its activities and classes). Opening this center gives us the opportunity to expand our services beyond only assistance and to benefit a large number of Iraqis at relatively small cost.

Throughout the summer, every Saturday, two groups of children (ages 3-7 and 8-14) attended these activities - creating art projects and learning simple rhythms while playing drums, harmonicas, and rattles. We held a big party at the local community hall for the children and their parents at the end of summer with an exhibit of their artwork along with games and face-painting. Every child received a certificate of participation and a gift package of art supplies to take home.

We are grateful to our volunteer English teachers for allowing us to offer classes in several levels of competency for adults and even a preschool English course!

Many Iraqi young people are sitting at home, unable to attend school or work, without opportunities to socialize with peers or learn new skills.  We’ve recently begun art classes for young people, ages 13 to 24. Our  first course is in the technique of collage.  We’ll be holding more classes in other mediums throughout the year.

Before war destroyed the tranquility of their lives and having to flee from their home communities into exile, Iraqi men would socialize with other men by meeting in coffee shops to drink coffee and play dominoes - somewhat like Poker night in the US.  Iraqi men in Jordan are often isolated from other men and have no escape from the pressures of trying to care for their families on next to nothing. Domestic violence and depression have become epidemic. CRP has recreated this social outlet on Sunday nights with Men’s Dominoes Night. Men of all sects and religions come together in camaraderie to play Dominoes, drink coffee, smoke nargila, and to relax, sharing laughter and conversation. Many deep friendships have developed between the men and they now socialize with one another outside of Dominoes Night.

One room of our center is dedicated for donations of gently used clothing and household items. Those in need can take what they need for their families at no cost.

Without enough money to pay for their families’ needs, purchasing books is a luxury no one can afford. We’ve opened a small lending library with books in all genres for adults and children. Books are expensive here and our library is very limited at this time. Please consider contributing to help us purchase more books.

We have held socials where English language learners and those with some proficiency can come together for fun evenings of food and practice in conversational English with native speaker volunteers.


Computer Learning Center:
Our big dream for 2011 is to open a computer learning center with a minimum of ten computers. Most Iraqis have had no experience at all with computers. With families separated from one another, often by continents, inexpensive communication by e-mail or chat can keep loved ones in touch. For those who will be resettled to a third country and who will be seeking employment, learning basic computer skills is a must as most jobs (and even job search) relies to some degree on computers. The total cost for equipment for this center is $4,000. We will also need to have funds to hire an Iraqi instructor. We hope you can help make this dream come true.

Movie Nights:
Another dream is to obtain a large tv and DVD player so we can have “movie nights/days” for all ages. We’d like to increase the number of social opportunities by hosting viewings of sports events (for men and teen boys), children’s videos, teen video night, craft instruction, etc - and to be able to provide in Arabic on health, parenting skills, pre-natal care, and other topics that can increase awareness and skills.

As many of you know, Collateral Repair Project has been able to offer you tax deductions for your contributions by being a project under International Humanities Center (IHCenter). IHCenter has always charged us a fee for this service but this year they raised their fee to 10% of amounts donated. We felt that this was too large of a percentage being taken away from those your generosity was meant to help. We have now filed our Articles of Incorporation as a stand-alone nonprofit organization and now 100% of your giving goes directly to our projects for Iraqi refugees.  We are working with our CPA to obtain 501.c.3.  In the meantime, while our application is pending, IRS,“in good faith”, allows your contributions  to be tax-deductible
***If writing a check for your donation, from now on please make the check out Collateral Repair Project or CRP only. ***Questions about our tax status?: contact us

New Web Site:
We are renovating our web site - actually doing a complete make-over. Our old site had become cluttered and we wanted to create a site that is easy to navigate and gives you the most current information about our work easily. Sasha is our web master as well as working full-time on the ground in Jordan so renovations are going slowly. Please check into our site once in a while to see its progress and to find out about our most current work

www.collateralrepairproject.org

Facebook Causes: Collateral Repair Project. We want to thank all of you who have joined our Cause in the past and donated or dedicated your birthday to raising funds for our projects. However, now we ask you not to give through Causes because they take a large percentage of every donation.  Also, our FB Cause was associated to International Humanities Center and we are no longer a project of IHCenter. If you give now, CRP will not receive it. Please, if you want to give, do so through our web site or by check so that 100% of your contribution goes to our projects.


