Contents: Foreword: Disclaimer:

Transcription

1

2 Contents: Contents, Forward & Disclaimer - Page 1 International Women s Day at QANDIL - Page 2 A Roundup of Activities in Duhok - Page 3 Infographic of QANDIL Page 5 A Roundup of Activities in Sulaymaniah - Page 7 Studying for Success - Page 9 Launch of New GIZ project - Page 10 International Women s Day was on March 8th and QANDIL supported Outreach Volunteers across Duhok, who organized a series of events with the local community. Messages of solidarity with other events around the world were encapsulated by the sharing of the hashtag BeBoldForChange. Some groups created and then performed plays with messages of empowerment for women in the community. The two photos above show a boy in Zakho who read a poem at the event emphasising women s strength and participants in a play in Domiz 2, whereas the three photos below are of one participant in Domiz 2, a female community leader in Bersive 1 and three women sharing their own message of strength translated from Arabic it means Because I am a human being I have the same rights as you! Foreword: Thank you for taking the time to read this, the first QANDIL Newsletter of This issue will provide a round-up of the activities of the organization from 2016, as well as noting events from the start of this year. The publication of the Newsletter will occur quarterly and will attempt to provide an overview of the current projects of the organization. In the intervening periods more information about the activities of QANDIL as well as individual stories from some of the people the organization serves, or perspectives from staff, will be published online, as well as shared over social media on Facebook and Twitter, the addresses of which can be found on the cover of this Newsletter. It should be noted that each issue attempts to cover a variety of QANDIL s projects, but due to the breadth and scale of its operations it is impossible to cover every project in the sufficient depth deserved by the staff implementing that project. As a result, different issues will focus more on some projects than others, but will attempt to provide a space to highlight the achievements of every project across the course of the year. So please do read each issue to learn more about the organization as a whole, as well as the different communities that it seeks to support. Finally, it is worth noting that QANDIL strives to better develop its services throughout the course of the year. It is for this reason that the organization is constantly investing in staff development, through trainings organized internally and externally. These activities often occur in the background, but are worth mentioning as through the skills enhancement offered by staff internally as well as by external organizations, QANDIL ensures that it maintains a high standard of service delivery and remains up to date with best practices and standard operating procedures. In Erbil QANDIL staff conducted an awareness raising exercise on legal issues for participants the JORD Turaq Learning Center s Women s Day Event. The event istelf was organized by the learning center and Triangle GH. QANDIL would like to take this opportunity to thank JORD Turaq Learning Center for their invitation and for allowing us to use these photos for our publications. Disclaimer: Stories involving beneficiaries may have had names or locations altered to protect the identities of those featured. If more specific information is required on a person featured in a story or if you would like to work with QANDIL directly for journalistic purposes please contact communications@qandil.org directly, requests will be followed up on a case-by-case basis. Unless otherwise stated all photographs and content have been taken by QANDIL staff and are therefore the property of QANDIL organization. A number of staff contributed photographic content for this issue, if you have any questions or comments about a specific picture please contact communications@qandil.org. 1 2

