By Om Ala’ and Dr. Zaid Khoursheed, Translated by Leen Alqudsi

The first five volunteers in 2013, who founded the team, have become 240 volunteers in 2015 and celebrating together the 2nd anniversary of the team, proud of all their achievements through two years hoping and looking for providing more, helping and supporting more.
The ceremony included a presentation for the team’s activities and achievements and their vision and goals for the future. Some of the volunteers talked about their own volunteering experience with Iraq Builders Team. At the end of the ceremony, all the supporting, donors, benefactors, and the volunteers were honored for their efforts for helping everyone who is in need.

Om Ala’s speech
Let me tell you about the first campaign for the orphans that I participated in, Eid Bonus campaign. The buses arrived with the children from the slums accompanied by their mothers entered the big hall in the association. No word can describe their appearance, in shabby clothes and scared with look of alienation on their faces. The volunteers came and started to fit the new Eid clothes for the orphans, allowing them to choose the model and the color they like. One of those orphans, attracted my attention, he took the clothes and run happily to the middle of the hall laughing and jumping, no one could talk to him, suddenly came towards me, hugged me, and “Grandma, I love you” he said. “Grandma”, is the word which defined my role in the team, a mother for more than 240 volunteer, and a grandma for every orphan.
This was part of Mrs. Oum Ala’s speech at the second anniversary of the team, this was the moment when the tears of the audience fell down, tears of humanity, standing by the orphans of this wounded country and upholding their innocence against the injustice and poverty.
Many thanks and appreciation for your support to Iraq Builders Team

Dr. Zaid Khoursheed’s spheech

Sell the Overcoat, Keep the Dignity
For it never won’t be sold

One who wears the silk cloak
another with shimmering gold

And one who could be happy
even if she was shabbily clothed

These poetic words were the introduction of Dr. Zaid Khurshid’s speech at the second anniversary of Iraq Builders Team. These words were not just a poem, but, they represent a philosophy of poverty and continence as if they had been said especially for the Iraqi poor people describing their chastity and self-esteem despite of the hard living circumstances and life severity. Building houses, roofing another, establishing a thought, building a life, making a hope, and building, Iraq, our country because we are Iraq Builders.