We always need volunteer English teachersand tutors at our Amman Center. If you are a native or skilled English speaker and you are in Amman (or plan to be), please contact us.

Want to help with our web site? You do not need to know HTML - our site is being built with an online site building program that is very simple. Check out www.wix.com (our site host) to get an idea of how it works and then, if interested, please contact us.

We need someone/s to manage our Facebook page and group - adding content once a week at minimum. Volunteer/s would be in contact with Sasha in Jordan who will give you links to pertinent articles as well as updates on our current work and families who need assistance. Contact us if interested.

Our Iraqi Women’s Craft Co-op needs volunteer marketers in the USA and beyond. If you think you can help, please contact us.

We have been blessed with wonderful volunteers who have spent time at our center in Jordan, sharing their skills and friendship with Iraqis we serve. We cannot thank you enough! Our deepest gratitude to:

Meera Shanti    Lucy Perkins    Liz Brasington    Farhana Esmail    Mickey Hubbard    Ross Wingo    Taiyo    Hanin   Samia Qumri    Rawan Arar    Ally Hawkins    Samira Kheirallah (with colleagues & friends)      Michelle Munjanattu    Ian    Ben Woodman ~ and more   

We also want to thank those of you in the USA who have pitched in and helped raise awareness and funds for our projects or donated items for us to bring to Jordan to give to Iraqis. You are terrific! Thank you on behalf of those whose hearts and needs have been filled by your generosity of spirit:

Sherian Garcia - who, with her daughter make “newborn kits” to give as welcoming gifts

Our Pacific Northwest Knitters (Bethel, Liz, Jane, Rachel, Libby, Nancy, Marisa...and others we may not know to include personally) for knitting scores of lovely warm hats to distribute to Iraqis in Jordan

David Albert & Ellen Sawislak - and Friends - who contributed boxes of craft supplies, crayons, water colors, harmonicas, recorders, start-up funds for our diaper project, contibuted to our lending library and for sending their daughter, Meera, to volunteer with us. We especially thank them for opening their home and welcoming into their Olympia Washington community to sponsor Ahmed in his resettlement to the USA when he arrived there just this week!

Carmen Schmidt & husband - for translation and offering terrific ideas for craft projects for our kids’ classes

Tracy Early - who initiated a project to link Iraqi children here with the students in  her son’s classroom. Jack and his classmates made drawings and sent a class photo to share with their new friends here. We took these drawings and photo to a school that is sponsored by UNICEF - along with gift bags containing art supplies for each of the 104 Iraqi students.  These students made drawings to send back to the US school - and sent their class photo as well. We hope this is just the beginning of a long friendship.

Mateo Watts - for creating his wonderful “peace garden” of zinnias that he sold at his local Farmers Market to raise funds for our projects and to purchase supplies for our Young Adult Art Classes. Thank you, Mateo, for your big heart and your support!

Yusra - who will be celebrating her 6th birthday on December 19 and instead of expecting gifts for herself, she has asked those she’s invited to her party to give to buy clothes and toys for three Iraqi girls here who have nothing. A little girl with a big, big heart! Thank you kisses to Yusra and Happy Birthday!

Nahoko Takato - who has dedicated her life to raising awareness of the devastation of war on Iraq and its people and who works tirelessly to bring relief to Iraqis both inside and out of Iraq for her generous contribution that is providing a tutor, school supplies and clothes to a young Iraqi girl - and much, much more

Hussein al-Alak / Iraq Solidarity Committee & Combat Stress UK - for his friendship and for raising funds and awareness of our work - our gratitude!

Mori D Samel-Garloff, Joanne Navikas & friends - for organizing political caroling each Christmas while collecting donations for CRP

Debbie Rodriguez / OASIS RESCUE - for sending a beauty-shop-in-a-box to one of our Iraqi women who resettled to the US and needed supplies to do hair and make-up for her neighbors so she could earn money to help feed her family during this difficult time of adjustment to their new country

Lucy Perkins - special thanks for helping to initiate HOPE WORKSHOP (our Iraqi women’s craft co-op), for marketing and creating a web site for them and their products.

