Dartblog

Isn’t it something that this small Iraqi girl has achieved an impossibly pink teddy bear amidst the sand and dirt of her troubled country? The thanks belongs to the kind hearts behind the Iraqi Kids Project, Liz Hunt ‘05 and Meredith Wilson ‘07. In the spring of 2005 they decided to harness the largesse of Dartmouth students by collecting shoes, clothing, sports equipment, school supplies—anything, really—for Iraqi children whose families cannot afford, or who temporarily do not have access to, these items.

The first phase of the project was a stunning success, with over twenty-four boxes of goods successfully transferred to Iraq and distributed to moms, dads, and kids. In the second phase, last winter, the program’s yield doubled thanks to the efforts of Marlene Labastida ‘07, Adam Belanich ‘08, Fayaz Kabir ‘08, and Cpt Melissa Hammerle ‘03, who distributed the goods. Fifty large boxes were shipped to Iraq and received there by grateful families. Games of soccer were had.

Meredith and her friends are now getting ready for the next round. In Hanover proper, students will each be e-mailed detailed instructions on how to donate their used goods to the project; all they’ll need to do is insert items into dropboxes located in each dorm. The IKP folks take care of the rest: pick-up, sorting, packing, shipping to Iraq, and distributing.

And since the program keeps growing, these administrative steps will require some help. “What we really need now,” Meredith writes, “are financial donations.” If you are in a position to part with some money to help a group of Dartmouth students do something spontaneously and organically good, you can do one of two things.

1. You can make out a check to Epsilon Kappa Theta (the Dartmouth sorority that is sponsoring the project), with “Iraqi Kids Project” in the memo line. You can mail your check to Meredith Wilson, Dartmouth College HB 4201, Hanover, NH 03755.

Or, 2. You may use PayPal to donate electronically to the project. Just send funds to iraqikidsproject@gmail.com.

Please do know that the Iraqi Kids Project is not a registered charity, and your donation helps your tax situation not one whit. But it would be a nice thing to do. 100% of your donation goes to fund the logistics of sending a whole lot of toys and clothing to a still-shaky Iraq. The program is being co-sponsored by Epsilon Kappa Theta, the sorority mentioned above, and by Dartmouth’s Catholic student center, Aquinas House.

Two more photos follow.