- OurBridge
- 09. Feb 2018
Back to overview
News from Kurdistan
Dear supporters,
after a short winter break we are reporting again directly from Xhanke, Kurdistan.
Of course we did not hibernate, even if the icy temperatures would have been a good reason.
As you have surely noticed on Facebook, we have collected many donations in kind for the next truck transport to Kurdistan and have procured material for our projects from your donations.
Thank you very much for all the packages with wool, games, cameras, sun sails, boards, toys etc.. We would also like to thank you for the numerous monetary donations.
Education and employment program
As already announced in the last newsletter, we are expanding our education and employment program on site. Since the schooling of the children here takes place in the 'shift system', we have adapted to this and offer from the spring for all registered sponsored children and women from Xhanke a morning or afternoon program that consists of an educational and an employment module. We want to create a meaningful addition to the school program, but also let the children enjoy their childhood. The children are divided into 'classes' according to their age in order to create a community and a familiar environment.
There will also be low-threshold educational and employment opportunities for the women from the program.
Overview of the course program
Children:
-Painting and craft course
-Fun & games for the little ones
-Reading and reading aloud
-Gymnastics and relaxation
-Children's games and singing in a circle
-Building with Lego under guidance
-Bicycle workshop
-Sports outside
-Gardening and carving
-Homework supervision/ tutoring
Women:
-Sewing and knitting class
-Cooking and baking course
-'Life skills' + economics
-Literacy course
-Mathematics for beginners
-Yezidi/Kurdish culture and history
-Baking and gardening (from spring)
Restructuring sponsorship program
This new offer will also lead to a restructuring of our sponsorship program.
Instead of paying out the sponsorship amount each month without 'consideration', we will invest in the educational program from March 2018 and pay out financial support via a participation-based bonus system. For each completed module, the participant will receive a fixed premium, which will be paid at the end of the month. In this way, we want to create an incentive to participate reliably and permanently in the program and to benefit from our offers.
Those who are unable to participate in the program for health or family reasons will continue to be provided with no cutbacks.
In addition, it is planned to employ the widows who are currently living with us in the orphanage as course instructors/assistants in order to be able to impart knowledge on an equal footing and also to secure them a fixed income in the long term.
In order to be able to finance the whole program, we are urgently dependent on sponsors.
For this purpose we want to have the financing of individual modules, e.g. knitting course, wood workshop Lego course etc., taken over by enterprises, associations, organizations or unions of private persons. In return for the assumption of costs, we can offer a mention with company/association logo on the homepage, a quarterly report as well as possibly manufactured products from the individual courses.
Interested parties please contact us either via Facebook message or Email, so that further arrangements can be discussed.
The next newsletter will be published in two weeks and will contain an overview of the new Activity Center and news about more German volunteers traveling to Kurdistan.