Karen Ahern - for taking on selling our Pashmina shawls to raise funds for our work - as well as our Iraqi Women’s Craft co-op products.

All of you who spent time, clipping magazine images and sending them to us to use in our Teen/Young adult collage class - thank you! The kids are having a great time with the clippings.

Karen B Jones - CRP Outreach Liaison volunteer in Seattle who tirelessly works wonders creating fun fundraisers that bring many people together to support our work. Thank you, Karen!

Marilyn Costamagna - who is our volunteer behind-the-scenes miracle woman, running errands, putting together all of our thank you and holiday cards, operating our informational tables, and basically keeping our loose ends from fraying!  We couldn’t do it without you, Marilyn - thank you!

Anonymous Angels - several of you have responded personally, contributing to help specific families in a big way when you have read about them through our Facebook postings. Your help has vastly improved the lives of these families. Our deepest gratitude to you for reaching out with a helping hand and with your friendship.

We appreciate YOU - the many unnamed angels who have donated throughout the year. You keep our programs going and the hope alive for so many.  We are deeply appreciative of the continued support of individuals like you. Your support nourishes the lives of those who struggle daily for basic necessities of food, shelter and dignity. When you plan your year end, tax deductible charitable giving, please remember the many Iraqi refugees who need our help

Our gratitude and warmest wishes for a new year bright with joy and filled with peace

PLEASE DONATE NOW

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Caroling for CRP

Our thanks Mori Samel-Garloff and Joanne Novikas for organizing four days of “political caroling” in Ashland, OR, in support of CRP.  All donations collected will go to support our programs. I had the pleasure of caroling with Mori and Joanne on Sunday, Dec 19^th.  At our last stop the child in the photo took off her winter coat to show off her shiny red dress while she danced to our songs.

And thanks to Kate Gould, who wrote the following article and photos which she posted on Rogue Valley Indy Media . http://rogueimc.org/en/2010/12/16768.shtml  and agreed to share here.  Bravo for braving winter’s wrath, undaunted and upbeat.

“On Friday December 17th, my sister Beth Gould and I joined the organizers of the effort, Mori Samel-Garloff and Joanne Navickas, in a fun-filled evening belting out the most vibrant and witty peace carols I ever could have imagined. It was only after a Bloomsbury employee came out and asked where the songs came from that I learned that many are Sami-Garloff/Navickas originals! Mori and Joanne told me that every year they write new songs. The results are astoundingly creative calls for an end to war and sizing down the bloated U.S. military budget. Other songs call for the protection of veterans, homeless, children, and other vulnerable populations inside of our country and for victims of war and suffering in foreign lands.

“The streets were fairly empty that night as the wind howled and rain poured, but those who did pass by on the way in or out of Bloomsbury Books or restaurants on the plaza were overwhelmingly supportive and several contributed to the coffee can collection for the Collateral Repair Project (CRP), a local non-profit serving Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan. One fan joined us and taught us a new Christmas carol. Others made their appreciation known by gleeful grins, spontaneous bursts of applause, joyous cheers, and the classic "thumbs up" signal of approval.

“It was a memorable evening for all involved and kudos should be given to the organizers for bringing vitality and community connection not only to the streets of Ashland but also to the streets of Amman where so many Iraqi refugees are working to rebuild lives torn apart by the U.S.-invasion and occupation of their country.

“Mori told me that it's become quite a holiday tradition over the last four years. When I asked Mori what motivated her to organize the caroling, she said "it it is important to not to take a single thing for granted and to continue working in action towards a better world." She told me that it feels great to be able to send some support back to The Collateral Repair Project (CRP). 

 

“The Collateral Repair Project (CRP) is a southern Oregon-based, grassroots movement created to address the catastrophic displacement of 5 million Iraqis since the U.S.-invasion of 2003. Since precious few Iraqis are allowed to enter the formal sector workforce in Jordan, CRP's micro-projects provide desperately needed income generating and educational opportunities. CRP also facilitates the cumbersome bureaucratic process for Iraqi refugees to access vital assistance from the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) and other NGOs. CRP runs a Family Resource and Community Center and many other projects which you can get a sampling at their blog: http://collateralrepairproject.blogspot.com/ or website:  http://www.collateralrepairproject.org/

http://www.collateralrepairproject.org/donate)

Here is a small taste of these witty, creative lyrics:

Ode to Bernie (Sung to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas)
~Mori Samel-Garloff
"Dreams that Congress were all a bit like Bernie,
Senator of Vermont,
Bravely telling it like it is, the country in war business
Among shrinking working class, and wealthy want!..."

