A Long Overdue Reunion

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This is the tale of two Iraqi women who grew up in the same household but were separated and unaware of each other's whereabouts for 20 years. They finally met through the charitable work of one and the poverty of the other.

The first woman is me, Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO of Women for Women International; a group that serves women survivors of wars and helps them rebuild their lives. Radya Jerad is the second woman. She grew up with me both as my family's housemaid as well as my childhood friend. 20 years after our separation, Radya is a widow, a mother of 6, and an internally displaced person who joined the Women for Women International program in Karbala, Iraq. Through the program, we learned of each other's existence again and finally united. CNN captured that moment on video.

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