Judy Organization for Relief and Development, with support from Danich Church Aid (DCA) and funding from the Church of Sweden (CoS), launched Survivor and Community-Led Crisis Response (SCLR) initiatives in Erbil and Duhok in 2023.

The Idea of SCLR:
The SCLR approach acknowledges communities and survivors as primary responders to humanitarian crises. Developed based on research by Local to Global Protection (L2GP) and others, SCLR empowers survivors and community groups affected by crises, placing them at the forefront of response efforts.

Initiatives Mechanism:
SCLR initiatives entail collaborative efforts among donors, NGOs, volunteers, communities, government, and authorities to plan and execute initiatives in the field.

The mechanism and process of SCLR initiatives undertaken by Judy Organization for Relief and Development (JORD) in Erbil and Duhok governorates until December 2023 involved a series of steps. Initially, initiatives required approvals from local authorities, followed by coordination with community leaders. Capacity-building workshops focused on SCLR mechanisms, toolkits, and administrative processes. Community facilitators underwent training to grasp project goals and methodologies. Collaboration with government institutions and community groups was vital, with clear communication channels established for transparency. Community profiles assessed needs and identified active groups. Proposals were received and evaluated by the community itself, and selected groups were provided with support to implement initiatives, fostering community resilience. Ongoing capacity-building, technical support, and monitoring ensured the success and sustainability of SCLR initiatives in Erbil and Duhok.

Implemented Initiatives during 2023:

A total of 10 community initiatives were implemented in this project, making it the largest number of community initiatives ever implemented in a year by JORD. Furthermore, the initiatives focused on Domiz 1 and Domiz 2 camps in Duhok, and Daratu in Erbil. These initiatives were:

1. Numbering of Domiz 1 Residential Units – Implemented by the TBS volunteers group in Domiz 1.
2. Numbering of Domiz 2 Residential Units – Implemented by the Self-Sufficiency group in Domiz 2.
3. Streets Light Restoration – Implemented by the Peace group in Domiz 2.
4. Restoration of Mulla Mustafa Mosque – Implemented by the brothers group in Domiz 2.
5. Restoration of Derik School – Implemented by Derik school volunteers in Domiz 1.
6. Fence Restoration – Implemented by the Protection group in Domiz 2.
7. Increasing Control at Milla School – Implemented by Milla School Group in Daratu.
8. Kurdistan Park Restoration – Implemented by Safaryat Group in Daratu.
9. Restoration of SASAN School – Implemented by Sasan School Group in Daratu.
10. Restoration of Halabja School – Implemented by Halabja School Group in Daratu.

A total of 83 Volunteers formed these 10 groups, benefitting over 67,000 people from their communities.