3 It is a bright and clear March morning, with the sun shining over the Nargizlia IDP camp in the Duhok governorate. QANDIL teams are already at work here, meeting with partners, preparing for the potential arrival of thousands of IDP families. The information comes through it in fits and starts and everyone is a little on edge, but only because they understand the severity of the situation and want to make sure that every possible precaution is being taken. QANDIL is at the camp in a number of different capacities. The Outreach and Communications team are in Nargizlia to understand that protection issues that are likely to arise within the camp and to better position their messaging and materials to relay information clearly and concisely to IDPs when they arrive, representatives of QANDILs distribution teams are also at the camp, meeting with other NGOs, learning more about who are the main actors, liaising and informing camp management of QANDILs capacity and where it may be able to assist. It is clear from the meetings and from the interactions between the different actors that QANDILs staff present at the camp, are well respected. This respect may be because of the long term work QANDIL has done in Duhok, through its office here. Dotted throughout the landscape of Duhok are testaments to QANDILs past projects and indeed its continuing ones. One such project from 2016 was the renovation and upgrading of the water pumping station at Hezawa. This project is an example of a Quick Impact Project or QIP. Duhok completed a number of QIPs during 2016 and each has a very specific purpose and outcomes designed not just to help IDP and refugee communities, but to also to improve infrastructure more generally and provide services to host communities. The pumping station has been renovated so that it now provides water to over 213 IDP families, 30 refugee families and 958 host community families. The result of this project? Greater water security. If the communities can rely on stable resources for their own projects and initiatives then host communities, IDPs and refugees can work together without fear of scarcity to build sustainable initiatives in the future. Sometimes the natural resources are already in place for communities to work together, but other supports are needed to facilitate local life. Education is a clear example of this. Education can be key to helping communities integrate, work together and build common solutions to shared problems. Unfortunately in areas where conflict has not long ceased, education might have been interrupted, or the capacity may be lacking and materials may not be present. Again through the QIPs mechanism, QANDIL has been able to provide assistance. Following the conflict on and around Sinjar thousands of students had their education disrupted. Unfortunately the Kurdish Regional Government, struggling with an already strained education sector, could not provide the renovations to schools in the areas after they had become safe for civilians to return too. Sinone was one such sub-district where QANDIL was able to provide support, with the agreement of the Ministry of Education, the community and UNHCR. As a result of the repairs and renovations provided by QANDIL 3,083 students will have access to education. The returnees to these areas know that there is an inherent risk in heading back to places where conflict has only recently ceased, yet they are understandably eager to rebuild their lives and not be reliant on services outside of their community. By working closely with the communities, listening to what they need in terms of schooling and by monitoring and following up on the project s completion QANDIL hopes that it has provided some normalization in the lives of the students of Sinone. One of the most striking QIPs that the Duhok office has implemented in the past year has been the repairs to the weaving factory in the city and the subsequent training to 20 IDPs and refugees. The repairs to the factory centred on making the space more open, increasing the amount of light inside the factory and repairing the looms for the actual production of carpets and other materials. The women at the factory come from different communities, but together they produce incredibly detailed and beautiful wares in both modern and traditional styles. The weaving factory also provides the women a means of making money, meaning that they as IDPs area less reliant on external assistance. The items can be sold in the local economy, helping bring in money to Duhok more generally. The training was coordinated by QANDIL in partnership with UNHCR and a training company from Pakistan. Two women, Samira and Jiyan, who already had extensive experience in weaving were provided further training by an external company and QANDIL, in order to help them not only practise their skills but share their knowledge with others. These projects represent just some of the longer-term assistance that QANDIL is capable of providing, but they should not overshadow the critical work the Duhok office does every day in providing NFI distributions. In many cases it is from the distribution activities that people first become familiar with QANDIL. Saad, a Syrian refugee to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) and now a QANDIL employee, describes how he met QANDIL staff at Domiz camp in April During this time Saad explains that QANDIL was actually managing the camp at Domiz. Saad is now responsible for helping coordinate NFI distributions. He noted that his own experience made him want to continue in this work with QANDIL and that the hardest thing was seeing members of his own community arrive at the camps in Duhok, he said, I couldn t do anything to help them, like I was a member of QANDIL, but it was out of our hands. Despite the emotional challenges it is clear that Saad is very focused and he quickly shifts the discussion to how the distributions in the camp can be better managed highlighting that the assessment should be done in a good way so we can give the NFIs to the right people. QANDIL massively benefits from having persons such as Saad who have direct experience of being displaced and being refugees and who can offer advice to other staff on how best to support the communities QANDIL serves. Overall the Duhok office reflects the diversity of its projects, some staff are long term QANDIL employees bringing a wealth of experience and commitment, others are international bringing their perspectives and training to local problems and yet more have direct experience of the issues effecting the region. Together the office works to implement projects that assist at every point of humanitarian intervention in KR-I, community developed responses for longer term impacts and sustainable solutions that may continually to positively affect the governorate long after the end of the project life-cycle. 3 4

4 QANDIL teams have provided assistance to thousandas of people across Kurdistan in These pages visualise just some of the organization s work from the past year. Note: PARC = Protection Assistance and Reintegration Centre. In 2017 QANDIL has expanded its programmes to include educational facilities at Debaga camp, increased support to Arbat refugee and IDP camps and greater activities conducted by both Outreach Teams in Duhok and Erbil, amongst other things. QANDIL is also effectively responding to the ongoing situation in Mosul, monitoring events closely and responding with appropriate measures. This work would not be possible without the generous contributions of QANDIL s partners. In particular QANDIL would like to thank UNHCR for its continuous support throughout A short thank you as well to all staff who contributed the data for this page from across all of QANDIL s offices. For more information on this data and other QANDIL activities please go to follow us; on and Facebook Qandil1991, or contact communications@qandil.org. 5 6