Ditty on War Toy Alternatives (To the Tune of "Jingle Bells")
~Author unknown
Little kids will learn by what their parents do,
So when you buy their toys, it's really up to you,
If you buy them guns, you teach them how to kill,
But violence is not a game and we have had our fill...

You can buy them books, and dolls and cars that run
There's lots of things that you can get, but they don't need a gun
You can give them hugs, and teach them how to play
So they'll grow up all safe and sound and not get blown away! 

THANK YOU KATE, BETH, MORI AND JOANNE and DANCER IN RED

SUNK IN A VORTEX, cont’d

Our initial contact with this family came through a hand written letter by the mother, describing the family’s economic and emotional downward spiral since fleeing to Jordan. The family left Iraq in Spring 2010 following a death threat. You can read the report and excerpts from the letter in the previous post. 

On Thursday we paid our first visit to the family. We found that they live in a two room apartment with peeling paint and no furniture except one plastic chair and worn carpets. There are no closets or wardrobes for clothing and personal items. The family’s meals are prepared on a small, one burner gas stove in a corner of their kitchen. Cooking utensils are sparse. They don’t have a refrigerator for proper storage of perishables, which makes shopping every day both more expensive and time-consuming for a family of 6.

In the sleeping room a large section of the plaster had fallen from the ceiling while the children were playing in the room. Fortunately no one was hurt but they are justifiably afraid that more will fall this winter when the rains arrive.

Propped against the wall on one side of the sleeping room a piece of wood, approximately 3’x3’, serves as a makeshift blackboard for the children to write on (Mom says they love to write).  It was the only visible “toy” in the apartment. 

They sleep on two single size foam mats which they put together into one bed.  Nights are getting cold now and they have no heat, so they all bundle together at night under their two blankets. Fortunately, one of CRP’s Iraqi friends donated a crib for the baby and she no longer has to sleep on the floor.

The couple is clearly depressed and their sense of hopelessness is visible. The older children – 3, 6  and 8 years -- don’t smile or respond to friendly overtures, even when we handed them small gifts, our custom when visiting families with children. They seemed to regard us with a wariness tantamount to suspicion, but likely a result of trauma from the sudden, life-altering circumstances they have endured. Their parents both have university degrees, held professional jobs and lived a comfortable life prior to the invasion in 2003.  Now they are destitute with no opportunity to work.

The three oldest daughters attend school and Dad says that, despite their circumstances, they are doing very well, adding with clear pride “they are very smart.” But they lack the all the required school supplies – copy books, pencils, erasers, etc -- and have only one backpack to share between them. They also need new shoes.The wife, who speaks excellent English , expressed a genuinely deep passion for children’s and women’s rights and welfare, especially education. She brightened and became animated when we discussed with her the possibility of tutoring another Iraqi child who has missed much school and was unable to enroll this term due to lack of room in local public schools. A donor had contributed funds for a tutor but we have been searching for a qualified person. This mother seems a perfect fit. As she expressed, “I want to pay my own way.”
The family does not receive UNHCR cash assistance and has fallen 4 months behind in rent.  Fortunately, according to the father, the landlord is very sympathetic to their situation. But this is still a debt that one day must be reconciled.  UNHCR cash assistance is not retroactive to the time of registration and may even be denied altogether.  They have no money to provide even their basic needs and have been minimally surviving on the charity of others for food. The mother worries about her children, stating that they are not receiving proper nutrition and have become noticeably pale.

The multitude of needs for this family is overwhelming and beyond CRP’s current resources. However, thanks to several donors who have responded, we went shopping for the family and were able to purchase blankets for all as well as sturdy, cloth covered sleeping mats, clothes for the baby and all the necessary school supplies. We also found a used stove in good condition. Today, everything was delivered to them. They will still need a heater for winter, coats and shoes for the children, help with back rent, a refrigerator and food.

