Napoleon Pattoo
AAS-Iraq President

The Assyrian Aid Society - Iraq (AAS-I) was formally and officially established in the spring of 1991, growing from the core of the pre-war refugee relief organization. AAS-I was one of the very first humanitarian organizations in the region working and coordinating with the United Nations (UN) agencies just beginning their own local and international humanitarian work in Iraq. AAS-I cooperated with other international and local organizations as well. The humanitarian program of our society quickly expanded to include the distribution of the aid, food, and medicine, plus sending mobile medical clinics to the most remote villages. Village rehabilitation progams included providing agricultural tools and utilities that would provide income and independence, thus helping to maintain an Assyrian population in the Homeland.

As a principal goal AAS-I dedicated itself to accomplishing the teaching of our children in our Assyrian language. This plan required action at every level of the teaching process; specifically, providing the needed Assyrian curriculum books, the transportation of the students, the salaries of the lecturers, the costs of building and maintaining the dormitories, and more.

The Assyrian Aid Society-Iraq (AAS-I) was established after the first Gulf war in 1991.

The AAS-I Board of Directors consists of 17 members nominated and approved by a designated nominating committee. The Executive Committee, a sub-set of the full Board of Directors, administers the Society on a daily basis and conducts monthly meetings to make decisions on various activities of the organization.

The full Board of Directors convenes once each year to set policies, review annual reports, and nominate if needed new board members.

AAS-I Activities Report 2007

DEPARTMENT: RELIEF & AID

As it is known, since the foundation of AAS in 1991 as a result to the tragic conditions of our people and the economic blockage imposed on the area, the Relief and Aid Dept. started its work which was confined to the following sides:

1. The Relief Team: to assist the destroyed villages and the Internally Displaced People (IDPs).

2. The Medical Team: to assist patients and needy people in the remote villages.

3. Financial Aid: to assist people who are in need for operations outside the country.

4. Supporting the Civil Societies Organizations.

5. Supporting the athletic activities.

PROJECTS

1. Relief Program for Refugees & Needy Families:

Due to the poor security conditions in the cities of Baghdad and Mosul, the exodus of hundreds of families from the cities to the towns and villages in northern Iraq and the Nineveh Plain continued. As the number of displaced families is about five thousand families and the number continues to increase with time.

Hundreds of families left their homes to the northern villages and towns seeking security & peace, living with their mostly poor relatives and friends.

It was our humanitarian duty to support them when they were in a very need for any type of support; therefore, we have executed many relief programs in the last years.

These programs took place in Sapna, Zakho, Barwaribala area, Duhok City center and Nineveh Plain villages and towns, as:

1. Distributing food substances and blankets to (594) families in Duhok Governorate in coordination with SALT Foundation Inc from Holland. This program is still going on in 2008.

2. Distributing food substances and blankets to (500) families in Nineveh Plain in coordination with the International Medical Corp. (IMC).

3. Distributing food substances and blankets to (1100) families in Nineveh Plain in coordination with the Mercy Hands Organization.

4. Distributing basic house materials to (4783) families in Nineveh Plain, for two times, in coordination with the Qandel Organization from Sweden.

5. Distributing food substances and blankets to (1300) families in Nineveh Plain by AASI.

6. Distributing food substances and blankets and house materials to (130) families in Nineveh Plain in coordination with the Ministry of Immigration and the Internally Displaced People (IDPs)/ Nineveh Branch.

It's worth mentioning that our society will continue implementing these programs for 2008 to help needy and refugee families including distributing essential aids from our main office in Duhok city.

Our society presents different types of aids to needy families in different areas, according to applications presented to our society.

FUNDING:

• AAS of America

• AAS Australia

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg (Stuttgart) / Germany

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (Munich)/ Germany

• “Solidarity Group Tur Abdin and Northern Iraq” in Germany

• Qandeel Organization, Sweden.

• SALT Foundation Inc., Holland

• International Medical Corp. (IMC)

• Mercy Hands Organization

• Ministry of Immigration and Internally Displaced People (IDPs)

2. Medical and Therapeutic Assistance:

After the improvement of the conditions in the Northern Region, the Medical Field Tours were stopped, and this activity was limited to presenting therapeutic services to needy and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from our Charitable Pharmacies in:

• Sarsing.

• Alqush.

• Bartella.

• Tellisquf.

• Batnaye.

• Shekhan (which will be moved to Karemlesh).

3. Financial Aid Department

Hundreds of people benefited from financial aids, especially needy Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and patients who were in need to urgent operations.

FUNDING:

• Assyrian Aid Society of America.

