War and Violence Life's First Lessons in Iraq

Jan. 25, 2007 — -- Beyond the numbers of bombs and bodies, there is a tragic reality in Iraq.

For a generation of kids growing up in Iraq, war, fear and violence are the only certainties in life.

Many will learn about gunfire before they learn much of anything else. In Iraq, the basics are luxuries -- food, schooling and medical care are by no means guaranteed.

ABC's Chris Cuomo found that the families in Iraq were just hoping to survive. Every mother worries about her kids, but in Baghdad, maternal concern takes on a new severity.

"We're scared of everything," said Jood Sati Al-Ali, a mother of three. "The fence is low. Someone may see them and kidnap them."

Children must stay close to home. Ali's children, like many, are often kept home from school.

"A rigged car may come up to the bus and explode or armed gangs may storm the bus and kidnap the children," she said.

The sad reality is that even if it were safe to go to school, many kids in Iraq couldn't afford to.

Murtaba, a boy who dropped out of school to support his family, shared a painful family story with Cuomo.

"I dropped out of school because my father was paralyzed by explosions," he said.

In the absence of school, kids are getting an education in harsher realities. The violence they see on a daily basis shows up in child's play -- some children videotape themselves in mock executions.

For a mother like Ali, it's just too much.

"There are so many things they are learning that we don't want them to know," she said.

Signs of Hope in Hospitals and Schools

Schools aren't the only basic need lacking in this war zone.

Finding proper medical care is difficult, too. Just getting to a hospital in Sadr City is risky.

Once inside, there are some positive signs. The Sadr City hospital's maternity ward is proof that there is a baby boom going on in Iraq.

There's also a hint of hope for schools. In areas where schooling is possible, classrooms have become an oasis. Charities like UNICEF are trying to open more schools for children that need them desperately.

Education may provide the only real antidote to the indoctrination of hate. Kids in Iraq still dream the sweet dreams of tomorrow, even if they're somewhat salted by the dangers of today.

"I want my country to be beautiful and safe with no explosions," one little girl told Cuomo.