It seems like in many developing countries, groups like orphans and the elderly are almost forgotten about and little attention is paid to them. But not in Iraq. Here, the Kurdistan regional government and the United States Corps of Engineers clearly understand the importance of helping those in need in the Erbil area.

In the heart of the city stood a dilapidated orphanage built in the mid-1960s. The building was a mere structure for the orphans to call home. But in 2007, nearly 40 years after the orphanage opened, the KRG along with USACE closed down the facility, and paved way for a new center for orphans and the elderly, dubbed the Erbil orphanage & senior center.

“This is a packaged project consisting of an administration building, a multipurpose center and resident buildings,” said Younis Talib Jalal, the chief engineer behind the project.

What makes this a unique project is that the local government wanted to give the residents a home-like environment while they stay at the center, Jalal added.

Slated for completion at the beginning of September, the center will be able to provide care for up to 145 orphans and 60 elderly.

“Everything has been thoroughly planned out,” said Ganjeena Jalal Midhat, the project manager for the center. “As a people from Erbil, we like these projects, because they help the citizens.”

And helping the citizens of Erbil this center will do. Boys and girls will be able to interact with each other when using the multipurpose hall. The massive multistory structure will be the meeting point where children can let loose and enjoy themselves from acting in a play at the hall’s stage to getting creative in the art room.

But if they can’t find what they’re looking for inside the hall, then surely they will find it outside on the soccer field or at the pool.

“We talked to the [current orphanage] directors to see what they needed,” Midhat said. “They expressed the need for a swimming pool” so the children can cool off in the summer’s midday heat.

The center will definitely put a big smile on the faces of the elderly. Every detail has been refined to fit the needs of the residents, Jalal said.

The residence for the elderly is equipped with an entrance ramp, an elevator, and handrails to assist them when using the restrooms. The senior center is also staffed with nurses to assist the elderly when needed.

“This is a humanitarian project,” Midhat concluded. “This is a gift for our people.”

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Adam Blazak