- Title: An orphan herself, Iraqi woman spreads love to orphan children
- Date: 24th September 2019
- Summary: PICTURE OF MUBARAK WITH ORPHAN CHILDREN / MUBARAK TALKING TO CHILD IN BACKGROUND
- 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: LVA002AY0P6C5
- 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
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