ERBIL, Iraq (Sep 26, 2021) - Rwanga Foundation announced the winners of the 'Youth Volunteers Initiative' Project for the year 2021 in which 12 volunteer groups are selected and will be funded by the Rwanga Foundation to implement the projects in their communities. 

This year, a total of 190 project proposals were submitted to the project from the volunteer groups based in six governorates in Iraq  (32 project proposals from Duhok, 26 project proposals from Erbil, 63 project proposals from Nineveh, 25 project proposals from Sulaimani, 7 project proposals from Halabja and 18 project proposals from Kirkuk). Also, an addition of 19 project proposals were submitted from other governorates).

  The submitted project proposals were reviewed by an evaluation committee to select the best 12 project proposals. The evaluation committee members were:

• Nsar Farhad Mustafa - United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
• Goran Rasool- Civil Activist
• Abdulbasit Wahab -  Project Manager at Internews NGO

The evaluation committee selected the below 12 volunteer groups:

·        Shnrwe volunteer group from Halabja Governorate

·        Vazheen volunteer group from Duhok Governorate

·        Pait volunteer group from Duhok Governorate

·        Environmental Friendly volunteer group from Duhok Governorate

·        Brothers volunteer group from Erbil Governorate

·        Clean Environment volunteer group from Erbil Governorate

·        Halatn volunteer group from Erbil/Sulaimani Governorates

·        Team Work volunteer group from Sulaimani Governorate

·        Rizgari Environmentalists volunteer group from Sulaimani Governorate

·        Future Youth volunteer group from Kirkuk Governorate

·        The Aware Youth volunteer group from Kirkuk Governorate

·        Green Branch volunteer group from Nineveh Governorate

Youth Volunteers Initiative is an annual project of the Rwanga Foundation with the aim of supporting the young volunteers to come up with project proposals and participate in a competition to implement their projects for the best benefit of the public. The project asks the volunteer groups to apply their project proposals to get funds for their projects. Each year 12 groups will be funded to implement projects in their community.

Below are the detail of the project ideas and the volunteer groups who will be implementing.

 (Shnrwe volunteer group will conduct (More Than Honey) project. Through this project, (5) volunteers will raise the level of natural healthy food and the protection of environemnt in Halabja Governorate by supporting the environment-friendly projects such as honey farming by conducting trainings for the youth  for 55 days.

 Group members: (Rozheen Khasraw Homer, Sarbast Farooq Ghulam, Azhwan Adnan Mohammed, Christina Yousif Nadir and Shiaw Wahran Jamal )

 (Vazheen) volunteer group, will conduct (Building Libraries in Schools) project. Through this project, (6) volunteers will start building libraries in the schools of Akre district, the project will continue for 50 days.

 Group members: (Hazim Ali Rasol, Fatma Haji Ismael, Muntasr Khalamala Kas, Jihan Haji Ismael, Msheerr Abdullrahman Hamd and Jihan Azad Muhammed).

Pait volunteer group, will conduct (School not Prison) project. Through this project, (21) volunteers will support the students in studying and improving their surroundings specially the primary stages because they are the future of this country, also repairing the schools in a modern scientific way in Baadre sub-district, the project will continue  for 15 days.

Group members: (Zaeem Ilyas Khalat, Sakfan Sulaiman Ali, Georgina Hamad Husen, Ali Jaafar Ali, Ghareeb Kamal Qasim, Hezhvin Murad Ahmed, Ghazi Khalaf Hadid, Hazhar Barakat Ary, Rafid Mlhim Eido, Lilian Mlhim Eido, Khmi salim Ilyas, Dalal Khairi Husen, Faiza Ilyas Hamad, Vian Hamad Husen, Dlksh Khero Haji, Shirin Hasan Murad, Laween Faiq, Maryam Khalat Ilyas, Hareewan Haji Hasan, Nareeman Mlhim Eido, Banaz Aziz Shammo).

 (Environmental Friendly) volunteer group, will conduct (Greening Bardarash Camp) project. Through this project, (6) volunteers will start the process of greening Bardarash camp, raising the percentage of the green area in the district and the refugree camp specially in the dry areas and converting it to almost a forest, the project will be conducted in Bardarash sub-district and it will continue for 25 days.

Group members: (Hazhar Rasheed Ahmed, Foad Adil Yassin, Fadhil Abdullah Abdulrahman, Bafreen Ahmad Esmael, Kazhal Rasheed Ahmed, Zrean Mahmood Esmael).

(Brothers) volunteer group, will conduct (Be Careful to Live Safely) project. Through this project, (5) volunteers will raise the people's awareness on the threats of mines and remnants of war by conducting seminars and training courses and publishing information through posters and social media posts in Sidakan sub-district, the project will continue for 25 days.

Group members: ( Hoshmand Maghdid Saleem, Hoshang Maghdid Saleem, Yousif Maghdid Saleem, Osama Maghdid Saleem, Ridhwan Maghdid Saleem).