This family is only one of a whole host in similar straits and serves as one example of the conditions and hardships thousands are enduring. With more refugees arriving from Iraq, the situation compounds daily. Most wait for months for UNHCR cash assistance, living lives of desperation while debts accrue, hopelessness overwhelms and the sense of dignity slowly crumbles. For them, the consequences of war are everyday life. CRP needs your help to address a small part of an overwhelming situation.

You can donate at  www.collateralrepairproject.org

 . 

SUNK IN A VORTEX

Sunk in a Vortex

In the short week of being back in Amman I have been overwhelmed by the changes in CRP since my last visit just 8 months ago. In April, CRP moved to a much larger apartment, realizing a long held dream of becoming a bona fide Family Resource and Community Center. The larger quarters now facilitate several levels of English classes, the Women’s Craft Coop, a lending library, a weekly Men’s Dominoes Night, Kid’s Art and Music activities and a “Free Store” for distribution of donated clothing, blankets and household items. None of this would have been possible in the previous small apartment out of which we operated.  CRP is now well established in the Iraqi refugee community and known throughout the neighborhood as a place where Iraqis feel free and at ease to engage in a range of activities.

But CRP is more than classes and social events. We continue to provide emergency assistance as our small budget allows and this part of our project is also well known within the community. Almost daily we are approached by one or more individuals whose family situations are desperate and who have endured the unthinkable – torture, death threats, kidnappings and murder of family members.  Usually we are contacted by mobile phone or learn of a case from another Iraqi refugee.

But on Monday night we received a handwritten appeal given to Sasha by a young man, just as two English classes were getting underway.  There was no opportunity to read the letter until the end of the evening, after all had left and the Center again became our living quarters.

The letter is written in beautiful handwriting and eloquent English. The woman who wrote it introduces herself as a mother and former English teacher in Iraq.  Last February her husband was threatened with death and fled to Jordan seeking asylum. His wife joined him three months later with their 5 small children including an infant. 

She writes:

“I was so optimistic to get the chance of a better life.  But unfortunately I found myself sunk in another vortex!! …Till I lost hope in seeing light in the end of the dark tunnel I’m rushing through.”

Now they are living in an apartment “small as a cell” with no furniture or refrigerator, for which they pay $127 a month.  “My little baby sleeps on the ground without a cradle like other babies all over the world. It tears my heart apart. I live in real anguish and perplexity.”

They are not receiving UNHCR cash assistance and are now 7 months behind in rent.  A few weeks ago she had to sell her wedding ring to buy food for her children. 

It can take months after registering with UNHCR to receive cash assistance and then, it is often denied. In the meantime, debts pile up and days are spent going from one NGO to another pleading for help, adding to the drain on their meager finances.  

Our letter writer ends her appeal with these words:

“I’m writing to you with the tongue of motherhood for the mother is a shoulder to lean on, two arms to comfort and most of all a heart to love…”

Stay tuned for further news on this family. In the coming days we will arrange a home visit to meet the family and further assess their needs and possibilities to help them.

Please consider donating to help this mother and the many other parents whose lives and dreams have been so tragically shattered.  www.collateralrepairproject.org

Short Note from Amman

CRP co-director, Mary Madsen, and I returned to Amman a little over a week ago. We were in the USA for 5 weeks taking care of administrative chores and are happy to be back to our direct work with Iraqi refugees here. Lots and lots has happened since the last time we posted - in fact, CRP is accomplishing so much that we never have the time to post!

We've opened a small Family Resource and Community Center in Amman! In addition to English language courses (three levels!) taught by a team of wonderful volunteers, we also have a lending library, "free store" of good used donated items, Men's Dominoes Night (a men-only social night out), Women's Craft Co-op, and children and teen art classes. All of this in addition to our "usual" full schedule of visiting families and providing them with emergency and other assistance.

Many new families have arrived in Amman in 2010, fleeing from the continuing violence and threats of death in Iraq. They arrive with practically nothing and must wait months before they are determined as eligible or not for the small monthly cash assistance grant from UNHCR. In the meantime, while they must wait, many are in crisis with no way to pay the rent or even put food on the table. We are constantly getting pleas for help with food, rent and basic household necessities - like blankets and sleeping mats.

Our funds are frighteningly low - right now we only have enough cash in our assistance budget to get us through this first week of November. If there is one thing worse than seeing a family in crisis it is not being able to respond with the help they need.

