In 2014, Sinjar district was attacked by the terrorist organization, ISIS. They began a genocide campaign against the Yazidi religious minority. The aftermaths were disastrous; more than five thousand men were brutally killed, more than six thousand women and girls were abducted and used for sex slavery by ISIS, and more than half a million Yazidis were forcibly displaced.
After the war is ended, and people began to return to their homeland, boredom and desperation dominated the area. The inhabitants needed a lot of support to relieve them from trauma and shock. Almost nowhere is found without rubble. Some people could not bear living in IDP camps anymore and returned to some other villages belonging to Sinjar district. However, it is undeniable that the sense of belonging was missing in the psyches of many returnees. Sinjar did not seem as it used to be. To address this issue, Sunrise NGO began to hold some activities aiming to promote social cohesion and provide mental and social support to the community members. The activities included opening a music course for the youth returnees from both genders. This is to fill the boring gap that covers their day, enabling them to socialize with each other and express their feelings. In addition, planting one hundred trees in a local part, main streets, and downtown area of Sinjar city. The process of planting the area was done with the cooperation of community members from different neighborhoods of Sinjar city. They began to find that what befall to them is not the end, and they can bring back life to their city again. Furthermore, Sunrise NGO organized a picnic for young members of the community. The purpose behind arranging this activity is to make these young people find themselves that they have the right to enjoy and socialize with each other again. Finally, Sunrise NGO launched a cleansing campaign in Sinjar city and distributed trash containers to the residents. Many inhabitants participated in the campaign. Again, different members of the community began to work on their city together. These programs provided an opportunity for differing members of the community to work and socialize together in a safe, clean environment, and be a part of peace building and coexistence campaign aiming to return the spirit of life to Sinjar.
Donor: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Location: Sinjar city, Sinjar district, Nineveh governorate, Iraq.
Total Number of
Beneficiaries: 154 (92 males & 62 females)
Ages: 14 – 45 years old.
Duration: 3 months.
