Helaal Ahmar pharmacy in Isfahan
In time for Noruz
By Kourosh Amiri
The Iranian
June 1997
As good fortune had it, I had the pleasure of visiting Iran during Noruz holidays. My main task was to take the generous donations that some of you had made for the needy children to Iran just in time for Noruz.
It was also my first chance to take a closer look at the organized effort, headed by Dr. Fatemi at Helaal Ahmar (Iranian Red Crescent organization) in Isfahan, in managing and distributing the funds which are currently responsible for supporting over 15 families with orphan kids.
I also received letters from four children from a family whose father died in a car accident and their mother has been incapable of working because of back inuries.
Letters:
[Mohammad Mousavi] [Ali Mousavi] [Raziyeh Mousavi] [Hossein Mousavi]
With the $1000 that I took with me to Iran, we were not only able to increase the monthly amount allocated to each child, but also to increase the number of children that were being covered through this effort.
An account was established specifically for the funds that will be sent from our donations to Iran (hopefully, on a regular basis) to allow better maintenance of records of all transactions.
Every single one of the children who are currently receiveing donations has a folder containing all relevant information including dates and exact amounts of the check receieved, a copy of their birth certificate, etc.
Once a year, a copy of all the folders, along with any letters of appreciation from the children will be compiled and sent to the U.S. for those of us who are interested in monitoring these children's progress.
I invite those of you who have plans for visiting Iran in the near future to set aside a little bit of time to visit the Helaal Ahmar pharmacy in Isfahan, and meet Dr. Fatemi and if possible, meet some of the kids. It is truly an uplifting experience to see the look of gratitude on their faces.
Your continued support will make a tremendous difference in the lives of these unfortunate children. Remember that dollars go a long way in Iran. For information on how you can help, send me an email at kourosh@8x8.com or contact me at:
Kourosh Amiri
8x8, Inc. 2445 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
Tel: 408-727-1885
Direct: 408-654-0987
