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30 September 2003 by Ammar Thabit in Baghdad The wedding hall is nicely decorated, balloons hang from the ceiling and music is filling the faces with joy. It is a different world to the one outside. There are no bombs, no destruction and no limitations. But this is no wedding being held at 10 o’ clock in the morning. Grown-ups are few and far between. Around 250 children fill the room with noisy pleasure. It would be a nightmare for some. But for the Iraqi Red Crescent volunteers it is lots of fun. The children have come from different kindergartens in Baghdad to attend the first children’s festival arranged by the Iraqi Red Crescent, with the support of the International Federation. “I believe this is a genuine step towards building a new image among the community and the best of it is that it starts from the roots,” says Liqa’a Abdul Zahra, a 28-year-old volunteer, as she feeds a piece of cake to young Lamya’a. Fifty volunteers have the task of trying to control the irresistible mass of excitement that draws everyone into its own world. Inevitably the adults melt in the warmth of these tiny smiles. In one corner, a group of volunteers and children sits on the ground trying to paint a dream. On the stage, to the amusement of the ladies, ten male volunteers are trying hard to impress with their dancing. “I can’t remember the last time I danced at a party,” shouts one, Nabil, over the sound of the DJ’s music. The event was the brainchild of Oscar Zuluaga, the Federation’s Organizational and Branch Development delegate. “Such an activity can yield many results: building the capacity of the branch, increasing visibility and awareness in the community and boosting volunteer commitment,” he explains. A group of 20 young men burst onto the stage and start to dance in unison. The children gaze at them with a smile. This is a new team that calls itself The Happy Family Team. “We are performing for the children and aiming to build a new generation by training them on computers, in languages and arts,” says team leader Safa’a Ead. “We volunteered for this festival as we are hoping to erase the memory of the bombs, the names of the warplanes and the sad events that are filling the minds of Iraqi children,” he adds. It is two o’clock in the afternoon and some of the children are already asleep. “It is time to wrap up, thank you for coming,” a voice announces. Colourful drawings fill the walls of the hall and tiny smiles are filling the eyes of the volunteers and the children, the seeds of any nation. It is a wedding after all. The wedding of innocence and humanity. Related links: Iraq: appeals and reports Make a donation |
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