Please consider helping these families. We can't do it without YOU!

DONATE

Making a House a (Safe) Home

CRP has known Thigeel , his wife, Kareema and their lovely children for a couple of years. When we are in Amman, we visit them every few months to bring the children gifts and provide assistance. as Thigeel suffers from chronic asma and lung infections and the cost of medications for him take a huge chunk out of their small UNHCR cash assistance grant.

I ran into Thigeel and his family the other night when I was walking in my neighborhood. I was surprised to see them here as they have been living in another area of Amman as long as we've known them, I asked what they were doing in Hashimi Shemali and they told us excitedly that they had just moved here - that there was too much crime in their old area and they were worried about their children. I promised we would visit them in their new home soon.

We visited on Wednesday and, after the customary kisses hello, Kareema said "We have known you since 2007 and you never forget us" - How can we, these kids are so lovely and even though they live in abject poverty, Thigeel and Kareema have always taken very good care of their kids. They proudly told us the children are all in the tops of their classes in school.

I was nearly brought to tears when Kareema asked me, "This is a much more beautiful home, isn't it?" because, it is true - this new flat, despite being incredibly run down and with plaster crumbling off its moldy walls, IS a huge improvement over their previous homes. You or I would cry if we had to move our family into this new flat and this family was proud of and so very pleased with it!

We decided to give this family a home-warming gift that will make their new place more livable and, most importantly, help with Thigeel's lung problems.

We called Ali (who was a painter by trade before he had to flee Iraq and who is CRP's unofficial handyman) and asked him to meet us there to give us an estimate to repair and paint the entire interior with mold-resistant paint! I asked Kareema what color of paint she would like and she immediately responded "White. Clean white"

We also found out that they are drinking tap water - very unsafe in Amman - and that the youngest had gotten sick from it many times. Buying small-size plastic bottles of water from the market is expensive, especially with a family of this size. We ordered 2 large bottles of water from the distributor CRP gets it's drinking water from (at only $1.40 per bottle) and made arrangements for the distributor to bring the family water when they need it.

Their new home is bare and we will also provide donated mattresses from our distribution room.

Success in Seattle

THANK YOU SEATTLE

We are thrilled to report that Seattle area donors generously contributed almost $4,000 to Collateral Repair Project.  Our heartfelt thanks go to the people in the Seattle area for their kindness. These funds were raised on June 2^nd at a musical fundraiser and auction was held at St. Patrick’s Church in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle.

People came from all over the region and for an enjoyable evening of song, music and fabulous desserts. Folk-singers, Jim Paige and Mark Taylor-Canfield as well as rousing singing of the Seattle Labor Chorus provided the entertainment. Our thanks go to the many talented individuals and local bakeries who provided their luscious treats for the dessert auction.  We’d also like to thank individuals and local businesses who donated items and services to the silent auction   Of special interest were the quilts featuring pictures drawn by Iraqi children in Amman. They were beautifully made by quilters in Vancouver, WA who generously gave of their time and effort. Mary Madsen, co-director of CRP,  spoke about current projects and her recent experiences in Amman.

Funds from this event have enabled Collateral Repair Project to provide several families in need with meat and chicken, back rent for a family facing eviction, emergency room expenses and medication for a man with no money who had a medical emergency, purchase of a sewing machine for a micro-project, diapers and newborn kits for three families with newborns, purchase and for delivery of two used, good condition refrigerators, give cash assistance to families we visited who had no have no income and began monthly cash assistance to a man who has no cash assistance from UNHCR and no other means of self support.

Karen Jones, our NW Regional Volunteer Liasion and a team of just 4 people put together this event—Jean Darsie, Cobra, Ruth Williams. On site, Fred Miller of Peace Action, Rosemary Lavisor, Sonjia Tilton and Martina Boyd were invaluable in setting up for the event. Bob Morgan of Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation did an amazing job on the sound. “We enjoyed doing this event so much and are so happy that it was successful beyond our expectations,” said Karen.  “If anyone reading this is interested in having an event or house-party for CRP, I’d be happy to speak with you and share some ideas.”  To learn more about this event, auction items, co-sponsors etc, check-out http://crpseattle.pbworks.com/.  To contact Karen about having an event or house-party, email peacework42@gmail.com

CRP sends our heartfelt thanks to all who made it possible to provide much needed assistance to so many Iraqi refugees.

