Four years after terrorist attacks on the Yazidi people, villages remain shattered and insecure. Returning soon is not an option for the 100 families GHNI is working with. Children of these families living in Northern Iraq haven't been able to go to school for 4 years. The government has opened a school for refugees, but many of the camps are too far away. GHNI is raising funds to purchase minibuses that a local organization will own and use to transport the Yazidi children to school.
Of the many problems that continue among the Yazidi families are lack of access to education and work. Many children have not been able to attend school for 4 years, which causes a huge learning gap and hinders their future potential for work. The school for Yazidi refugees is too far away, so the families that GHNI works with need a reliable form of transportation.
The government in Northern Iraq has opened schools for the refugee families, but they still have to purchase school supplies and get their children to school, which is a significant financial burden. To solve this problem we plan to purchase 3 mini-buses, one for each camp, which would be used to take the children to and from school. During the "off" hours, the vehicles will be used to provide income sources for families, such as taxis or by providing transportation for adults to their jobs.
The families will provide at least 10% of the purchase price for each vehicle. Ownership will be managed by a local organization, who will provide for gas and maintenance, as well as oversee use of the buses. The buses will also provide income for Yazidi families through use as taxis. Education for children will lead to more promising futures, empowering everyone in these families.
