Wars, violence, conflict and persecution cause people to choose to flee their homes —- the very places where they should be able to feel safe…
That’s what happened to more than 65% of the Yazidi population in Sinjar because of a genocide by ISIS in August 2014, and more than 13 million Syrians because of Syria’s ongoing civil war that started in March 2012.
Today, more than half a million continue to reside in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq - in refugee camps, outskirts of urban areas and unfinished buildings. These are the communities we walk alongside.
Our Programs
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Surgical Projects - We partner with local hospitals and international medical teams to provide a range of surgeries and rehabilitation for displaced communities who are otherwise unable to access such services. Some of our regular services and past projects include orthopedic surgeries and physical therapy, cataract surgeries and provision of prescription eyeglasses, urogynecology surgeries, and cleft lip surgeries.
Dental Care - We operate a dental clinic, providing pro bono treatment to all who need them.
Community Health - We go upstream through health education programs, such as teaching mothers about developmental dysplasia of the hip and how to prevent it for their own children, as well as oral hygiene sessions for children and their parents.
FINANCIAL HEALTH
Emergency Relief - Fires, life-threatening illness and other shocks happen to families, and threaten to wipe out the little they already have. We support families through assistance in kind.
MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Individual Counseling - We provide counseling to those facing suicide risk, trauma and grief, and employ play therapy in our work with children. We provide psycho-social support to surgical patients and their caregivers.
Group Work - We run therapeutic group sessions and activities with young women to build their sense of worth, identity and purpose.
Training & Awareness - We equip locals and local NGOs through training on specialized topics, such as working with children, suicide awareness, listening skills, and trauma-informed medical care.
SOCIAL HEALTH
Education - We conduct engaging English classes for children through music, song and dance, English classes for youth, as well as online conversational English sessions. We also run Arabic literacy and numeracy classes for women.
Skills Development - We conduct computer programs, and are piloting remote work programs for youth.
Community Building - Our multi-purpose community hall hosts community events like festive celebrations and large-group awareness sessions, as well as medical screenings and volunteer-led activities. It also functions as a drop-in space for children before and after school, with a library corner and games corner.
Community Center
We run a community center within a camp, serving two camps of about 12-15,000 internally displaced persons. The center houses our dental clinic, and trailers for education programs, mental health and psycho-social support programs, and physical therapy/rehabilitation.
Our multi-purpose community hall hosts community events like festive celebrations, dance fitness classes, and large-group awareness sessions, as well as medical screenings. It also functions as a drop-in space for children before and after school.
The hall is made through the SuperAdobe method - an innovation using earth and sandbags, for greater sustainability, thermal lag and affordability.
An inclusive play space sits in the middle of our center, co-designed by children from the camp with Catalytic Action.
Media
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