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Visitors from the German School Erbil
Last week, we were able to welcome high school students as well as their teachers from the German School Erbil at our school. They had begun collecting donations in kind towards the end of last year and wanted to hand them out to our students in person. Now, the time had finally come.
11. Feb 2026 Read more
A Breath of Fresh Air in Our Classrooms
A lot of things were happening over the last couple of days. We tidied up and thoroughly cleaned our classrooms and the walls got a new coat of paint. Thanks to the valuable support of Stiftung Entwicklungs-Zusammenarbeit Baden-Württemberg (SEZ), we were able to equip our classrooms with Smart Boards.
01. Feb 2026 Read more
Happy New Year!
From the bottom of our hearts, we'd like to wish all of you a healthy, happy and blessed new year.
05. Jan 2026 Read more
New Year's at Our Bridge
Together with our children, we said goodbye to the previous year in a very special way. There was laughter, games and celebration at Our Bridge - with many different game stations that provided joy, movement and community.
01. Jan 2026 Read more
A Moment of Warmth: Christmas Baking
This week, the Bundeswehr visited our school yet again and helped bake christmas biscuits together with our children.
30. Dec 2025 Read more
New Steps into the Future
This week, we were able to be part of a very special moment for our children: All of our 450 children received new, sturdy shoes!
24. Dec 2025 Read more
Christmas Packages for our Widows
30 widows are currently taking part in our daily knitting and sewing classes at our school. We accompany and support them continuosly: Our goal is to strenghten their independence, confidence and prospects.
16. Dec 2025 Read more
St. Nicholas has arrived!
Today was a very special day at our school: We were visited by St. Nicholas who let a lot of children's heart beat faster.
06. Dec 2025 Read more
World Children's Day
Today is a special day - World Children's Day, or more specifically, The International Day of Children's Rights. We celebrated this important day together with our students.
20. Nov 2025 Read more
The Tooth Fairy visits Our Bridge
On two separate weekends, were were lucky to welcome special visitors yet again: The german Bundeswehr came to visit. This time however, they arrived not only with tools, but with a tooth fairy!
08. Nov 2025 Read more
A Very Special Visit that Touched our Hearts
Last week, we were able to welcome a very special visitor: Ghazalleh (Dayka Xazal) Pakseresht, Xatar's mother. Giwar Hajabi (Xatar) is an especially meaningful supporter of ours because he helped us during a time when our vision was still being belittled.
06. Nov 2025 Read more
Upcycling: Turning Old into New
As you all know, the German Bundeswehr came by to build new furniture for our school corridor a few weeks ago. Instead of getting rid of our old furniture, we worked together with our students to give new life to it.
22. Sep 2025 Read more
The German Bundeswehr is Visiting
Working together for our children - A big 'Thank You' to the German Bundeswehr! A few months ago, the German Bundeswehr built beautiful tables and benches for our school hallways. Now, the soldiers have returned.
21. Sep 2025 Read more
Electing Class Representatives For The New School Year
We took an important step at the beginning of the new school year: Every student at our school was able to vote for a class representative. Through this election, we want to involve our children more strongly, hear their voices and actively incorporate them in everyday life at school.
31. Aug 2025 Read more
Anniversary! The Our Bridge School Turns Eight Years Old
Today, we were able to celebrate a very special anniversary: Our school turned eight years old. Eight years full of learning, hope and future - only made possible through your loyal support.
26. Aug 2025 Read more
In Remembrance of the Victims of August 3, 2014
Today. August 3. A day we will never forget. Today is the 11th anniversary of the genocide against the Yezidi.
03. Aug 2025 Read more
A Spontaneous Trip to the Zoo!
Last week, we surprised three of our classes with a very special surprise: A spontaneous trip to the zoo!
12. Jul 2025 Read more
In Memory of Giwar Hajabi
You encouraged me to be courageous, to dream even bigger. And now, you are gone - without ever expecting anything at all. How am I ever supposed to thank you, Giwar?
10. May 2025 Read more
Rolling Up Our Sleeves
Rolling up our sleeves for the children: Other than reading, there was a lot of screwing, sawing and hammering at our school last week, and all of it with a lot of heart.
07. May 2025 Read more
New Books for Our School Library
A special moment for our school: Last week, we had the pleasure of receiving some of the troops of the German Bundeswehr stationed in Erbil once again at our school. This time, they had a very special gift for us: New books for our school library!
06. May 2025 Read more
An Educational Workshop for Our Teachers
The highlight of last week was very special for us: An educational workshop for our teaching staff, carried out by the German school in Erbil.
03. May 2025 Read more
A Schoolfest with Fun, Games and Certificates
A very special day filled with pride, joy and community for our team and the children. A few weeks ago, our teachers participated in a workshop by the American University and CAPA and now it was finally time for them to receive their certificates.
11. Apr 2025 Read more
Our Youngest Explore the Digital World
Even our youngest students learn via our digital library how they can use the digital world to their advantage. This week in class 1C, it was time for a very special morning lesson: 'Who am I?'
26. Mar 2025 Read more
The World of Books
A book: A common object, a given for many people - for our children however, books are an entirely new world. This week, we took our youngest students on a special adventure: Exploring the world of books! Many of them had never held a book in their own hands before.
