Fouad and Ahmed are from Baghdad. They have spent the last few years living as refugees in Damascus, Syria, having fled Iraq because of violence. They got scholarships to study in the US through the Iraqi Student Project. They will be Freshmen at colleges starting in September.

Richard and Matthew got to know Ahmed and Fouad while working in Damascus as volunteers for the Iraqi Student Project. Richard, originally from Philadelphia, now teaches Arabic in the States. Matthew, who is British, works as a project coordinator and English teacher for the Iraqi Student Project in Damascus.

We are doing this project on as shoestring a budget as possible. For our necessities, we are supported in part by a Trustman Fellowship from Harvard University to tell the stories of Iraqi refugees. We are not in immediate need of donations for the trip, but if we are passing through your town we would appreciate a halal meal or other in-kind donations. Further contributions should be directed to the Iraqi Student Project to support Fouad, Ahmed, and other deserving students in their studies.