Making a difference: Lieutenant helps renovate an orphanage for Iraqi girls

Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Pryor | The daughter of the headmistress at the Al Zuhor girl's orphanage in northern Baghdad's Adhamiyah District looks on shyly as Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment visit the orphanage Oct. 16.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.22.2007

Story by Staff Sgt. Michael Pryor 

82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office

By Sgt. Mike Pryor
2nd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. Public Affairs

BAGHDAD – The high point of 1st Lt. William Bass' deployment to Iraq so far wasn't a raid or some other combat operation; it was the sight of two little girls playing on a brand new swing set.

It was an important moment for Bass, because it represented the payoff for three months of hard work to improve conditions at the Al Zuhor Girl's Orphanage in northern Baghdad's Adhamiyah District.

"Seeing that, that was all the gratification I needed right there. It felt really good," Bass said.

Not long ago, the orphanage was falling into disrepair from lack of maintenance and the girls spent their days shuttered inside with no place to play. But thanks to Bass, a fire support officer with Troop C, 3rd "Saber" Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, the Al Zuhor has undergone a $100,000 facelift turning it into a state-of-the-art facility.

"With these kinds of projects, you get to make a lasting impact," said Bass, a Washington, D.C., native.

The orphanage is currently home to more than 50 girls between the ages of eight and 16 years old. There is also a separate facility for special needs children on the same property.

Many of the children at the orphanage lost their parents due to the murders, bombings, and other violence that has plagued Baghdad. Others were orphaned by disease, or simply because their parents could no longer take care of them, Bass said.

Now, the orphanage is their home, with a staff filling the role of surrogate parents. The director of the facility, Suda Juwad Al-Khafage, tries to give the children a normal life despite their circumstances. The importance of education is stressed, and all the children attend local schools. Even girls at the facility who reach adulthood are allowed to remain at the orphanage and attend college if they maintain good behavior, Suda said.

But despite the hard work of the staff, the orphanage lacked the funding to keep the grounds and the building in good condition. When Bass first visited the facility on a routine patrol in July, he noticed that the building was falling apart and there was a barren, trash-filled lot instead of a playground. Talking with Suda, he found that the problems stretched to include even routine matters as preparing dinner for the children. Suda told him she was having difficulty bringing food in after curfew hours.

The next day, Bass returned with bags of rice, beans, sugar, salt and other staples for the staff to prepare meals with. Over the next weeks and months, his involvement grew, to the point where he was planning a complete renovation of the facility. Soon, Bass was up to his neck in paperwork as he dealt with Iraqi government officials, contractors, and the military appropriations process to find money for the project.

"He really just took the ball and ran with it," said Bass' troop commander, Capt. Ian Claxton from Mount Airy, N.C. "He's very passionate about it."

Bass' persistence paid off, and when the renovation was completed in October, the orphanage had a new water irrigation system, a new paint job, a new electrical system, new playground equipment, improved plumbing, and a total facelift to the grounds.

Today, the children can scamper around amid mosaic-tiled walkways, bright murals, new playground equipment, manicured lawns, and street lights that let them play at night. The difference from three months ago is like night and day, Bass said.

When Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Multi-National Corps – Iraq commander, visited Adhamiyah, Oct. 16, the orphanage was one of the sites he was most impressed with. And when Odierno met with Suda to congratulate her, she gave much of the credit for the state of the facility to Bass.

Getting involved to help the less fortunate is nothing new for Bass. He said he has always been involved in volunteer work. Growing up in D.C., he used to spend Thanksgiving volunteering at a soup kitchen, and Christmas handing out gifts to patients in a cancer ward.

"Humanitarian aid work has always been a huge part of my life," he said.

So when Bass first saw the state the orphanage was in three months ago, his reaction was immediate.

"When I went down there and saw that those kids were hurting, I wasn't thinking, 'Hey, let me do something to get a good story.' It was 'Let me do this because they need help,'" Bass said.

In the end, Bass said he just hopes his efforts will make a positive difference in the children's lives.

"Kids are like a blank canvas," he said. "Suda is always telling them, 'You can accomplish anything.' No matter where they came from, the interactions they have at the orphanage are going to shape and groom them into the person they are going to become," he said.

"That impact is everlasting, and hopefully these kids will be the future leaders of this country," Bass said.

• Date Taken: 10.22.2007
• Date Posted: 10.22.2007 14:45
• Story ID: 13198
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