11. Mar 2025 Read more
International Women's Day
A meaningful surprise for our women: Today was a special day at our school. On the occasion of International Women's Day, we wanted to treat the 30 strong women that visit our school daily to a surprise.
08. Mar 2025 Read more
First Aid Workshop: Knowledge That Can Save Lives
There was another first aid workshop at our school today, this time for a different class. These workshops are of great meaning for our students as they live in refugee camps and are constantly being confronted with dangerous situations.
27. Feb 2025 Read more
AI in Classrooms: Workshop at AUK
Over the weekend, our teachers had the chance to participate in an interesting workshop at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK). We'd like to thank the team of CAPA for this valuable opportunity and their support!
26. Feb 2025 Read more
Great Company with Fun and Pizza
To the children's excitement, the Deutsche Bundeswehr visited us yet again last week! The children already knew some of the soldiers from previous visits which made their reunion even more precious.
19. Feb 2025 Read more
Animal Protection with Dr. Suleiman
This week, we welcomed a very special visitor at our school: Dr. Suleiman, a commited veterinarian who has been advocating for animal protection in Kurdistan, Iraq for many years.
13. Feb 2025 Read more
Working Together for a Green Future
Our raised beds in the refugee camp: A couple of weeks ago, we asked what you thought our children might possibly be building - now we would like to show you the result!
30. Dec 2024 Read more
Our Children Build Nest Boxes
A project with heart and purpose - Our children build nest boxes. A while ago, we asked you: What would you guess is our plan for wooden planks? Today, we are revealing the secret!
24. Nov 2024 Read more
Anniversary! The Our Bridge School Turns Seven Years Old
Seven years ago on August 26th, 2017, the doors to our orphanage in Northern Iraq opened - a refuge for children that had to flee from the horros of ISIS. Today, seven years later, we proudly look at our school which offers a home and education to more than 400 children daily.
24. Aug 2024 Read more
On the Day of the Environment
On the Day of the Environment, we also embarked on an impressive initiative together with our children. Alongside all the students in our school, we cleaned up the entire village from litter. Over 100 bags of trash were filled, and the village shone with renewed splendor.
05. Jun 2023 Read more
Annalena Baerbock's Inspiring Visit to Our Bridge Orphanage School in Iraq
There are moments in life that remind us that we are all connected, regardless of our geographical location or life circumstances. One such uplifting event recently took place when Annalena Baerbock, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Our Bridge, an orphanage school in Iraq that advocates for education and equal opportunities.
09. Mar 2023 Read more
Trip to the American University in Semel
Daring to look into the future
03. Apr 2022 Read more
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bohl as guest at Harman
School should constantly develop - The University of Tübingen supports us in this directly on site in Xanke! 
17. Mar 2022 Read more
Dancing with Majid Kessab at Harman
A role model you can touch: With Majid Kessab, it has been proven once again that childhood dreams can come true.
06. Mar 2022 Read more
Christmas
The end of the year is an exciting time
31. Dec 2021 Read more
Examination hour with Dr. Walid
Together with students of dentistry, the Kurdish dentist Dr. Walid visited our Harman Education Center:  The team was able to perform numerous dental checkups on the children and then make recommendations for further treatment.
08. Sep 2021 Read more
Mouth and nose protection production in Harman
The female workers at Harman have been through severely traumatizing life events and continue to suffer from the poor conditions in the camp. The team that produces the mouth-nose coverings is made up of women with a diversity of tragic biographies. They are women who were enslaved in IS captivity and freed; women who witnessed the deaths of husbands, children, family members and friends. They are women who are single and living at subsistence level. Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, these women have been working for fixed wages and regular hours at the Harman Education Center, producing mouth-nose coverings for the refugee camps in Khanke.
24. Jul 2020 Read more
Current information about Corona

Despite the Corona crisis, we are doing everything we can to continue our work as well, quickly and reliably as possible. At the same time, we are helping to prevent the spread of the corona virus in the crisis areas of the autonomous region of Kurdistan. In doing so, we are providing on-the-ground support to those who are particularly affected by the corona crisis: The poorest of the poor. Current information about the work of Our Bridge in the Corona crisis at a glance...

09. May 2020 Read more
Annalena Baerbock visiting
'Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something has meaning, no matter how it turns out.'- Václav Havel
27. Jun 2019 Read more
Spring beginning in the Harman orphanage
Dear supporters,
Morian has successfully completed his practice phase with us at the orphanage Harman. From now on I will take over the newsletter.
27. Apr 2018 Read more
The Our Bridge Education Center is launched
In the last newsletter you already learned that the truck with all the material from Germany arrived in Xhanke.
22. Mar 2018 Read more
News from Kurdistan
after a small winter break, we will be back directly from Xhanke, Kurdistan .....
09. Feb 2018 Read more
New year, new luck: changes in the orphanage Harman
I hope you all started well into the new year. In the orphanage Harman was extensively celebrated and welcomed the new year ....
10. Jan 2018 Read more


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