Who are People with Disabilities in Iraq?
Disability has burdened the lives of people of all ages and professions. The war has seen an increase in babies being born with disabilities, and many others are still being wounded in the fighting- if not already taken ill by disease or malnutrition. Mercy Corps spokesperson Tiana Tozer said "If you take into account that Iraq has been at war since 1977, the Iran-Iraq war, the American bombings, sanctions, all of which have contributed to more people becoming disabled, 2.7 million or 10 percent of the population is a conservative estimate." The Iraqi Ministry of Health has just 21 rehabilitation centres and 12 prosthetic labs, and it is unable to open more due to a lack of doctors and specialists. The government also says that only a quarter of amputees who are in need of artificial limbs have received them as a result of the unavailability of raw materials.
The range of disabilities is vast- ranging from loss of limbs to autism to rare central nervous diseases. Whether Iraqis with disabilities are students, engineers, carpenters or housewives, they enjoy very little prospect of receiving the care they need. ICF endeavours to execute programmes that will provide sustainable solutions for the many who suffer from disabilities, helping provide them with the correct medical treatment, means of employment and integration into society. The mental and physical suffering of this large sector of society is beyond words, but with your help we can ease their burden and provide a brighter future for many Iraqis with disabilities.
Sponsor 1000 Children with Disabilities Project
This project aims to ensure the care of 1000 children with special needs amongst whom are also orphans, abandoned children and the very poor. In the future we hope to expand the project to include 10,000 children, but we need your help.
ICF has so far received about 350 forms for disabled children from eight of our affiliated charities in Iraq: The Shakiry Charity for social solidarity, the Independent Humanitarian Samawah Charity, Imam Hussain Orphan’s Charity, Charity for Children with special needs (Al-Muthana), The Cooperation Charity, Al Rami Charity for Mental disability and Noor Orphans Fund.
We have achieved sponsorship for around 250 disabled children from the first of the month of Ramadan (2008), ensuring sponsorship for a minimum of one year, and five years for others.
We still need to find sponsorship for 750 others!
Click here to Sponsor a Child with Disabilities
See our List of Unsponsored Children
This program focuses on the most needy of children, and aims to provide them with the most basic necessities. The families of these children are often from poor backrounds and in the absence of a social welfare system or social security, they cannot afford to provide basic necessities for their children.
What makes this project unique and effective is that 100% of the sponsorship money goes directly to the child in need. Our responsibility requires us to help people with disabilities and special needs so that they are not forgotten.
We urge you all to tell your family and friends to join us in ensuring that these Iraqi children quickly receive the aid they need.
A great opportunity to be exploited
It is an honor for each and every one of us to have the opportunity to run something that would change a child's life, and give that child the opportunity to develop a basic standard of living and provide them hope for a brighter future. Your help provides the opportunity for children to go to school, or get health care or food which were not available without your donations. Not only do you help them in the short term, but by your donations you are sending out a strong message to Iraqi children with disabilities telling them that they are not forgotten!
Questions and answers:
How much is the cost of caring for a disabled child?
£15 per month. Which works out at only 40p a day.
Is sponsorship like adoption?
No. Adoption is the legal process that requires that the child comes into your home and becomes legally bound to you. Sponsorship is a financial commitment to assist short, medium or long-term help to meet the needs of the child. The child remains in the care of his family/guardians.
How do I become a sponsor?
Nothing could be easier. All we need to do is to complete the on-line form, along with the designated amount as a first installment, whether it be in cash, card, telephone or mail. It’s up to you.
What will happen after I become a sponsor?
Iraqi Charities Forum will provide you with a photograph of the child in addition to any other data that you wish. We encourage correspondence between sponsors and donors. We will also provide you with annual reports on the development of the child.
What is the required warranty period?
To be fair to those in need, we suggest that children are sponsored for a minimum of 6 months, after which the donor can retract his sponsorship if he/she wishes to do so.
What can £15 do for a child with disabilities/special needs?
Your contribution will contribute towards alleviating some of the suffering and provide some basic needs, such as clothes, food, stationery and health care.
What percentage of my sponsorship goes towards administrative costs?
Nothing at all. The policy of the Forum provides for non-deductibility of any administrative expenses from the amount of contributions or sponsorships.
How will the Forum cover administrative expenses?
Some donors are covering the administrative expenses of the Forum separately, in addition we process tax refunds from the Tax Department and through the Gift Aid system to cover our expenses.
How can we be reassured that our money will go to the child?
ICF has always sought to honour their commitments and are keen to work in a transparent manner whereby anyone can know where their contributions are spent. ICF is registered with the Charities Commission, is certified by the Fundraising Standards Board and operates under the laws governing charity procedures in the UK.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid increases the value of donations to charities by allowing them to reclaim basic rate tax on your gift. If you pay higher rate tax you can claim extra relief on your donations. If you claim age-related allowances or tax credits, Gift Aid donations can sometimes increase your entitlement. The Gift Aid scheme is for gifts of money by individuals who pay UK tax. Gift Aid donations are regarded as having basic rate tax deducted by the donor. Charities take your donation - which is money you've already paid tax on - and reclaim the basic rate tax from HMRC. on its 'gross' equivalent - the amount before basic rate tax was deducted.
Basic rate tax is 20 per cent, so this means that if you give £10 using Gift Aid, it’s worth £12.50 to the charity. For donations between 6 April 2008 and 5 April 2011 the charity will also get a separate government supplement of three pence on every pound you give.
Can we communicate with the sponsored child or send them gifts?
We encourage positive communication between the sponsors and the children, as this is a big deal to the sponsored child and his family. Sponsorship money means that someone out there is providing a huge amount of care for them. You can send gifts and letters through our Office in London.
Can I visit the foster child, if you travel to Iraq on my account?
ICF will do their best to arrange such visits if requested by the sponsor. Visitors should be accompanied by representatives from the relevant member organizations, in order to ensure the welfare and security of the child as well as the sponsor themselves.
Modus operandi of our Sponsor 1000 Children with Disabilities Programme
1. ICF does not provide services directly to those in need, but works closely with other organisations and extends its services across other Iraqi charities worldwide. If you would like to add your charity to our network Click Here
2. We have a carefully prepared system of registering children, and classifying their situation and the degree of care they need. To register an Iraqi child with disabilities or special needs Click Here
3. Most of our team are volunteers, and the only way we can reach out to these children in need is through your generous donations. To start sponsoring a child Click Here
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