Erin Wilson 
It’s called Dream City, but today—unfinished and filled with displaced families seeking respite from the 117 degree heat—the name of this housing development seems painfully ironic.
Located in the Mosul corridor in northern Iraq, this residential complex had so much potential when plans were submitted to local authorities. But then ISIS showed up, the Iraqi economy tanked, work on the project stopped, and the community became a dream deferred.
But for 500 displaced families who currently call Dream City home, your strategic investment helped create a real refuge.
When we arrived at Dream City, to survey residents—to listen, to find out what they need most—we didn’t come empty-handed. It was a good thing, too.
As you watch the video below, the acute need for water in this place is revealed in the wave of panic that grows around the delivery truck—residents afraid of missing out on even small packages of water.
Clean water is essential for hundreds of thousands of displaced families in Iraq. It’s no different in Dream City. But gaining access to water is beyond the ability of families who’ve had to flee violence with nothing.
This is where you show up.
With a relatively modest investment of your money, a partnership with local authorities, and the services of local welders, we were able to provide clean water for these 500 displaced families.
You provided water tanks for Dream City—large plastic tanks which keep water clean and safe for drinking, set on bases that were welded together for a reasonable price by local welders. With the tanks in place, our great partners at IHAO negotiated with the municipal water authority to keep them full of water. This saved the cost of trucking potable water to the site daily.
This arrangement got clean water to people who desperately need it—not just for a day, but for every day they’re here.
Perhaps it’s not so hard to imagine this place as a real Dream City after all.
