- Title: An orphan herself, Iraqi woman spreads love to orphan children
- Date: 24th September 2019
- Summary: MUBARAK SITTING AMONG CHILDREN CHILD COLOURING DRAWING ON PAPER CHILD DRAWING / OTHER CHILDREN WATCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 65-YEAR-OLD IRAQI WOMAN WORKING IN ORPHANAGE, ZAINAB MOHAMMED MUBARAK, SAYING: "It has been 40 years (since she started working at the orphanage), from 1979 until now. Many people graduated, engineers, doctors and teachers. Generations left this orphanage and they come back. I would say 500-600 have graduated so far. And we keep going." MUBARAK TIDYING BEDS BOY CHECKING PHOTOS GLUED ON CUPBOARD MUBARAK TALKING TO YOUNG CHILD / OTHER CHILDREN LOOKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 65-YEAR-OLD IRAQI WOMAN WORKING IN ORPHANAGE, ZAINAB MOHAMMED MUBARAK, SAYING: "I heard that this orphanage is open to receive (people to work there). It is the same story of mine, so I decided to go and live there. When I lived with them, I did not face any difficulties. I felt comfortable. The life that I lived (before) ended. I started a beautiful life with them." VARIOUS OF MUBARAK ARRANGING TOWELS AND BED SHEETS IN CUPBOARD MUBARAK TIDYING BED CHILDREN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES MUBARAK AND CHILD CHECKING CLOTHES IN CUPBOARD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TEACHER AT ORPHANAGE, FARQAD AHMED, SAYING: "Once I came to the orphanage, I found her (Mubarak). She helped me a lot, morally and even financially. In addition, she followed up on my studies and she pushed me to continue my education. Thank God, I became a teacher because of her and her efforts. No matter how I thank her, it won't be enough. She is the perfect mother." VARIOUS OF MUBARAK SITTING AMONG ORPHANS CHILD PLAYING IN FRONT OF MUBARAK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 65-YEAR-OLD IRAQI WOMAN WORKING IN ORPHANAGE, ZAINAB MOHAMMED MUBARAK, SAYING: "I consider this orphanage to be my home. It embraces me and the orphans. Even when I became older, I stayed in it. And I will continue living here, with them." VARIOUS OF MUBARAK TALKING WITH CHILDREN MUBARAK WATCHING AS CHILDREN STRETCH IN FRONT OF HER
- Embargoed: 8th October 2019 12:53
- Keywords: Orphanage Orphans in Iraq Iraqi women Nasiriya
- Location: NASIRIYA, IRAQ
- City: NASIRIYA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA003AY0P6C5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Iraqi orphan Zainab Mubarak has dedicated the past 40 years of her life to caring for other orphan children living in the same house which took her in.
The 65-year-old lost both her parents at the age of 17 and was transferred to a government-run orphanage in the southern city of Nasiriya which would become her home until today.
Since 1979, Mubarak has helped raise hundreds of orphans, some of whom have go on to become engineers, doctors and teachers.
After four decades, many who were under Mubarak's care still come back to visit the woman they consider their mother.
Among those is Farqad Ahmed, now a teacher at the same orphanage, thanks to the moral, educational and even financial support he got from Mubarak.
"I became a teacher because of her and her efforts. No matter how I thank her, it won't be enough. She is the perfect mother," he said.
Although she officially retired three years ago, Mubarak chose to continue working at the orphanage to look after the nearly 30 orphans currently enrolled in the institution.
Decades of war in Iraq have left hundreds of thousands of orphans and widows and the recent war against the Islamic State has further deepened the problem.
(Production: Mohammed A'ty, Maher Nazeh, Mohammed Katfan) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
