Driven by Curiosity…

I won’t dance around the bush, because I am actually writing to get more people involved J ya3ni we can say begging call. Ok, I’m growing into the most shocking beggar!  My family doesn’t dare come visit me, because I demand BAKSHISH in such an unashamed manner when I serve the coffee.  Only I promise it is a good cause!

I am organizing a campaign for the orphans in Jordan. My interest in orphans started at a very early age, probably because of all the wretched TV cartoon series we grew up watching such as Remi, Bell and Sebastian, Sandi Bell, Daddy Long legs, Sally, Bonbon!! For those who don’t remember he was a little dog who was looking for his mommy! If you notice, they are all miserable children who were the victims of orphanhood and loss and suffering, how am I supposed not to be affected?!

Few months ago, I met Laith in a small bloggers meet up. Laith and I immediately started talking about possible cooperation opportunities between his organization Jeeran and my organization Tatawor. On the course of the last few months, we devised a plan to help the orphans in Amman. We started with wanting to bring them toys, thinking that this is what they need. However when Widad, Hala and myself started researching the actual needs of the orphans, we realized that it is not toys at all… what they need is a mother apiece to give them the individual attention they ought to have! But unfortunately in our case we can’t provide that, we can’t just buy mommies from some shelf in Cozmo. Thank God the children’s were reasonable in their demands, because we can provide them with what they asked for

1.      Chocolate, chips, candy, biscuits (that was what the majority asked for, PLEASE PLEASE buy a big bag… I promise it won’t cost much! Or a chocolate box, that will make 24 kids very happy, ecstatic as a matter of fact!!!) 

2.watches for the boys who are older than 15 years and accessories for the girls

3. cars for the little boys and Fulla dolls for the little girlies

4.      MONEY (to buy the missing stuff)

5. Books and movies for the orphanage itself (preferably in Arabic)

And so started my campaign, I started harassing my friends, only most of them turned out to be stingy bastards! And by now they all know how to ignore my puppy look when I beg!! But one person told the other and people started donating… so far someone gave me 10 watches for my boys…bless him I need maybe another 30… they can be bough very cheaply by the way, down to 3 dinars!! That would do Who is being pushy?!. So if you have old watches that are fit for teenager boys, please don’t wait, another person gave me 10 DVDs for the children… so if you have Disney videos… I am waiting for you! 

But the best thing that happened to me…today an old bitter mean woman in my family has heard
 about my campaign and she came to visit us… as usual I tried to get out of it, but she sat me there
and gave me around 1 hour talk, mostly to criticize my curly hair and too relaxed clothing! 
(She even asked me to use fair and lovely to become whiter! She saw that silly add on TV) 
When I managed to leave the living room, she surprised me with 5 JDs! Bless her heart!   

Did I say she is mean? I take it back!  
Did I say she is and old bitter woman? I definitely take it back! 
She is a lamb! I was so touched by her 5JDs, I gave her a big kiss, before I snatched them out of 
her hand and ran out of the room as fast as I could!I am hoping to get enough money to buy a fulla 
for every little girl.  

The point is People, if you feel like giving… PLEASE PLEASE remember me!  

You can have more information about the campaign on the blog that was gratefully 
created by Jeeran…   
 
The address is Swefieh, across the street from Lebnany Snak, near shalaty bookshop, Wa7a building2
first floor, office number 106-107. Phone number 5825593
   

Comments(11)

I have been inspired to write about this topic by the circumcision of my poor nephew! The experience was very traumatic for me! Well… Jad was born twenty days ago, he is a perfect boy and he is very cute as well. Behind the back of every proud parent, I always say that when their children are born, they look like mice! They honestly do, they are wrinkled and flat and yellow and ugly and their hair is spiky and thin but jad looks like an angel! Of course the other kid that looked like an angel is Nizar… who happens to be my other nephew!

After the child was circumcized, he was supposed to get salt bath to make sure the skin will heal without any infections, my mother forced me to go with her to visit my sister and help her in bathing the baby… i just could not stand the agony the poor kid was going through after the shock of the birth which was not even ten days before… I am sure he was thinking, but i was happy inside why are they doing this to me?! first they get me from my dark, small safe world to this cold, big lit thing, but not only that, they deform me, and i am in so much pain! so i just sat in the balcony on the other sode of the house with my sister, who was as traumatized, leaving the procedure of bathing the child in a salty water to his grandmother and his father!!

Anyway, I have always been fascinated by the idea of circumcision… mainly because it is something that is practiced by Muslim and Jews around the world and by almost everyone in the Jordan regardless of their faith.  It is for sure one of the topics I don’t know what to think about. Circumcision is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but Muslims everywhere regard it as essential, and the Hadith record it as a practice enjoined by all past prophets. Significantly, it is also known by a euphemism: tahara, meaning “purification.