Dartmouth students kick off the Iraqi Kids Project Friday, a charity drive that is asking students to donate possessions to needy families in the war-ravaged country in order to promote peace between civilians and soldiers. The goods will be collected through finals, packaged by ROTC cadet Liz Hunt '05 and Meredith Wilson '07, and sent to the 25th Infantry Division for distribution.
Hunt and Wilson will stay on campus through interim in order to make sure everything collected is shipped. With the goods to be hand-delivered to the poorest areas of Baghdad, Wilson said she hopes that trust will be built between the soldiers and citizens, promoting peace.
"We anticipate that this will help kids directly and will facilitate interaction in the community as soldiers materially aid the Iraqis whose neighborhoods they patrol and interact [with] in a positive way. Current soldiers have said programs such as this one help promote stability," Wilson said.
The drive has already collected over 500 pairs of brand-name shoes for children in Iraq. The project is asking for usable items that are still in good shape ranging from clothing to much needed sports equipment and even monetary donations. Though the drive is geared towards children, donations can be anything for families to use.
Hunt and Wilson do not want the event to become politicized, instead focusing solely on the need in Iraq. They said they hope all students will get involved, despite their feelings towards the war, and support the good-will that the stationed soldiers could create.
For Dartmouth students who are moving or graduating, Wilson said charities can help take some of the excess higher-quality clutter. Collection boxes are in the basement of dorm complexes as well as in Topside and at the Collis info desk.
"Currently we see a deeper seeded poverty present in Iraq than ever before. The best way to mitigate that poverty is for Dartmouth students to contribute whatever they can, including monetary funds," ROTC cadet Welton Chang '05 said.
The drive is sponsored by Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, ROTC and the Dean of the College's Office with cooperation from the Dartmouth Childcare Center.
