Raad Ahmed is 10 years old and comes from Sinjar, a region in northwestern Iraq that was severely affected by the offensive of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in 2014. That year, thousands of families belonging to the Yazidi minority were killed, kidnapped, or forced to flee. According to the United Nations, about 5,000 men were executed and more than 6,000 women and children abducted. Homes and schools were destroyed, and entire communities were wiped out. Like many others, Raad's family had to leave everything behind to reach safety.
Today, Raad lives with his family in the governorate of Duhok, after being forced to leave his home. Like many displaced children, integrating into the host community was a challenge for him.
“He didn’t go to school—not because he didn’t want to learn,” says one of AVSI’s staff, “but because every time he tried to approach other kids, they made fun of him. So, he stopped speaking altogether and preferred to stay at home.”
Everything changed when Raad started attending art therapy sessions organized by AVSI in partnership with Terre des Hommes Italy, as part of the project “Strengthening community participation and community-based protection mechanisms to support IDPs and returnees’ families in vulnerable areas of north and center Iraq”, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Through drawing, Raad slowly began to express emotions he couldn't put into words. He found a welcoming group of children and facilitators who didn’t judge him but encouraged him. Sketch by sketch, he found the courage to open up: he started speaking, sharing his story, smiling again. Today, Raad proudly brings his drawings home, has made new friends, and feels part of a community.
“The center has become his second home,” explain the staff. “He now interacts with others, participates with enthusiasm, and can even speak in front of a group.”
Raad’s is just one of many stories of rebirth made possible by the project, which supports 270 displaced children and vulnerable families through psychosocial activities and community protection pathways.
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