Donate to the Iraq Emergency Response Fund

Dear Friend,

The number of emergencies around the world is growing. And many of them never make it onto the news. BAOR is working IRAQ globe, responding to the emergency needs of children in crises you know and in those you don’t, while also preparing for future emergencies.

BAORD and partners are stepping up work in anticipatory action, early warning, and preparedness, including child sensitive analysis of climatic and other risks, development and review of emergency scenarios, and anticipated response plans to strengthen response capacities in years to come.

With your generous support, BAORD is on the ground, delivering lifesaving aid in response to the iraq crisis.

In a time when the world is seeing more frequent, more extreme, and more prolonged emergencies, BAORD’s ability to respond with agility and speed is more important than ever. On behalf of the children and families caught in crisis, thank you for your valuable support.

In partnership,

Nafae

Dear partners and friends,

It has been 21 years since I was a volunteer for the Bothoor Alkhaer Organization for Relief and Development, in Iraq. Providing service, I have always found purpose here among the people. Iraq, at all levels, wants comprehensive development, defined and borne by the communities that benefit from sustainable initiatives. This principle embodies the mission of the Bothoor Alkhaer Organization for Relief and Development (BAORD).
Iraq has been plagued by conflict and its consequences since the early 1980s. The latest iteration was the conflict between the Iraq State and Daesh 2014 to 2017. Although, the territorial defeat of Daesh was achieved in December 2017, tension, and the potential for escalation persists. The displacement crisis is the most obvious consequence of the war. However, conditions to facilitate a sustainable return and reintegration of those displaced by the conflict are absent.

When ISIS took control in 2014, communities in 6 governorates of Mosul, Anbar, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Baghdad, and Bothoor Alkhaer faced unprecedented shock, pain, and loss. We have learned that our relationships determine our ability to help in recovery – our partnerships with people, with government and its agencies, and with personal and institutional stakeholders at home and abroad. We have learned that our BAORD identity, our teams, our unity and our systems, have enabled the extent of our service. We are as determined as ever to become better.

Today, we are still in the midst of rebuilding and providing psychological and social support to families, housing restoration, children’s assistance, social cohesion, livelihoods, food security, protection, education, women’s assistance, human rights. Stay with us, rejoin us, stay resilient, tell others, and continue the journey - and in every direction of Iraq we will see the bounty of people's full recovery and true prosperity - their dreams fulfilled.

We hope this newsletter inspires, conveys restoration after devastating loss, and the visions of community project that will come true after overwhelming heartbreak. We must continue and move forward together.

Nurturing resilience: Group-based psychosocial empowerment

At BAORD, our belief in the transformative potential of psychosocial empowerment has never been stronger. While we focus on rebuilding homes, infrastructure, social security, education, and undocumented children and youth, we recognize the paramount importance of nurturing the human spirit. In response, we adapted the IMAGINE participatory empowerment methodology, which has been applied over the years, to conduct a series of psychosocial workshops for women living in affected areas.

Three teams were formed dedicated to the psychosocial empowerment sessions, and each team consisted of two empowerment facilitators, a teacher, and a psychologist.

The essence of the IMAGINE methodology lies in personal discovery, which in turn leads to the identification of actions necessary for sustainable personal and societal growth. We witnessed firsthand how affected communities found solace in a shared understanding of their pain and the collective journey toward recovery.

By promoting a sense of belonging and unity, our psychosocial support enables communities to make informed decisions about their priorities and work together towards recovery.

Addressing the psychological impact of those affected is an integral part of our sustainable recovery efforts and an ongoing priority.

We have provided assistance to thousands of families, children, women, and youth. With your support, BAORD continues to provide assistance. Thank you for your support