 (Clean Environment) volunteer group will conduct (The Harmful Effects of Plastic Bottles) project. Through this project, (8) volunteers will tell and show the story of three plastic bottles in the form of impacting pictures. in which it is either correctly disposed of or thrown away, in which each one will take its separate path in affecting the overall state of earth, it is a new idea to educate the children in general and the ones who want to learn specifically to protect the environment of Kurdistan which is a an important step. the project will be held in Soran district and the project will continue for 37 days.

Group members:( Muhammed Mirza Agha Mahmoud, Karzan Saeed Nabi, Shwan Lazgin Farkho, Narin Muhsim Khdr, Muhammed Salih Mlhim, Bewar Mahir Abdulrahman, Sahar Bradost Asaad, Ashti Mahdi Awdula).

 (Halatn) volunteer group, will conduct (Children of Banksy) project. Through this project, (12) volunteers will collect information about (125) child whom are working on the streets. In the cities of Erbil, Soran, Qaladze and Koya. initially, to collect the information a gift will be given to the child and his information will be collected and whether they could create an art product where they will give the child needed equipments, after that the project team will create a story about the child with the collected information, for the others a portrait will be created and so on, where the products will be presented in a closed fair in Erbil Governorate  it will continue for 56 days.

Group members:( Yusif Yassin Rashid, Manly Ghanm Toma, Shakew Soran Ahmad, Miran Hassan Mhamadamin, Muhammed Razaq Mala, Sada Mustafa Hassan, Avan Estifan Beea, Ahmad Burhan Ahmad, Jneva Jamil Ibrahim, Andera Sherzad Gorgeis, Mamle Hama Abdulla and Frishta Abdulsamad)

(Team Work) volunteer group, will conduct (We Protect Water We Protect Life) project. Through this project, (5) volunteers will publish information about the importance of saving water because it's importance is not only for this generation, but its important for the future generations as well and its their duty to protect it, the project will continue for 45 days.

Group members: ( Saeed Fatah Qadir, Asia Sattar Mohammed, Saman Mustafa Rasul, Goran Ali Ibrahim, Goran Rasul Abdalla)

(Rizgari Environmentalists) volunteer group, will conduct (Artificial Forest) project. Through this project, (25) volunteers will riase the percentage of the green area by building a park in Kalar district and it will continue for 45 days.

 Group members: ( Barham Hasan Aziz, Ibrahim Ahmed Mustafa, Kakakhan Robitan Ahmed, Ary Muhammed Saeed, Helal Burhan Aziz, Rebaz Nassir Sattar, Muhammed Dawood Ahmed, Paiwand Omer Kareem, Muhammed Omer Hama Ali, Saman Omer Hama Ali, Sozan Latif Hami, Tebin Othman Muhammed, Rebin Othman Muhammed, Mariwan Sirwan Bahjat, Sima Omer Qadir, Yousif Adnan Muhammed, Ayub Hussien Qadir, Salih Fatah Latif, Muhammed Abas Ahmed, Ahmed Sherwan Jalal, Yousif Hasan Rasheed, Jotyar Ismail Muhammed, Ashti Namiq Hamajan, Twana Yousif Hussien, Karwan Shawkat Majeed)

(Future Youth) volunteer group, will conduct (Basic renovation of Education College of DwzKhurmato) project. Through this project, (12) volunteers will initiate the basic renovation of the Education College in Dwzkhurmato, making the college more beautiful and creating a safe atmosphere for the students and the teachers, the project will be conducted in Dwzkhurmato district and it will continue for 28 days.

Group members: ( Chenar Adalat Ameen, Gashaw Rzgar Khalifa, Hatam Ahmed Hatam, Vina Faruq Shafiq, Barham Hassan Ali, Hanan Hasan Ahmed, Muhamed Brhan Hamasalih, Rasoul Hashim Sttar, Rania Abd Hassan, Abeer Hadi Ali, Haval Talat Husien, Mohammed Jalal Jabar).

(The Aware Youth) volunteer group, will conduct (Saving our City's Environment is Everybody's Duty) project. Through this project, (18) volunteers will provide (300) trash can with the logo of (Rwanga Foundation) and distributing it in parks, schools, markets and tourest attractions places as needed in Kirkuk governorate and it will continue for 50 days.

Group members: ( Mohammed Shamal Jabbar, Aziza Wali Hadi, Yousif Khalil Abdullah, Yousif Mohammed Hayas, Bahez Burhan Mohammed, Mohammed Aadil Abdulhamid, Mohammed Kawa Mohammed, Musa Mahmood Ahmed, Diman Yahya Abdullah, Amina Ahmed Gharib, Mohammed Othman Nasradin, Mustafa Raauf Sabir, Mohammed Azad Othman, Miran Mohammed Mohammed, Mohammed Hussien Mohammed, Zaid Ali Ahmed, Ali Hasib Mohammed, Summaya Shamal Jabbar).

(Green Branch) volunteer group, will conduct (Supporting adolescents) project. Through this project, (8) volunteers will conduct training courses to support the youth in Shangal district, the training courses will be conducted by special trainers for 54 days.

Group members: ( Muataz Eisa Hasan, Nawar Saeed Khthr, Aran Nawaf Yousif, Aasima Eisa Hasan, Khthr Aabas Matto, Dalya Faisal Rasho, Rafia Naif Hasan, Khalaf Ahmed Manno)