January 5, 2023
News
The year 2022 was a fruitful one for Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq. We have supported thousands of people through grants, cash for work programmes and trainings in various fields to ensure the stability of local families and help them obtain livelihoods. We have also supported more than 23,000 children by distributing food baskets to schools. Follow along with us as we list the top five achievements of Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq in 2022.
1. We have improved the living conditions of more than 2,500 people in Duhok governorate
We were able to improve the safety and dignity of over 2,500 out-of-camp internally displaced people in the Shekhan and Sumel areas of Iraq's Kurdistan Region thanks to the Secours Catholique-Caritas France fund.
We secured shelter for the most vulnerable displaced people and we also supported them through our Cash for Work programme. This way, we were able to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, which included testing water supplies and upgrading latrines.
2. We provided school feeding for over 23,000 schoolgirls and boys
We provided food to nearly 23,000 schoolboys and girls in the governorates of Kirkuk and Ninewa, through our school feeding program, which we executed in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and with financial assistance from the Iraqi government. This activity is helping to reduce school dropout rates and raise awareness about the need to promote hygiene and consume nutritious food.
3. Around 400 women and men in Ninewa Governorate's Tel Afar region gained new skills
We provided 22-day vocational training in construction for 411 Iraqis (251 men and 160 women) from Kaser Mehrab and Qazel Qiow villages and Al-Ayyadhia sub-district. At the end of the training, participants participated in a construction-related apprenticeship to put what they learned during the training into practice.
4. We completed our largest project in Anbar in partnership with UNDP
We successfully completed our 14-month project financed by the UNDP to enhance resilience of vulnerable communities in Anbar, Heet District, by the end of June 2022. We assisted almost 2,600 people, 40% of whom were women, in recovering and strengthening their resilience through this programme by providing short- and medium-term employment possibilities. We also repaired public spaces through Cash for Work programmes for both men and women, distributed grants, provided capacity building in vocational and business management and job placement opportunities. As a result, this project provided participants with the skills they needed to achieve self-sufficiency, raise their own income and contribute to the local economy.
5. We have trained 678 farmers in Kirkuk and Ninewa
Caritas Czech Republic, in collaboration with UNDP, supported 314 local farmers in the Kirkuk governorate and 364 farmers in the Ninewa governorate by the end of December 2022.
Our activities included trainings of farmers, development and capacity-building. We also encouraged farmers to diversify their crops, advising them on improved agricultural methods, the impact of climate change and smart agriculture, pest control, and the susceptibility of some crops to diseases.
We are ready for 2023
Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq has done far more than what is written above in the last year. We are ready to carry on assisting vulnerable people in Iraq this year.
