In today’s society people like to only see what they want to. Honestly, everyone is willing to help if they would just open their eyes. All of this is stoppable. I just want to help the ones who need it more than anyone. Charity is an amazing thing. All I want is for kids just like me to have the same opportunities that I do everyday. Every child deserves a sun rise.

After several months of worrying and so many of us missing Mustafa and Ahmed so so badly, and many friends/interpreters trying various #s to reach them, we were finally able to talk with Ahmed last Friday night. The phone situation and security in Iraq is terrible. The phone connection was horrible and it took several tries to get the line to go through. So, the conversation was limited–on both ends it was extremely hard to hear clearly and at one point, we got disconnected and had to call a second time. The speaker phone didn’t work as the connection was so distorted, so we kept asking our questions to Waddah and Saed as one or the other interpreted into the phone.

At the beginning of the call, for the first minutes when we could hear on the speaker phone, we all broke into smiles and tears as Ahmed said, “I love you, Portland!” It was his wonderful lovely voice!

The important thing we heard is that Mustafa is doing okay. Ahmed said Mustafa had recently gone through some tests and that all is okay with his renal status. (For those of you on the medical team, we did ask Ahmed and the doctor in Fallujah to send the medical reports to Jordan to be sent to us for review by the nephrologist here). More on that soon.

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When I was younger I didn’t even know what war was and I definitely didn’t know that families were torn apart. Honestly, I believed that stuff only happened in George Washington’s time. But now I see that our own country is a very ironic place. We say we are the “freedom country” when we are tearing the “freedom” from others. This is a crime and genocide even if we claim we didn’t do anything wrong. I believe that if the American people knew exactly what was going on they would do anything in their power to help. That is why my friends and I are doing this. That is why we are helping. Every single child deserves dreams, hopes, and a bright future. I’m going to make sure this happens for them.

Alyssa is a middle school student and the lead organizer for the No More Victims – Casper chapter at her school.

By Nahla Sturm

I want to help children in Iraq have a better life. I have met an Iraqi boy named Mustafa because an organization brought him here after he was deafened in Iraq by “our” American missiles. It was arranged for him to receive a cochlear implant in his right ear.

I have interacted with three year old Mustafa before and after he got his implant. I have helped out by playing with him; this is an important role to play in a child’s life (especially for young Mustafa). Children need attention from other children because they are different from grownups. We have different ways of being and help each other understand more about life.

I think differently about Iraq because of meeting Mustafa. I believe other people need the experience of meeting people from different cultures which enables them to see that their lives are as important as ours. Being with Mustafa has meant a lot to me. It feels special to help him; I am trying to make up for what America did. I would like to think more about my surroundings, Mustafa is very aware of his, especially because he can’t hear. He is also a curious boy.

This experience has made me aware of others in need of care that have been impacted by hurtful things. Being with Mustafa has encouraged me to expand my empathy and compassion for others.

[Harrison is a 5th grade student in the Portland, Maine area who chose to hold a fundraiser for little Noora as a result of a project that he’s doing for school. Harrison wrote about why he wants to help Noora and what he’s learned about, and feels about, war.]

I want to help Noora because I like helping people, especially people who are victims of war.

Ever since there have been humans on earth there have been violent conflicts. War is unnecessary and just brings death and destruction. It destroys homes and people’s lives. Sometimes if there is a good reason for war it might help to maintain peace by force but the Iraq war was unnecessary. There is not enough peace in the world. Nobody benefits from war.

The war affects us because it’s our country that is fighting a war and it’s not just an interesting story on the news about some other country. When it’s our neighbors and family that are going to war and dying then you realize that this is serious. It’s serious because their families will be sad if their family member dies. Even if they don’t die it’s sad to have them away from home.

The war is also injuring and killing innocent Iraqi citizens. Approximately 90,000 to 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed. If the U.S. soldiers see a Hussein loyal they might not have enough time to ambush them so they just send a missile or bomb into the building and it sometimes kills civilians. That is called collateral damage. At the beginning of the war the U.S. troops were also cutting off food, electricity, and water supply to the Iraqis by breaking the lines and pipes. It must have been scary to know that you might get bombed at any minute.