• Assyrian Aid Society of Australia

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg (Stuttgart)/ Germany

• “Solidarity Group Tur Abdin and Northern Iraq” in Germany

AAS-I Activities- Nineveh Plain Branch:

In addition to the food substances that AAS-I \ Nineveh Branch distributed to the displaced families in the villages and towns of Nineveh Plain which included: Baghdeda, Baretla, Karemlis, Baa'shiqa, Bahzani, Telkif, Batnaye, Bequpa, Telisquf, Sharafiya, Alqush, Einsifni…..etc and other surrounded villages, the following performances were done by AAS-I:

1. Offering financial assistance and food substances to the harmed families living in Nineveh Plain (widows and old people).

2. Distributing food substances to some displaced families in coordination with the Migration and Displaced Bureau in Mosul under the supervision of AAS-I.

3. Distributing beds and other food substances in coordination with the International Medical Corp. (IMC) to some displaced families under the supervision of AAS-I\ Nineveh Branch.

4. Distributing beds and other food substances in coordination with the (Qandel) organization to some displaced families under the supervision of AAS-I\ Nineveh Branch.

5. Organizing the records and files of the displaced families to facilitate transferring their ration cards from the unsafe governorates by the Migration and Displaced Bureau.

6. In coordination with Migration and Displaced Bureau in Mosul, the AAS-I undertook:

a. Transferring Health Cards for those who suffer from chronic diseases to their new living places.

b. Transferring retiree cards to their new living placed.

7. Supporting the activities of Assyrian Women Union in Nineveh Plain.

DEPARTMENT: CONSTRUCTION

PROJECTS:

Assyrian Cultural Center Building (first floor)

Since the founding of the center in the early 1990s, a plot of land has been allocated to build a special building for this purpose, and with the support of some national institutions in the Diaspora, particularly in the United States.

Only a parking lot had been built (the basement), which was, until recently,  used for the Center's activities. After that a big Hall was built.

The two main floors of the building were not built waiting for support to be completed.

Therefore, we feel at least the first floor of the main building to be built in the completion of the Center's activities and cultural functions, especially now, with the important role in helping and leading of similar cultural centers in villages and towns in Nineveh Plain.

Therefore, we have tried our best to allocate the support given to this project.

The Project:

Starting of this project was in Mar. 17, 2006 .

The total area is: 300 m2

Consisting of five rooms (administration, magazine, library, finance and secretary rooms) with long corridor, kitchen, bathroom …etc

The project was opened by AASI President, Mr. Napoleon G. Patto and Father Horst Oberkampf from the Solidarity Group Tur Abdin and Northern Iraq in Germany/ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg (Stuttgart)/ Germany  in Oct. 5th, 2007.

FUNDING:

• AAS of America

DEPARTMENT: EDUCATION & TEACHING

1. Assyrian Primary Schools :

- AASI bears paying all transportation expenses of the Assyrian Primary Schools for (15) days of Sep. allover Iraq.

- Supporting Assyrian schools in Duhok, Erbil, Nineveh plain and Baghdad, including paying salaries to the lecturers, helping needy teachers, and providing some basic needs for the schools in addition to what the Ministry of Education is presenting to schools administrations, teachers and lectures.

- Sharing with Ministry of Education in covering the transportation expenses of all pupils and teachers in Duhok, Erbil

- Paying all the expenses of the Assyrian Schools in Nineveh Plain and Baghdad.

- Paying the expenses of Assyrian Teaching Committee in holding different types of educational activities. This support is for all the teaching season period.

- Paying the salaries of the cleaners in the Assyrian schools who are not officially employed by the government.

- Honoring all the superior pupils in all the Assyrian Primary Schools in special celebrations.

- Covering the shortage in the curriculums by printing (copying) hundreds of copies in our office.

- AASI undertakes the transportation expenses for the Primary schools in Duhok and Erbil until Ministry of Education will, THANKFULLY, pay them back at the end of the year.

2. Assyrian High Schools :

- AASI bears paying all transportation expenses of the Assyrian High Schools for the first two weeks of Sep. allover Iraq, as ministry of Education starts paying them from beginning of Oct.

- Paying monthly salaries to the lecturers, bonuses for teachers, plus pay salaries for the teachers who are not officially employed by the government.

- Sharing with Ministry of Education in covering the costs of transportation of the students and the teachers. This support is for all teaching season period.

- Paying transportation expenses of all the teachers and lecturers going from Duhok city center to the Assyrian High Schools outside the city (Zakho, Semel, Sarsing and Deralok high schools).

- Honoring all the superior students in all the schools in special celebrations.

- Sharing in covering the costs of training teachers in Duhok city.

- Covering the shortage in the curriculums by printing (copying) hundreds of copies in our office.

- Ministry of Education undertakes paying ($16) monthly/ student as transportation expenses and AASI covers the rest.

