Caring, like family (2 of 6)

Often, Raghad drives the truck herself picking up donated furniture to furnish an apartment for a newly arriving refugee family. She cleans, sorts, unpacks, organizes – her calloused hands, which she tries to hide from George’s camera, betray the wounds of tireless hard work.“Sometimes I get angry,” Raghad admits, “I think I can’t take it anymore.” Seeing the toll this is taking on her health, family and friends have often asked her to take a break. “Stop, that’s enough,” they tell me. Like three weeks ago, when her knees were paining so much that she could hardly stand, her husband asked her to rest and not to drive. “Of course that didn’t stop me from doing many things,” Raghad says with her endearing laugh. "I did the whole preparation for the refugee bazaar from my couch,” she says smiling.She feels that the refugees are like her kids. She has five kids of her own, ranging in age from 19 to 27. “The way I have to advise my kids and look after their benefit, I have to look after the refugees too. Even if they don’t listen,” she says with a laugh.(2 of 6)Photo: George KolotovPlease support Raghad's efforts to care for the needs of refugee families by donating on Mozaic's website: http://www.mozaicinc.org