"All Our Children" Launches Theater Project in Baghdad

Posted: December 17, 2003

Note: "All Our Children" is a consortium of humanitarian agencies, sponsored in part by Church World Service, that has received funding from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

BAGHDAD: Early in December the first performance of the children's theater project happened at Iraq's only institute for autistic people. The institute's director said, "I saw something spark in the children I haven't seen in five years," the entire length of her tenure. Affectless children laughed for the first time. A child who would never approach strangers eagerly went to the actors.

With the grant supplied by "All Our Children," Iraqi theater professionals have produced two plays: "Love" and "The Neighborhood's Tree." "Love" tells about two cats that decide to resolve their differences peacefully rather than by fighting. "The Neighborhood's Tree" is about children who save a tree from being cut down.

The plays are performed on rented wooden platforms in institutions and in outdoor areas. After each performance, the actors and children meet to share a snack-- fruit, biscuits and tea-- and to discuss the play.

"All Our Children" hopes to mount up to thirty performances. The live theater group plans to travel to Iraqi children in hospitals, orphanages, refugee camps and in poor neighborhoods. The goal is to improve the emotional health of these children who are disabled, fearful, anxious and depressed, their childhoods lost amid war, looting and insecurity.

"All Our Children" was founded by Church World Service and others in March 2003. To date, the project has made deliveries of medical supplies to hospitals; deliveries of fresh food and books to orphanages; distributed relief kits; supported the repair of water systems; and supplied health clinics with hygiene supplies.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is supporting the "All Our Children" campaign. One hundred percent of your tax-deductible gift to Advance #623225 "Iraq Emergency and earmarked for "All Our Children" will be used for this response. The generous giving of United Methodists to the One Great Hour of Sharing supplements the cost of Advance gifts. Give through a local United Methodist church or send financial contributions to: UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Call 1-800-554-8583 to make a credit card donation.

Source: Church World Service, http://www.churchworldservice.org/