by Susan Griffith

The faces of children on cube-shaped boxes reminded people around campus that innocent children were victims in the war against Iraq.

Ashraf Sabe (left) and Mourad Ismail are pictured with boxes they stationed around campus to collect funds for UNICEF.

People dropped their dollars into these boxes during a humanitarian drive, organized by Mourad Ismail and Ashraf Sabe, CWRU incoming juniors.

They raised $5,200 for UNICEF's Emergency Iraq Relief Fund in about three weeks, exceeding their goal by almost 75 percent.

Originally thinking that $3,000 was a realistic goal, they hoped each student would donate a dollar to the effort.

They strategically placed the graphic boxes designed by Tom Rask from University Publications around campus offices and used them during events to capture attention to the plight of children and orphans in Iraq.

The effort brought together the talents of each student for this global service project. Sabe, a premed student from Canton, Ohio, and majoring in biology and psychology, says he has a strong desire to help mankind. Ismail, biochemistry major from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, is an avid follower of global politics.

Sabe says the combination of their existing strength created a strong team. He also notes that each comes from families that have instilled in them a strong sense that as individuals they are an integral part of a greater brotherhood of man that extends beyond boundaries of family, country, race or religion.

"Everyone is the same in God's eyes," says Sabe.

The fund-raising drive evolved from their activism with Ismail's organization of forums on Iraq in February and support for the Case for Peace group which opposed the war with the Iraq.

"We decided that we could be most effective by helping the innocent children and orphans in the war," says Ismail.

They researched humanitarian efforts. They found that UNICEF, in addition to providing food for children, also rebuilds water treatment plants and other infrastructures that support the basic needs of people.

Mourad praises the support their campaign received from the Office of the President and Provost and the Office of Student Activities as well as the student and campus groups of the Undergraduate Student Government, Pakistani Student's Association, Muslim Student's Association, the Observer, Hallinan Project, Share the Vision Committee, Catalyst, College Republicans, Global Nomads, Undergraduate Indian Student's Association, Middle Eastern Club, Persian Club and the Staff Advisory Council.

While Ismail and Sabe have ended the drive on campus, they continue to encourage people to donate through UNICEF's Web site at http://www.unicef.org.

 

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