5 Arriving in Arbat IDP camp is very different from arriving in Nargizlia in Duhok, or even Debaga in Erbil. The camp is well established, managed by the Joint Crises Coordination Centre and all around there are signs that people are much freer than in other locations. The camp boasts schools, shops and emergency medical facilities, as well as a sports area. Despite the relative nicety of the camp, it is impossible to forget that the people here, mainly from Yethrib in Salahaddin, left much or everything, they once had behind when they fled their homes in QANDIL has been present in Arbat IDP camp since 2015, providing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. Between September 2015 and March 2016 QANDIL was responsible for distributing water to large centrally located water tanks, where IDPs could fill up their own smaller water containers from taps, or simply use the tap directly for washing, cooking, etc. In a new development however the camp s water will now be supplied directly to taps within the tents so that each one will have water 20 minutes a day. This may not seem like much, but even this is more convenient in terms of gathering and storing water than the centralized tap system. Although the method of water delivery and storage within Arbat will change, QANDIL will still be responsible for maintaining the supply within the camp, ensuring that the piping systems are working and checking the water PH and bacteria levels to make sure it is always safe for consumption. QANDIL will also provide maintenance assistance for the latrines and showers in Arbat making sure that the 2,099 individuals currently residing there have continuous access to basic utilities. Therefore, rather than refugees relying on NGOs and the government to repair their tents or create new spaces for commerce within the camp, they can do a lot of the work themselves. QANDIL staff can provide technical advice and will be organizing trainings on electrical engineering, plumbing and other skills, but will only step in when asked by the refugees themselves. The service has proved very popular with 116 people taking advantage of the centre in February alone. The skills that people learn and use to create better spaces for themselves will also be useful when they return to their areas of origin and want to rebuild their communities. Outside of the camps the QANDIL Sulaymaniah office also provides a large amount of support to the infrastructure within the governorate, particularly in the education sector. Throughout 2016 QANDIL developed a close working relationship with the Ministry of Education and is providing renovations and adaptations to eight schools, which have pupils from a broad range of backgrounds including refugees, IDPs and host community members. While all the repair work at the school is important, one of the key parts of the project has been to increase access to students with special physical requirements. In one school, Afreen, this meant replacing the access ways to the bathrooms so that there were WCs for the children to use, in Harem it meant constructing a level concrete entrance to the school so that wheelchairs can move around easily and safely. Engaging with the community is important for the team in Arbat, as one of the continuous issues in the camp is the blocking of drainage channels. Most of the time this is due to rain, snow, or other weather conditions and QANDIL makes sure that such debris is cleaned from the channels every day to ensure that there is no build of stagnant or dirty water that may cause disease or other health issues. Once in a while however a drainage channel gets blocked due to a build-up of rubbish, or a parked car collapsing a pipe, it is during these moments that the hygiene awareness mobilisers at Arbat are critical. Currently QANDIL has three mobilisers who go tent-to-tent everyday, making sure that the community is fully informed on the latest hygiene information in the camp such as if there are any problems in the water supply. It is also the responsibility of these mobilisers to work with members of the community in focus group discussions and through other activities to help develop communal solutions to problems within the camp. By facilitating the discussions QANDIL provides a space where the different members of camp can air their grievances, but more importantly where IDPs can design their own activities to keep Arbat clean and free from disease. Located near Arbat IDP camp is Arbat refugee camp. It is home to between 7,500 8,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees and similar to the IDP camp it has quite a high level of service provision. QANDIL provides the same activities as in the IDP camp conducting WASH activities in public areas, but there are also some differences, most noticeably managing the tool loan and workshop area. This simple storage shed contains thousands of dollars-worth of high calibre tools for all areas of camp maintenance and upgrade. The education project in Sulaymaniah does not just stop with school renovations however, QANDIL in cooperation with the Ministry of Education is also helping to train teachers, run sports activities and setup Parent Teacher Assosciations (PTA) within the schools that are renovated. It is hoped that these activities, combined with a back-to-school campaign will increase the number of students enrolling and remaining within education and there is evidence it is working. Peshtiwan Khazi Muhammed, a head-teacher at Afreen told QANDIL that at the end of 2015 almost 50% of the students at the school left and did not return in 2016, however since the PTA formed and the parents began to receive regular information from the school and were able to take part in the decision making process that number has decreased to 3% between 2016 and This is a significant change and several parents noted it was because of the PTA that they wanted their children continue their schooling at Afreen due to the regular information received and them feeling involved with decisions at the school. Another success story at the schools has been the hiring of social workers and increasing the capacity of the staff at the school to better recognise and facilitate the teaching of students with learning difficulties. Rania Osman, a social worker, described how she regularly visits families following the school day to check on their home environment and to work with parents to provide the best opportunities for their children. She notes with joy that sometimes with particularly challening children she adopts some of their mannerisms when speaking to them, trying to illustrate how their behaviour may impact others ability to learn. It is clear that the extra support services available at the schools renovated by QANDIL are having a positive impact. Education is a vital resource across KR-I, helping break down boundaries and provide opportunities to future generations, however it is also a very sensitive area where issues such a psychological trauma and subsequent learning difficulties can be obstacles to children reaching their full potential. The PTAs, trainings and other support that QANDIL facilitates help to bring awareness to these issues so that solutions may be found together leading to sustainable outcomes. 7 8

