In an effort to establish money-making alternatives for the residents there, Soldiers of "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment recently visited the village to provide much-needed contracts that will help 70 widows and farmers establish turkey farms, bee keeping houses and irrigation wells.

As the applicants signed their names to the contracts, Staff Sgt. Jon Kirkendall, a squad leader in "B" Co., from Portsmouth, Ohio, said he could see many of them finally feeling a glimmer of hope.

"These people are exactly who these programs are designed for," he said. "You can see many of them are desperate for a way to take care of their families. Hopefully, these projects can help them find a way to become self-sufficient."

According to Sgt. Brian Wilson, “B” Co., the three programs are perfect for the people they are helping, because they are designed to be self-sufficient enterprises that require very little work on the part of the applicants.

"Honey bees thrive in this area," said Wilson, a native of Elk Grove, Calif. "It will really just be a matter of the widows waiting for them to make honey and draining it off. The turkey applicants will receive 30 turkeys that will start reproducing a few months after they arrive. With the feed we will provide for the birds, all the applicants really have to do is feed their animals and wait."

While the cost of starting these projects isn't that high, Wilson said, the benefit could potentially be enormous.

"As long as the applicants are allowed to do what the program is designed for, I think they can all be self-sufficient," he said. "Obviously, not all 70 applicants will be successful, but even if ten make it, it will have been worthwhile."

Those ten may not have had much hope outside for the program, Wilson said.

"These programs are reaching a segment of Iraq that, traditionally, has had very few opportunities to support themselves and their families," he said.

As the applicants filed out of a small room, Wilson and Kirkendall gave each a handshake and wished them luck. Wilson told every applicant that they would be contacted around the first of next month to begin the delivery of their animals and equipment.

"It feels good to help folks," said Kirkendall. "You just hope that they all find a way to make it last and take care of their families."