CRP LIBRARY OPENS ITS DOOR

Preview

It was during our first trip to Amman for CRP three years ago that we originally listened to Iraqi refugees voice their desire to establish a lending library available to the refugee community. As non-residents, they have no access to public libraries and little money to purchase their own books. They told us that reading provides that intangible sense of a greater world being open to them. Free access to a library gives a sense of dignity, so damaged by their circumstances, along with feeling a part of a community and as a means to enhance their children's lives and education. 

We have held this dream for 3 years. On July 15th CRP opened the doors to that dream. 

On our opening night, 15 books were checked out!

We purchase Arabic language books from a bookseller in Amman who has a wide variety of books for all ages and of all genres at very reasonable costs. Iraqi volunteers catalog the books according to genre and color-code them on the our shelves. 

To enhance our library project we're excited to initiate our first book discussion group. They'll start with "When Wolves Grow Old" by Jordanian author Jamal Naji. The book was on the short list for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, which is part of the prestigious Booker Prize. After the group reads and discusses the book, they'll start another, passing the first book to a new group.  In this way, our library grows as well as community connections for the participants.  

Our shelves are modestly stocked for now but we have faith that, with the good will of our supporters, they will fill.  Just $100 a month will pay for ten books for the discussion group and a stipend for our librarian who will lead the discussion and supervise the library.  If you are part of a book club or book discussion group, it would be a wonderful gift if your group could pitch in a small amount each month toward Iraqi refugees' literary discourse. If your group does this, CRP could share photos and messages between the groups for an even broader community of literature lovers and another step toward peace. 

Would you like to join our "book club"? Email us at crp.info@gmail.com if you'd like to do this. 

So Much Depends Upon a Cold Drink and New Friends

Raad and Hayfaah, a Sabean-Mendaean couple, arrived in Amman recently, having fled Baghdad following a kidnapping attempt on Hayfaah. She tried to escape by jumping into a taxi but the militia opened fire on the taxi, hitting her in the face numerous times. Amazingly, she lived but lost one eye completely and is losing sight in her remaining eye. Her nose was reconstructed but is without bones. She was pregnant with their first child but lost it because of the attack and she is now unable to conceive. She appears to have affective disorder – blank expression, no real response, even when her husband was breaking down sobbing. We suggested counseling but they stated they are doing fine. Being newly arrived, they are likely appreciating and absorbing the sense of relief from fear. Possibly, that relief is so great that it is masking their feelings of despondency - for now.

Having only recently arrived in Jordan, they do not yet have the cash assistance from UNHCR but, even when they do begin receiving it, they will only receive120JD per month. Their little flat with its very small windows was swelteringly hot so we rushed to get them a fan to cool it a bit. We are also looking for a decent second-hand refrigerator for them. Refrigerators are especially critical for the poorest because they save food from spoilage, making their meager purchases last longer -not to mention giving them the pleasure of being able to drink cold water during the searing summers here.

Last week, Raad attended Dominoes Night and both he and Hayfaah attended the social for the first time! We were surprised and pleased that she did, considering her emotional state on our initial contact and the fact that her face is so very battered and she is nearly blind.

After our initial home visit, we were able to purchase a used refrigerator for the couple, in addition to the fan purchased earlier. These two items help ease their difficult and spare living conditions. When they attended the Social Night, Hayfaah exclaimed how good it was to be able to a have a glass of cold water now. 

Their participation in CRP activities at the Family and Community Resource Center is an encouraging sign. They now have a social outlet from their previous isolation that will help them to cope with the trauma they have so recently been through. It also points graphically to the importance of the CRP Center in providing a sanctuary for those who lack options for a respite from past traumas and present hardships. 

Living on the Edge of a Ravine

We visited 51 year old Majeda in her one room flat in a sparsely populated neighborhood on the edge of a ravine overlooking the highway. Her only furniture is a hard single bed, a wooden chair and table, and her suitcase which she uses as a chest of drawers and contains all that she owns.  Her kitchen consists of a small, one burner propane stove. She has no refrigerator or cupboards.


