In 2023, amidst a significant educational transition in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Judy Organization for Relief and Development (JORD), with the support of International Humanitarian Relief (IHR), initiated a project. The project aimed to assist children and parents in Domiz 1 refugee camp in navigating the challenges posed by the new education integration policy. This policy mandated a shift from Arabic to Kurdish as the primary language of instruction, necessitating additional support and resources for the successful integration of students and families into the main educational landscape.

Educational Courses for Language Enhancement
The project encompassed educational courses tailored specifically to enhance Kurdish language skills among children from grades 1-4, who were most affected by the integration policy. These courses were attended by 63 girls and 79 boys. Additionally, Kurdish exam preparation courses were provided for 5-6 grade children during the exam period. Responding to the children’s demand, 32 students participated in these courses.

Parental Involvement and Support
Recognizing the crucial role of parents in children’s education, efforts were made to teach basic Kurdish to parents. By empowering parents with language skills, they could better support their children’s learning at home. However, only 8 parents attended the course. To supplement the parental courses, special educational brochures containing basic Kurdish vocabulary used in their Kurdish, Math, Science, and Sociology books were designed and distributed. A total of 25 brochures were provided to the parents of children attending the Kurdish courses.

Awareness Sessions on Education Importance
In addition, awareness sessions were conducted at the center on the “Importance of Education.” These sessions aimed to educate children about the benefits of education and inspire them to pursue their academic goals.

In summary, the project targeted assisting children and parents most affected by the new refugee integration policy in Domiz 1 refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Some of the comments by our Beneficiaries:

“As a student in second grade, I used to study in Arabic language and now I have to study in Kurdish, it was very hard and I had to study much harder to keep my good grades, I came to this course and benefited a lot, I would like to thank my teachers and Judy organization for this course”.

Lava Hassan, 9 years old

“When my son entered the Kurdish language learning course, his language skills improved remarkably. His reading and writing in Kurdish became much better. The course was beneficial for him in that it made him self-reliant in terms of reading and writing”.

A parent

“My child couldn’t read or write before attending the Kurdish language course, but he learned the basics of the language, including letters and words, which helped him to improve significantly. Moreover, he enjoyed attending the course, and its supportive environment made him disciplined and eager to learn”.

A parent