FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Clean water for Iraqi school children ... Is there any interest in FUS trying to help?

[Carole Rydberg (carydberg]

Hello everyone,

I know that we are saving money for a SA staff person but I am enthused 
about a project that is taking place and wanted to share this with you 
to see if there is any interest from others.

I believe that most of you know  (or know about) Sami Rasouli, 
Iraqi-American who lives in Iraq 9 months of each year and testifies to  
Americans audiences during the remaining months.  I know Sami well and 
have great respect for him. He started the Muslim Peacmakers Group there 
as well as a programs for selling original Iraqi art and for exchanging 
letters between Iraqi and US school children.  Most recently he has been 
promoting a plan for one American school (or church or other community 
group) to sponsor one Iraqi elementary school by providing a water 
purification system for that one school.  There is a critical lack of 
clean water in Iraq and providing pure water to a school means providing 
drinking water to children who may have _no_ other source for such 
water. The cost for each unit depends on the size.  I do not have all of 
the figures but know that the smallest unit is $500 and the largest unit 
is about $1200 with a third size in between.  Tim Carlson, retired 
Minnesota teacher, is heading up both the letter exchanges and the pure 
water projects and is trying to set up hundreds of sister schools. I am 
confidant that Tim would provide us with more information.

This project appeals to me because it is REAL ... we can all understand 
that clean drinking water is essential for life.  Also, it is doable.  
It should be feasible for any school or church to raise $500-$1000 and 
make a very real difference in the life of  those Iraqi students.  It 
would be nice if our RE kids and others could be involved in this 
effort. Our country has done so much that harms the lives of the Iraqi 
people and their children, wouldn't it be nice to do something to help 
them in this very real way?

Is anyone interested?
Carole