Dateline ACT
Iran
02/04
Bam
residents must find ways to begin life anew
By
Chris Herlinger Church World Service/ACT International
January 12, 2004 Bam, Iran--To the first-time visitor to Bam, what
is striking is the sheer scale of destruction from a mere 13-second
event. It flattened some buildings and caused others to teeter
on their sides like accordions, ready to spring out and collapse. It laid ruin an ancient citadel that was one of Iran’s
most prominent monuments and tourist destinations - forever altering
a community of 80,000 that had once prided itself on its stability and
relative economic prosperity.  And
it forever changed lives of Bam residents like Shahnazy, Mariam Jahanabady
and Shamsali Seieady - each of whom must now rebuild shattered worlds.
Shahnazy, a school principal, limped from a broken foot
as she spoke outside of a tent - now home to her and her extended family
and only yards away from her destroyed home. She spoke as another woman
nearby wailed, crying about her losses. In many ways Shahnazy is lucky - she, her husband and
daughter survived. But she lost numerous extended relatives and the
indignities of living in a tent on a street are proving wearying. Down the street, Mariam Jahanabady and her two daughters,
her sister and brother find themselves, too, living in a crowded tent.  Mariam
finds herself suddenly widowed - bereft of her husband and at least
eight other relatives - and with no means of support. Aside from worrying
about immediate needs, Mariam finds herself worried about schooling
for her daughters.
Long-term concerns are the pressing concerns of Shamsali
Seieady, who finds himself now selling cigarettes on the street with
his brother-in-law, Hasan. Seieady, 42, takes several visitors to his one-time workshop,
the base of a small store which was looted after the earthquake. The detritus of a life - the stray photograph, report
card, receipt - are stuck amid the rubble. Through dint of luck, he and other family members were
away at a wedding when the earthquake occurred. Now he must find a way
to begin a life anew. "I’m not in need of a tin of beans," he said, echoing
a common complaint among the survivors in Bam. "I’m willing to eat bread.
But I have a child and wife to support and need to move ahead." (For more information on the response to the disaster
by member of ACT International, please see: http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2004/upiran0104.html)
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