WEP Basra Graduation - 2nd Cycles
November 2009

Tuesday, November 24, 2009, the Iraq Foundation (IF) Office in Basra successfully celebrated the graduation of the 2nd cycle from both Basra centers, Al-Zubair and Al-Qurna. The ceremony took place at the Basra Provincial Council hall of Utba bin Ghazwan. The space was donated without charge in support to the widows. In addition to the graduated widows and their families, IF invited officials from Basra Municipal Council, government officials, several media representatives, and a number of Iraqi NGOs to the event. The Head of Women Committee in Basra Provincial Council delivered the graduation certificates to the graduating widows.

With the donations of several sewing machines from local businesses and private citizens as well as proceeds from the sale from some of the widows products, IF was able to give each graduating widow a sewing machine as graduation gift and as a seed for the widows to start generating their own income. In addition, an Iraqi American family from Virginia donated $500.00 (five hundred) to be distributed to 10 of the most needy widows from the Basra program, under the supervision of WEP project manager.

At the graduation event IF’s WEP project manager was interviewed by the media where she presented the project’s activities and goals. Many of the graduated widows were interviewed by the media, where the expressed their gratitude to the knowledge, benefit, and support the WEP program provided them in the form of the democracy education lectures , the literacy program, and the sewing program. Some widows asked the authorities to help them in finding work opportunities.