Collateral Repair Project

Before I go on about my own travels, I should first tell you a bit more about the organization I came to work with here in Amman as well as my own motivations for interning with an organization that focuses on such a controversial issue. Collateral Repair Project (CRP) is "a grassroots movement, created to address the catastrophic displacement of five million Iraqis who have had to leave behind their homes and communities because of the violence and instability that is a result of the invasion ad occupation of their country"(http://www.collateralrepairproject.org/) . CRP is co-directed by Sasha Crow who is currently running the center in Amman and Mary Madsen who is based out of the United States and uses her presence there to do everything from coordinating local events, to managing the organization's books, to maintaining CRP's website. The Jordan office is located in an relatively impoverished town called Hashmi Shamali in the Eastern part of Amman. The center itself is the bottom floor of a two story building that Sasha rents from the owners who live above. The center consists of a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a distribution room, and an activity room. During my time at CRP, I am using the activity for my bedroom and then moving my stuff into a closet in order to transform the room back into its normal state. I am more privileged than most to be staying in such a beautiful place with the rare comfort of fans at my disposal, but am also immensely grateful to be sharing this building and community with so many Iraqis who value CRP and Sasha's presence as a safe haven from all of their struggles, past and present.

Political beliefs aside, my main desire to with Sasha and with CRP was to understand the entire story from start to finish. While I think it is safe to assume that most reading this blog are familiar with the first half of the story, the concept of U.S. soldiers being deployed to Iraq (even if one does not fully understand why), it was my intention to get to to know and learn from those effected by the second half of the story. One in every five Iraqis is displaced (both internally and externally), of which nearly 500,000 have fled to Jordan and others to the neighboring countries of Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon.

Although I could easily write a list containing the numerous projects CRP has taken on to serve the Iraqi community, I find that my daily experiences and sharing of Iraqi stories are better suited to convey the personal and emotional message that has slowly but completely taken over my heart. That said, I hope that this blog will serve not only as a literary expression of my own experiences and emotional growth abroad, but as a voice for those who need it most. Iraqis, Palestinians, or Jordanians. Everyone has a story that has not yet been heard, and it is the sharing and understanding of these unique narratives that lay a foundation for mutual understanding.