6 The Mosul response continues and the effects of the fighting grow ever-wider. In February 2017 several QANDIL staff decided, upon their own initiative to help one group of people within the IDP camps, who had previously been forgotten in the response. University students. When thinking about education in crises contexts it can be easy to forget those who were once part of higher education institutions. One issue is that many educational resources inside the camps are focused on young children and providing a safe space for this very vulnerable group. It is clearly important that the youngest and most at risk persons in the camps receive support and services tailored to their needs, helping them to find some sense of normality amidst the chaos of displacement and conflict. However, the older children and young adults that now find themselves in camps are an important voice as well. Aram is a legal team leader for QANDIL in the Khabat office. He goes the camp almost every day and had been hearing stories such as Hussam s and Omed s. He began to make a list of the students who were in a similar situation until he had around one hundred students from across Hasan Sham U3, Hasan Sham M2 and Khazir M1 and then in coordination with his managers and UNHCR he began trying to coordinate their exit from the camp for the exam purposes. It was not easy, he had to coordinate with different parts of the Asayeesh and even the ISF who controlled parts of the roads to the university that had reached out to help in Bartella. Thankfully Al Noor University was very supportive and helped in every way it could as well, helping orientate and accommodate the students for their exams upon their arrival. Over the course of a few weeks all of the students who were part of the original list were able to complete their exams in various different subjects aided by the provision of transport to and from and the camp as well as the general organization by Aram and his team. Zina, a third year Arabic education student said finally that I want to dedicate my thanks and regards to them, meaning Aram the team and QANDIL more broadly. Thanks to the initiative of these staff in Khabat these students are at least able to continue part of their education despite all of the difficulties caused by the current situation. On February 15th the QANDIL- GIZ Debaga vocational skills project opened. The opening event was attended by Dr. Gerd Muller the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and Dr. Ali Sindi the Minister of Planning of the Kurdish Regional Government. It is many of these young adults who may soon be moving back to areas immediately post-conflict, perhaps now also as the heads of their households. They may be thinking of entering the workforce or indeed helping their families seek asylum in other countries abroad, both of which could benefit from their continuation in higher education. Omed Aleel, pictured above, is 23 years old. He is friendly warm and speaks English almost flawlessly. Omed comes from a neighbourhood just beside the fourth bridge in the western part of the city. He was in the third year of his English degree at Mosul University in 2014 when the city was attacked and then taken over. Omed was due to take his final exams and graduate and from the sounds of his speaking he would have done very well, but these options were denied to him in the city. He says that although the university was closed at first, the new authorities in the city soon reopened it and he added he thinks it was to say that we [ISIS] can also be authority right here and we also can open the university for students. The Iraqi government refused to recognize any of the qualifications given by Mosul University during this period and many students including Omed, decided that it was not worth the risk to carry on attending. For Hussam it was a similar story he stopped studying following the university s closure. Hussam had been studying education and history at Mosul University. He now lives in Hasansham IDP camp where he first met QANDIL s teams providing protection monitoring, community assistance and legal aid. Hussam and Omed had both approached the Asayeesh asking whether or not they may be allowed to exit the camp to study at one of the local universities in Kurdistan. For both they just needed to complete their final exams and they felt sure they could do it if given the opportunity. Unfortunately the Asayeesh were only concerned with making sure that the young men would not be able to leave the camp and potentially stay in Erbil and so refused their requests. Since then 173 students have participated in the vocational skills centre with the first graduation ceremony being held on 16th March The skills offered at the centre include welding and electrical engineering which will be vital for the communities if they do decide to return to their places of origin as many of their former homes have been damaged by fighting. The centre is part of wider plan to create community capacity building within the Debaga camps. So far only the vocational skills centre is open, providing vital learning opportunities for people with an interest in learning a new skill or refreshing their knowledge of one that they already have. For many of the participants in the course the real advantage to the vocational centre is the Knowledge-About-Business course which helps provide IDPs with knowledge on how to make their skills more marketable in the local economy. It is hoped through the trainings and through the increased business knowledge that that participants will be able to generate incomes for themselves and contribute to the markets around them. It is clear from the centre itself that the IDPs are enjoying the new centre. When it opened the containers were plain spaces with banners denoting names and contributions by QANDIL and GIZ, now it is the IDPs who are decorating the space. The painting course uses the flat surfaces of the containers to illustrate different techniques and have decided to decorate features of the centre such as the water tower. The QANDIL trainers encourage these designs and no matter where you look there are examples of the creativity and ingenuity of the participants. On the graduation day the team celebrates with the students, sharing the joy of their success and taking a moment of respite during this very busy period. One of the students who recently graduated is Mohammed Salh, who informed the team at Debaga that he has recently found a job welding at a building site in a nearby village. He was from Makhmour and has been displaced approximately 3 years. Muhammad had very little prior knowledge of welding and the majority of his learning was gained at the centre. In his own words Muhammad said this training gives me good opportunities for the future, to have a stable and long term occupation. 9 10