Peace House- June 8, Voices of Iraqi Refugees

Mary Madsen, 04.06.2009 00:00

"Shemiron limps into the room to meet us. Her right leg, from the knee down, is covered up by a stiff prosthetic leg. Her face is in a constant grimace of pain. Her eyes are the saddest eyes I have ever looked into and when I do, I feel myself falling into her grief and pain. Tears line her eyes like crystal eyeliner…" Excerpt from our blog: April 11, 2009

Returning from shopping one afternoon in Baghdad, Shemiron’s life changed suddenly and irrevocably. A car bomb exploded nearby, severing her right foot. It was then that she and her elderly mother decided to flee to Jordan to be with her brother and sister, who had already fled in 2004.

Shemiron was fitted with a prosthetic after arriving in Jordan, but it is poor quality and does not fit properly. It is painful and ill fitting, risking infection. Because of the pain, she can wear it only long enough to walk unsteadily across the room and has fallen badly several times. Without it, she gets around by crawling,so that she is totally housebound and her mobility is limited even there. A proper prosthesis will cost $850, an impossibly unaffordable amount for this family.

Prior to the explosion and injury, Shemiron worked as a school teacher for 24 years. She regularly sent money to help support her family in Amman. Loss of her beloved career, loss of her foot, loss of her ability to contribute to the family’s expenses and loss of all that was familiar to her once proud life is clearly revealed in the despondent expression on her face.

Shemiron’s story is but one of the many that we listen to daily as we wend our way through crowded streets and narrow warrens of Amman, visiting Iraqi refugees. Each flat we enter is a repository of grief and loss. Compounding the physical and emotional damages of the past are the hardships of the present and the uncertainty of a future they can barely dare to hope for.

On Monday, June 8,6;30 PM at PEACE HOUSE you will hear Iraqi refugees describe their lives in their own words, recorded on film during our home visits in Amman, Jordan.
Joining us will be special guest, gifted singer/songwriter Annie Tanner.

The event is free. We will “pass the hat” for Shemiron.[CRP donors have already donated generously toward Shemiron’s prosthesis, but an additional $275 is needed.]
Sponsored by Peace House and Citizens for Peace and Justice.
For further information call 541-770-5274

e-mail:: mrymads@charter.net
Homepage:: http://www.collateralrepairproject.blogspot.com/

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Solidarity 05.06.2009 - 02:11 What a powerful photo and heartbreaking story. This sounds like an event that I hope many will attend. Vanessa Houk> Homepage:: http://