We are Creating a Better Future

In a groundbreaking step towards empowering the youth of the Kurdistan Region, Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC) is proud to announce the launch of the Mesopotamian Pulse: Youth-Driven Social Policy and Reform Initiative.

This dynamic and transformative project, set to run from February 1, 2025, to August 15, 2025, is designed to amplify the voices of young people and empower them to drive meaningful policy change.

A partnership between KSC and Save the Children International, and with funding from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), this initiative is poised to become a catalyst for lasting social reform.

Project Overview

The Mesopotamian Pulse initiative unfolds in three phases that will elevate youth leadership and encourage long-term social policy reform:

1. Youth Training and Capacity Development

A series of training sessions on advocacy, governance and public budgeting will be conducted across all provinces. These sessions will equip young people with the tools they need to shape policies and effectively influence decision-makers.

2. Research and Law Development

Young participants will be forming groups to research and identify pressing social issues, followed by advocacy campaigns aimed at driving policy changes at both regional and national levels.

3. Youth-Led Advocacy and Lawmaking

Participants will engage in online and in-person advocacy to promote social reforms, ensuring that the voices of youth resonate within the policy-making corridors.

Key Outcomes and Impact

●        A youth representative will be selected to sit on the High Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights at the ministry level, giving young people direct influence over policy discussions.

●        A digital youth platform will be established, creating a sustainable network for youth across the Kurdistan Region that will empower future generations to lead change.

●        A structured and long-term youth advocacy network will be built, poised to influence governmental policy on social issues, particularly those affecting children’s rights and welfare.

Kurdistan Save the Children offers financial support to the less fortunate low-income families by funding expensive surgeries and treatments. We help the families to identify the necessary treatment, and if the medical care is not available locally, we either try to access help or treatment abroad ourselves, or refer the families to respective abroad facilities and clinics. Either way, we help to arrange the funding necessary in cooperation with foreign governments or NGOs. Furthermore, KSC invites special foreign medical teams several times annually not only to perform surgeries that are yet to be performed in local clinics, but also to conduct training and workshops to the local doctors in Kurdistan.

Participate with us to Face the Phenomenon of Drug Use through the “Say Yes to Life, No to Drugs “Campaign

Drug addiction remains one of the greatest challenges facing youth across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The government’s duty is taking measures to curb the trade but grassroots awareness campaigns are vital.

Kurdistan Save the Children announced an awareness campaign titled “Say Yes to Life, No to Drugs” to encourage youth and teenagers to stay away from the dangers of drug use. At the start of the campaign, we held a marathon for everyone on March 9th, 2024, in Slemani. Several meetings, panels, and seminars will be held and two television spots have been produced to be broadcast on social networks to reach as many young people as possible.

The Campaigns Objectives:

• Raise Awareness: increase awareness and knowledge of the Youths and Community for the potential health, social, and legal consequences of illicit drug use, and educate Iraq and Kurdistan Region’s Youth to reject illegal drugs.

• Advocate for Investment: Advocate for greater investment in governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, the media, and law enforcement professionals to participate and emphasize the benefits of early efforts to raise awareness among the community about the phenomenon of drug use and to take preventive measures.

• Empower Youth: Empower youth with the knowledge, skills, and resources to become agents of change in their communities, advocate for drug prevention initiatives, and amplify their voices in the conversation.

Helping children and their families to solve problems facing them has always motivated KSC to expand its activities. In line with this mission, KSC is presently happy to announce a birth of a new KSC Sector given the name of ARA meaning Hope Sector,

The main objective of the Sector is to bring hope to the cancer-stricken children and their families. KSC provides psychological, social, and financial support for the cancer-stricken children and their families.

1- We Raise the awareness of the general public about child cancer and how to deal with it.

2- We Provide a healing environment for children undergoing treatment for cancer.

3- We work towards early diagnosis and better medical treatments.

We Protect Our Families: Together for a Secure Future

Young people across Iraq are succumbing to the perils of the misuse of communication devices and social media. To address this problem, KSC is launching the ‘We Protect Our Families’ campaign to raise awareness.

The campaign is a collaborative effort between the General Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women and the Family, Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation, and the Kurdistan Save the Children Organization. The campaign will continue for six months in all the cities and areas of the Kurdistan Region.

The campaign will be conducted in the following areas: Chamchamal, Kalar, Darbandikhan, Khanaqin, Koya, Halabja, Penjwen, Chwarta, Ranya, and Qaladiza.

The Campaign’s Objectives:

• Raise awareness among families, youths, and adolescents about the dangers of the misuse of communication devices.

• Explain the behaviors and harms associated with the misuse of communication devices, combat family violence, and educate our youths on being more cautious when using social media and electronic devices.

The Campaign Includes These Activities:

1.Screening the short film "7:30," a collaborative product of the General Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women and the Family, Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation, and Kurdistan Save the Children Organization. The film will be presented to youth, school, college, and institute students through KSC’s Youth Activity Centers.

2.Conducting seminars and open discussions.

3.Distributing warning information pamphlets to introduce law No. 6 of 2008, which bans the misuse of communication devices.

The Youth generation is adventuring for ways to stand out and belong, find their places in society, and make a difference in their world.

Kurdistan Save the Children’s Youth Ability Development Program is particularized in serving the youth generation in all fields, fostering their abilities and ambitions through the Youth Activity Centers and the mobile teams in the cities and the surrounding areas in the Kurdistan Region.

The program operates six Youth Activity Centers in different cities/ towns in the Kurdistan Region: Slemani, Koya, Darbandikhan, Kalar, Khanaqeen, and Shorsh.

Notably, the center operates it is activities in the Hallabja and Raparin, through mobile teams.  

In September 2015, KSC established a new rehabilitation center for children with special educational needs in Raparin- Sulaimaniyah, the first of its kind with a team of specialized physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists, admitting 218 children diagnosed with autism, aspergers syndrome, ADHD, Downs Syndrome and debilitating diseases. The center holds regular parent meetings and seminars to inform and educate the local community on managing disabilities and the center runs with the Montissouri school of thought, encouraging children to learn the skills needed to live an independent life and integrate back into school and society.

is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that: is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children

Prohibit children under 15 years old from working, according to article 24 of the Juvenile Observation Law.

The aim of this project was to prevent children working who are under 15 years and who are not under the supervision of their families.