Building Freedom

Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009, 5:04 PM

Hello Bret,

I saw the pictures of the tornado, hopefully the damage is limited to property and not to humans.  It looked horrifying in the pictures.

The second shipment of farming supplies was distributed yesterday Friday May 1, 2009.  We went to a farm located south Hillah, in AL HUSSAIN District.  If you recall this place, the Seabees rehabilitate a school there, the road to there passes by the US Special Forces base, and it's parallel to Euphrates.  The main business in this district is agricultural, especially palms (date) and wheat.  

The farm we visited belongs to a farmer called Abu Alaa, my brother Sarmed knows him and trusts him.  It’s very important to trust this man, so we can speak to him freely about everything about this project.   Also Abu Alaa has good relationships with his neighbor farmers. 

It was the afternoon, Abu Alaa knew we were coming but he didn’t know about the supplies, as soon as we arrived, we told him about the project and asked him to call his neighbors, men and women, the farmers to come and receive farming the supplies.  While his neighbors were arriving and while the downloading of the materials goes, I was briefing he and his friends about the FFA group and the first shipment last year, the men were very interested to hear more about FFA.

Although some of them were sweating, just came home from their farms, they asked many questions about this project, the FFA origin and the people involved.

I also asked them about how they will use these materials, will it help them to do their job.  I can tell you, they never imagined there are so many things that can make their job easier and efficient.  Some of them knew, but never thought they would have the supplies available in hands.

Unfortunately, here in Iraq, the workforce takes SAFETY as the last thing in the work list, in all fields, not just agriculture, and that’s due to the absence of education and safety regulations… etc.   I want to see this changing, but I know it requires much efforts and long time.

We took many pictures I will be sending them in e-mails today.   They were taken by two cameras.

Big thanks to the Central City FFA group for everything they’ve done to help the Iraqi farmers.   This project is another honorable efforts added to what the US people put over years in Iraq.  The Iraqi farmers who got the chance to hear about you is now looking up to you and their peers in the world, your efforts and donations were well appreciated by all the men, women and kids who received something from you yesterday.

Also thanks to Rob Pangburn for adopting this project, Ms. Mary Day, Ms. Rae Ann Holub and Mr. Bill Aossey for the facilitating and support, every one of you took this project a step forward.

Thanks to Sarmed (my brother) and our friends Mustafa Kamil and Hassanein Fadil who helped us with the organization of the distribution.  

Thanks to you Bret.   You’re a true friend and anyone would be lucky to be a friend of yours.  God bless you!

Haider Shawqi

Al Hillah, IRAQ