She, her husband, two sons and two daughters fled from the area they lived in when they received a threat message, that began "To the dirty faithless" (Majeda and her family are of Sabean-Mendai faith - pacifists who follow the teachings of John the Baptist) and went on to tell them to leave or that this group would take "God's vengence" out on them (they would be killed).  They fled to another part of Iraq and thought they were safe until gunmen stormed into their home and shot and killed two of her daughters in front of her and her husband.  Her husband suffered a stroke while this was happening.  The couple also had two sons - one married with a wife and two little children.  They "disappeared" and all are assumed dead. She said that they were a very close loving family and that they would have been in touch if they were still alive.  A year after their daughters were brutally murdered in front of them, Majeda's husband died from complications from his stroke and, as she speculates, of a broken heart.

She has one remaining child - a married daughter with three children who had been resettled to Sweden. She hopes that she may be able to join her daughter some day but, for now anyway, there is no hope for this as her case is still in the "Protection" unit.  Even if her case gets moved to the "resettlement" unit, there is no guarantee she will be able to join her daughter - Sweden is not accepting any more Iraqis at this time and we do not know when or if they will in the future,  Also, many Iraqis are resettled in nations that are far away from those where other family members are already resettled.  She is naturally very worried about this and it adds to her distress.

She came to Jordan with only a few hundred dollars in savings.  When we met her, she had only 54JD remaining and her rent of 50JD was due in a few days.  She has no financial help from friends or family. She does not yet receive UNHCR cash assistance and, since she arrived in March, it may be a few months more until she does receive it.   CRP gave her 20JD in emergency assistance money so that she could buy food. We will write to UNHCR to ask that they consider 
expediting approval for her to receive the cash assistance grant (which may or may not be successful)  Even if Majeda gets the cash assistance, it will only be 75JD per month (the same as all single persons receive) and, after paying her rent, will not leave her sufficient funds to pay for food, medications or transportation.

Majeda is at extreme risk.  The trauma she's suffered - and is still suffering - makes her particularly vulnerable. It is hard enough to try to manage survival for those who have family around them to support them but, for Majeda, these challenges can easily push her over the edge and increase her suicidal tendency.

CRP would like to be able to provide Majeda with 20JD ($30) every month for at least 6 months to provide some security for her and to ease her worries.  We would like to purchase a small refrigerator for her because food spoils rapidly in the intense heat of summer here and, because of her health, she cannot walk the distance to the souk to purchase food frequently. We want to stay in frequent contact with her so that we can be there for her to listen to her and support her emotionally.

The cost of providing Majeda with all of these things would be approximately $350

UPDATE: We were able to purchase a small, used refrigerator for Majida, which eases her hard life to some degree. But she still lacks so much in other areas of life -- rent, food, medications and transportation -- that she remains one of the most vulnerable refugees.

Mohammed, a single man, has been in Jordan approximately 2 years. When we visited his home we saw that he has practically nothing. He is not receiving cash assistance and struggles to pay the rent for his depressingly bleak studio apartment by doing odd jobs as he can find them.   

Recently, when Mohammed refused to pay extortion money to a local thug, he was wrongly accused of sexual assault on the extortionist’s younger sister. When the court demanded a physical examination of the young girl, the family refused and claimed that the assault was actually against a young son in the family. The accusations were made in retaliation for Mohammed not paying a demand for money and because he stood up to their bullying.  The UNHCR human rights and legal organization partner sent a lawyer who met with him only one time, having him sign papers agreeing to their representation -- and then they never returned, forcing him to hire a private attorney. He was acquitted and all charges dropped finally - but not until he had been in jail many months and incurred a lawyer's bill of 4,000 JD - which, of course, he is unable to pay.  A wealthy "sponsor" paid the bill but now he owes this sponsor the 4 grand and the sponsor is holding his passport as "collateral" until he pays. 

He does not yet receive cash assistance. CRP will intervene with UNHCR on his behalf in hope of facilitating UNHCR assessing him for eligibility for cash assistance.  CRP also hires  Mohammed for handy-man work as needed. Mohammed refuses to take money he does not earn.

CRP provided Mohammed with items from our distribution center and, with donations generously provided through Iraq Solidarity in the UK, we bought a fan for his stiffling apartment and we are looking for a small, used refrigerator for him.