Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE)’s Food and Clothing Distribution Brings Joy and Warmth to Nearly 1,500 Iraqi Orphans
- ajoyce140
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Have you ever truly considered how much loss is endured by an orphan child? It’s a concept or reality that is difficult to quantify; the loss seeps through every part of their lives. Their worlds become shadows of sadness, yet in that darkness, against all odds, smiles and gratitude still beam from their little faces.
Mother Theresa once said: “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread”. This innate human need is hardwired in us all. Much like the need to nourish our bodies, so too do our souls and hearts require nourishment.
Now imagine how deeply the loss is felt by an orphan: protection, belonging, security, warmth, comfort, stability, opportunity, guidance, purpose, identity, are all stripped from them along with their lost parents. But more so, the pride and joy of a father, the warm comforting embrace of a mother, the familiar feeling of family, are distant memories, or mere dreams, for these vulnerable children.
This is a sad reality faced by 1 in 6 Iraqi citizens, with 5 million children in Iraq being orphaned. For decades, the country has endured violence due to War, leading to mass casualties and displacement. Thus, children lose one or both their parents in bombings, attacks, or by being separated from them due to the ongoing instability.
In response to this crisis, Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE) has attempted to bring some joy and care to these young children through LIFE’s Orphan Sponsorship project in Iraq. A total of 1,428 orphans were served food baskets and clothing, with an additional 50 orphans indirectly reached between the 1st to 15th of December 2024 at distribution points located in 8 cities and villages. Those orphans who lived in rural locations were especially grateful for the efforts made by LIFE’s distribution team, as their guardians or families often struggled to access supplies due to the high cost of items in their remote location. Clothing, along with 1,428 food baskets, were distributed in total, containing food staples such as rice, tomato paste, cooking oil, tea, sugar, pasta, noodles, lentils, bulgar, chickpeas, beans, salt and milk.
While the distribution points are essential to meet the nutritional needs of these growing children, they also serve as much more than that. The 10-year-old Qedir Kofan, shown in the image above has been a part of Life’s Orphan Sponsorship Program for the past 3 years. After losing her parents in an unfortunate traffic accident, she was taken in and raised by her grandmother.
Qedir is able to receive the love and nurturing of her grandmother, as her physical needs have been taken care of through the food, clothing, and entertainment programs provided by LIFE. But more than that, collecting these donations has become a joyous event, where she interacts and plays with fellow orphans and receives the much-needed warmth, embrace and care that LIFE’s workers provide. Essentially, in her world of loss, LIFE has become an extended family that she has gained.
We can see the warmth felt towards these orphans from the account of one of the workers at the distribution center. We learn about the case of Rinad Amer (captured in the image below), a now four-year-old who has been sponsored by LIFE and its donors since she was a small baby. She has grown up knowing LIFE as a familiar, consistent and reliable part of her world.
The worker relates: “This little girl lost her father when she did not know what the words' father or dad meant. We were distributing food baskets that day and she was carried in our hands. Today, Rinad comes to the distribution day optimistic and welcomes us with childish smiles and spontaneous laughter. Today, Rinad is entering kindergarten, and tomorrow she will be among the elementary school students, completing her journey to a better life. Today, as part of LIFE’s financial support and the moral support of LIFE’s staff, the little girl Rinad is growing up with us to be part of the LIFE family.”
The gifts granted by your donations and sponsorships not only feed and clothe these vulnerable orphans, but also transform their lives from ones of deprivation, sadness and loss to those of belonging, warmth and nourishment. Thank you for the opportunities you have granted these children, for bringing light to the darkness.