How we follow the news in America depends very much on how vivid our imaginations are, or how vivid we allow them to be. As an artist, I let mine often have free reign, so when I heard the horrific story on “Democracy Now” about what happened to young Salee by the American forces in Iraq, my response was visceral.

Over a year later, I helped No More Victims bring three year old Mustafa to San Francisco to have surgery. He had been completely deafened by a US missile strike next door to where he was living.

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Our little Rusul has a new foot! She’s happily walking away on her new prosthetic and will be starting twice-a-day therapy as of tomorrow. At last Thursday’s appointment Rusul hopped on the examination table, pulled on her new prosthesis, jumped down and started walking! (Apparently, this isn’t the norm for someone just getting a prosthetic, but if you’ve met Rusul, you’d have guessed it’d be what she’d do!) She even entertained a bit with some mini-skips and hops, just to show us she could do it! I’ve even had to actually STOP her from taking off running as Ed Skewes (her prostheticist) said that this isn’t the “final” foot and it’ll break if she runs. She could do it if she tried though; and she’s aching to try!

I just got back from a weekend in Asheville with Rusul, staying at the beautiful mountain home of Paul Turner and visiting with him and Ymani Simmons (both of Asheville’s core group).  The Unitarian Church in Asheville was donating Sunday’s collection to Rusul and NMV, and we wanted to be there for that. A big thanks to Lew Patrie of the UU church, and Susan Oehler of the Asheville Core group for setting this up!

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Could it be only a little over a week since Rusul entered our lives? Hard to believe. In that short amount of time, she’s made some new and dear friends, learned some English, had her foot amputated, been discharged from the hospital, and is now walking with a walker! And our dear friend, Abu Ali, her father, feels comfortable and welcome again in his “home away from home”.

But so much more has happened in the short time since Rusul’s been here. She’s taught me so much; not only a few more words in Arabic and that she loves french fries and ketchup to an alarming degree, but she’s reminded me to be more appreciative.

She’s taught me that the focus should be on the positive ending, not the struggle along the way. Having “your foot chopped off” can be a GOOD thing because it means walking better and getting to go to school!

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When my own daughter Sara was 7, we went to the pet shop for a filter for the goldfish bowl.  While we were there, we encountered a blue-eyed baby Springer Spaniel puppy for sale.  Not what we came for.   This was a hard time in our family’s life.  Sara never said a word, but she looked at me in a certain way, you might be able to imagine it.  “I know,” her eyes seemed to say, “It’s too much to hope for.”  We took the puppy home that day.  So many things are said by not saying them.  I’m coming to think, more and more, that we give words way too much credit, and sometimes they just get in the way.

I couldn’t digest my food Monday night; it sat in my stomach, even though I ordered the lightest of vegan meals from the noodle place menu.  It had nothing to do with the food.  My spinach pancake was excellent.  I loved it.  I adored it.   I am so glad I ordered it.  It was affordable, too.  I will get it again next time.  My stomach was uncomfortable about something else, and it was letting me know.

During dinner, behind a backdrop of street music and a crying baby, I tried to reach Abu Ali to let him know Ken and I wished to visit that night, but all I could get was voice mail.  Ann Cothran, National Community Coordinator for No More Victims, had given me his direct number.

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She danced.

Her dress billowed, circling her like a flower’s petals as she spun in the sun.  She laughed and sang, then broke into giggles of pure joy.

Suddenly stopping, she turned to me.  Her gorgeous dark eyes with the long, curling lashes became moist with sorrow as she began to walk away in her proud and independent way that almost hides the struggle.

“Good-bye, Ann.  I love and miss you, Ann,” she called over her shoulder as she reached the sidewalk.  She turned and sadly waved one last time, then lifted her right arm high and in a firm, clear voice, called “TAXI!  TAXI!”

I ran to the sidewalk and scooped her up and she became a rag doll, overcome with giggles.

This was Rusul, the drama queen, the child of joy and laughter, yesterday in front of her temporary new home at the Ronald McDonald House.  Play-acting, having fun, being silly.  Being a child.

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