Bushra and Zeyad grew up in Iraq as neighbors and friends, both from large, loving families. Zeyad had graduated from the University of Baghdad with a civil engineering degree and started his own engineering company. They married in 2002 and bought a home in Baghdad, building a life together. Life was good. 

Bushra and Zeyad survived years of wars in Iraq: the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the Gulf War of 1990-1991, then "Operation Iraqi Freedom" from 2003-2011. Zeyad lost three brothers in the Gulf War.

Their first child, Zahra, was born by candlelight in 2005,  during the war. They still managed to have two more children in Iraq, Abdullah and Mohammed, before coming to the United States.

In December of 2014, Bushra, Zeyad, and their 3 children arrived in the U.S. via Jordan following an exodus from Iraq. they discovered that they had new challenges and that life in the U.S. was not easy.

In April of 2016, BPB begins mentoring their family.

In April 2017, BPB starts sponsoring the family and organizes a baby shower for Adam, their fourth child.

In December 2017, Bushra and Zeyad move their family to Indiana following a BPB hosted sendoff party. Here, they bought a co-op townhouse. 

In order to give Bushra, Zeyad and their four children the best possible chance to establish a stable home, work, grow, learn and find belonging in their new communities, BPB provided temporary rent assistance. This is key to the path to independence.

From January through April 2019, BPB assisted with citizenship test preparation, which was taken in April and awarded in May.

In December 2019, they returned to Iraq to extract their family. 

Bushra, Zeyad and their children were the focus of BPB's first annual video documentary, "Belonging." The making of the video was a journey in itself, allowing the family to remember and reflect on thier lives, their challenges and their accomplishments.

In 2020, they also sold their house in Baghdad and bought house in Indiana.

In 2021, they flipped their first house, then bought and renovated a second house. They were robbed, and sold their townhouse.

BBP tapers support, but continues to remain friends and provides help as needed. In 2022, they bought their third house

Bushra and Zeyad purchase a house nextdoor to theirs and they rent it out.

Zahra graduates from Indiana University in June, 2025. In August, 2025, Zahra gets accepted into PHD Chemistry Program from Indiana University.

Bushra and Zeyad open their own restaurant, "Sultan Shawarma" in South Bend located in the new International Fresh Market.

The restaurant is now called "Big Z Grill" is hugely successful and gets five stars. Abdullah, 20, is an undergraduate at Indiana University. Adam, 9, is in fourth grade. Mohammed, 17 is a senior in High School and is captain of the football team, placed at State in track and field, is on the wrestling team and has strong academics, too. He will enter college next year.