05/02/2003

Eight people are squatting in a former Ba’ath party office.  The first family is made up of a man, his 24-year-old wife (shown here), and their three children, all under the age of five.  The man, a former teacher had returned to teach at the local school, but there were no supplies or furniture in the school due to looting.  He has been told to help change the curriculum and make sure to teach the children morals and freedom.  His family was forced to leave their rental apartment because they had no money, and the war disrupted his wages.  Even if the teacher receives his salary, they still cannot afford to rent an apartment because of the high rate of inflation.  They do not have enough food, and the children only have the clothes on their backs.  The food in the market is too expensive for them to buy.  Medicine is also expensive.  In one horrible incident, their eight-month old baby fell in hot water and burned himself.  His wife had no money to take him to the hospital so she tried to heal the baby’s burns on her own.  The husband worries about security:  He explained, “Everyone can see into this place where we are and see my family and wife.  I do not feel safe for her.  It is not respectful.”