3. Dormitories:

- AASI covers the expenses of Housing and Feeding (118) students, most of them are Internally Displaced People (IDPs), especially from Nineveh Plain. In addition to (5) teachers. All are (123), including the Assyrian Education students.

- All the students living in these Dorms are studying in High schools and Universities.

- Undertaking the expenses of Food, Medication, Comforts and also giving financial aids to some needy according to their request.

4. Assyrian Schools in Nineveh Plain:

AAS-I is supporting the Assyrian Education Process in Nineveh Plain through:

• Transporting students of the Assyrian Schools in Baghdeda.

• Transporting students of the Assyrian Schools in Baretla.

• Transporting students of the Assyrian Schools in Telkif.

• Transporting students of the Assyrian Schools in Perozawa villages and suburbs to Einsifni.

• Paying monthly salaries to the lecturers in the Assyrian School in Baghdeda.

• Paying monthly salaries to the lecturers in the Assyrian School in Baretla.

• AAS-I had distributed bonus to the teachers, lecturers and supervisors of the Assyrian Education Process in Nineveh Plain.

This year, by a special fund from AAS-A,  tremendous celebrations were made in the occasion of Christmas and New Year for the Assyrian Primary Schools, in which AASI distributed gifts to the pupils who were filled with joy and happiness, as:

- To the pupils of 1st and 2nd stages of all the Primary Schools in Duhok City Center, (254) pupils in (4) schools.

- To the superior pupils of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th stages in Duhok City Center and the surrounded areas, (822) pupils in (22) schools.

- To all pupils of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th stages in Erbil, (140) pupils in (2) schools.

- To all pupils of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages in Nineveh Plain, (180) pupils for (4) schools, in Bartella, baghdeda, Telkef and ein sifni.

- To all pupils of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages in Baghdad, (35) pupils  for one school.

- To all pupils of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages in Kirkuk, for (600) pupils for (2) schools.

FUNDING:

• We depend in covering the teaching process costs mainly on AAS of America and AAS branches in Europe, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

• Evangelical Church in Rhineland (Düsseldorf) in Germany

• Evangelical Church in Westphalia (Bielefeld) in Germany,

• Evangelical Church in Germany (Hannover/ Berlin), EKD.

DEPARTMENT: SOCIAL

PROJECTS: Supporting Civil Societies

Assyrian Women Union:

• Continue supporting the Day Care Center in Erbil and Duhok.

• By a special fund from AASA, Ramail Daycare in Duhok and Damail Daycare in Erbil were able to buy two mini buses for transporting children.

• Supporting the activities of Assyrian Women Union in Nineveh Plain.

1. Chaldoassyrian Students & Youth Union:

• Support the Assyrian Student & Youth Union in achieving its different activities in Baghdad, Nineveh Plain, Erbil and Duhok.

• With the support of the Assyrian Aid Society, the ChaldoAssyrian Youth & Students Union- Duhok Branch the football championship of martyrs Ashur in Berwari Bala area in Jul. 11th.

• Holding the mini-football stadiums Championship of  martyr Piers in Nahla area  in Aug. 12th,  Duhok Branch

• Holding the mini-football stadiums Championship of martyr Samir in Deralok area in Jul. 7th.

• Holding the Sapna Football Championship in Mar. 3rd.

• Holding Narsai David football championship. Final match was held in Mar. 30th.

• Holding the Commencement Party for Duhok and Nineveh Universities in the Assyrian Cultural Center. It included distributing the AAS gift to the graduates and also to the superior students of the Assyrian Schools in the final stages (sixth-primary, third-secondary and sixth-high school).

• Holding a Charitable party in the Assyrian Cultural Center in Mar. 23rd.

• Supporting the activities of Chaldoassyrian Youth & Students Union in Nineveh Plain.

• Supporting the Chaldoassyrian conference held in Oct. 10th

FUNDING:

• AAS of America

• AAS of New Zealand

• “Solidarity Group Tur Abdin and Northern Iraq” in Germany

2. Other Societies:

• Supporting Cultural & Athletic Centers in achieving different types of their activities.

• Supporting Augen Manna Cultural Center in holding cultural activities.

• Covering the costs of the center celebration.

• Supporting the activities of Ogen Manna Cultural Center in Telkif, done by AAS-I \ Nineveh Plain Branch.

FUNDING:

• Assyrian Aid Society- Iraq.

Finally

Through this annual report, we, as Assyrian Aid Society of Iraq, would like to present our appreciation and thanks to all of our supporters (Assyrian Aid Societies worldwide, non-Assyrian Friends and Organizations), those who tried and are still trying to assist our Nation to stand and be powerful through its Education and Culture.