Following requests from the communities we serve; Nadia’s Initiative is taking a step beyond rebuilding the vital infrastructure that was damaged during ISIS’ genocidal campaign against the Yazidis in 2014.

The Initiative is placing an onus on reconstructing the very fabric of society in Sinjar by attending to the needs of returning Yazidis through education, water and sanitation, and women’s economic empowerment initiatives.

We are rebuilding Sinjar together with the community, as we invest in creating a brighter future for generations to come.

Women's empowerment

“My advice to all women is to rely on yourselves and work. We, too, can contribute to our community and provide for our families. Because I am a woman, many people were biased against me. They doubted my ability to succeed in my job. But I confronted those who opposed me and overcame all obstacles in my way. My business is thriving right now," says Suzan, a beneficiary of Nadia's Initiative's second women's business incubator.

The pre-conflict legacies of inadequate investment in gender-equal economic and social development, education, employment, and land rights impede Yazidi women's efforts to rebuild in Sinjar.

As part of Nadia’s Initiative’s programs to address these limitations for women in the region, we are building an integrated framework for women's economic empowerment based on their experiences, skills, and capacities.

This small business incubator program has directly helped 107 women rebuild their lives, reduce their economic marginalization, and reclaim their agency.

Watch here to learn about Shamy's kitchenware shop and here to learn about Laila's journey to establish a thriving agricultural business.

Wash

To meet the Sinjar region's critical demand for clean water, Nadia’s Initiative is rehabilitating the internal water networks in Dugure complex. A total of 7.1 kilometers of internal networks will be rehabilitated/constructed. Additional work done in Dugure includes the rehabilitation of two boreholes, two pump rooms, one electrical transformer, and a water pipe for connecting boreholes with water tanks.

This project will provide safe drinking water to over 8,359 residents of Dugure complex and is funded by UAE Aid.

Education

Access to education plays a crucial role in the long-term development and healing of communities recovering from genocide.

Nadia’s Initiative recently built and furnished Hayali Primary School in South Sinjar. Previously, students from Hayali had to be bussed long distances to other villages to attend school. Some students dropped out of school because it was too expensive and difficult to travel to other villages every day.

The Initiative is now working with the Sinjar Education Directorate to staff and reopen Hayali Primary School. Soon, 80 students in Hayali village will be able to access education in their own village.

Many Yazidi youth struggle to access higher education, as there are little to no opportunities within Sinjar. Those who can afford to, have to travel to other regions of Iraq to attend university. By working to restore access to higher education in Sinjar, Nadia’s Initiative is providing Yazidi youth with the chance to heal from the trauma of conflict and work toward brighter futures.

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