Jacksonville State University’s Books for Baghdad program will be shipping more than 19,000 books to Iraq today.Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani, an Iraqi-American who graduated from Baghdad University in 1977, founded the program more than two years ago.
Al-Hamdani visited Iraq four years ago, and was concerned to see that many of the books used were more than 30 years old.
“Iraq needs to provide more scholarships, and their training and resources are outdated,” Al-Hamdani explains. “They are in need, and in a constant state of turmoil. Most of their money and resources are being spent in areas besides education.”
Since the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq in the early 1990s, Iraq’s educational system, once the strongest in the Middle East, has been lacking in several areas.
Al-Hamdani, who says he “owes it to Iraq to help,” originally expected a small project, with the majority of the books collected by himself and his co-workers.
Instead, the Books for Baghdad program began receiving extensive media coverage. Over 200 networks have covered the program, including FOX, NBC, ABC, CNN, and the Associated Press. As a result, Al-Hamdani began receiving calls and donations from unexpected sources.
Eventually a goal of 5,000 books was set. That number was easily surpassed, as 11,000 books were sent to Baghdad University, along with other materials, in April of 2005.
Dr. Al-Hamdani says the response from Baghdad University after the first drive has been very gratifying. He received a Baghdad University Service Award, which was presented to his family in Iraq and broadcast throughout the country.
As a result of the success and response, a second book drive was scheduled. The goal of that drive was 10,000 books. Al-Hamdani said there was also an attempt to send about 50 computers, but that was put on hold because the donating colleges shared ownership of the computers with the state in which they were located.
The International Relief and Development Agency in Arlington, Va. has donated the shipping responsibility for Books for Baghdad. The books and other educational materials will be in two 20-foot containers, and sent to Iraq by ship.
The second drive received “90 percent new books” according to Al-Hamdani, and he feels that because of this success, the program should continue.
Donations made to Books for Baghdad are tax-deductible. Dr. Al-Hamdani can be reached by telephone at (256) 782-5801 or by e-mail at sah@jsu.edu.
