Iraq (MNN)–In the days since the fall of Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands have been displaced in Kirkuk, Iraq. That translates to thousands of children living in refugee camp situations, without the basic neccessities.
When Buckner Orphan Care International’s Tiffany Taylor met with Kirkuk’s governor, she told him they were sending over ten thousand pairs of shoes for the orphans in the area. “He was just blown away when he saw the shoes about ready to leave, and could not believe that the people of America would care enough about his children to help him. So, it’s just going to be wonderful to meet that physical need. We’re going to be partnering with Iraqi children’s charity.”
Buckner’s humanitarian efforts in Iraq were spawned by Dallas, TX’s participation in the federal ‘Partners for Peace’ program through Sister Cities International.
Buckner announced its participation with the Dallas Sister Cities program last October, when the organization hosted Kirkuk Gov. Abdulrahman Mustafa Fatah and his entourage during a tour of its humanitarian aid warehouse and Buckner Children’s Home.
Taylor says while the shoes will be distributed by the military, the team is working to share the hope of Christ. “This donation is really going to help us open the doors there for a partnership with orphanages in Iraq, for us being able to tell the children that they are so loved by their heavenly Father. That’s a really exciting part of being able to send over so many shoes because it means more than ten thousand children hearing that they’re loved.”
