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Reuters AlertNet
http://www.alertnet.org/
World Vision International
http://www.wvi.org
June 25 2003

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World Vision is transitioning from a relief response to a rehabilitation phase in Iraq.

World Vision celebrated its first school rehabilitation in Iraq on Saturday. The western Iraq based team inspected final work, and completed paperwork at the Al Rutba primary school.

Plastering, painting, electrical re-wiring, as well as the installation of water tanks, toilets and drinking fountains was completed by local contractors in three weeks.

Principal, Mfadi Abdellatif Diab (45) was delighted with the work saying “I cannot believe after all these years of the school wasting away we finally have an improved school. The children will enjoy coming back to school.”

Children will have a ‘fresh’ school when classes resume in September. Teachers believe this will inspire their children to look to a brighter future.

Electrical supervisor, Layth Fadiq Mamoud thanked World Vision for the opportunity to improve the community’s schools.

“Now our children have the chance to catch up with their education. I hope our children now have the same opportunity children in other countries. We would like to see them learning about computers and have access to the Internet,” said Layth.

World Vision is also rehabilitating the primary health care clinic, which is serving as the temporary hospital.

Last weekend, World Vision assisted the UNDP deliver generators in Al Rutba. The two generators will support a water pumping station which feeds one of the three supply lines to the city’s 25,000 people.

The United Nations Development Programme sought World Vision’s facilitation of delivery as we are the only NGO based in Al Rutba.

World Vision continues to provide landmines/Unexploded Ordnance awareness programs.

In Mosul, Ninewa governate, northern Iraq, World Vision is helping to ensure adequate supplies of essential drugs reach the governate’s 14 hospitals. They are also registering internally displaced persons and working with the International Organisation of Migration and the World Food Programme to ensure people have access to food, medicines and pre-positioned shelter and emergency aid.

Rehabilitation is underway at 130 primary and secondary schools which were neglected during the previous government’s reign and also damaged during post-conflict looting. World Vision continues to conduct child protection assessment and analysis here.

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Direct Link:
--http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/105651398589.htm

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