The family moved
to Kirkuk in northern Iraq to escape the increasing violence they saw
in their neighbourhood but on 27 August 2006, he was knocked down by a
speeding car as he crossed a road.
He died at the scene of the accident in front of his mother.
Young Breadwinner
Mohammed was seven years old when his father died and he had to start
working to provide for the family. There was no choice; the family had
to pay a rent of US$ 75 a month for their home.
He started selling sweets in his neighbourhood and then found work as a blacksmith in a workshop near his home.
Despite
the pressures on him, Mohammed continued his studies. He was a clever
boy and did well at school, always finishing his homework after his day
at the workshop.
IR's orphans officer
remembers Mohammed's happiness when he was registered for sponsorship.
"He smiled at me saying, 'I cannot believe that you will sponsor me. I
will be able to stop working and play with my friends in the
afternoons."
Internally Displaced
Mohammed lived with his two sisters and their mother in a small rented
flat in one of the poorest and most violent neighbourhoods of Baghdad.
As armed clashes in their neighbourhood increased in ferocity they left
the city and moved north to live with an aunt in Kirkuk.
The
family became one of the estimated 1.9 million Iraqis that are
currently internally displaced. A further 2 million people have fled
the country completely.
Nightingale
Mohammed's neighbours liked him very much. He used to pray at a local
mosque and had a talent for reciting the Holy Qur'an. His friends
nicknamed him 'the mosque's nightingale' because of his sweet voice.
He loved the mosque and would help his mother clean it every week.
Back to Baghdad
Since Mohammed's death, his mother and two sisters have returned to
Baghdad, but they are still struggling to cope with their loss.
"The
light of our house went out," said Mohammed’s mother. "We cannot
believe that we have lost our little son and our only breadwinner at
the same time."
Maram
Maram holds up a picture of Mohammed
IR supported the family through its Orphans General Fund until a UK
sponsor was found for Mohammed’s sister, Maram.
IR
continues to work in Iraq despite the difficulties of operating in an
increasingly violent environment. One-to-one sponsorships began in 2004
and there are almost 1,000 sponsored orphans in Iraq.