Support in education lifts Iraqi children to the next level

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are an estimated 750 million adults around the world who lack basic reading and writing skills. Of all the adults estimated to be illiterate, a known 496 million of these are women. 

In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, health care and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods across Baghdad. The ICF has two Hope Buses and both of these have been designed to accommodate children's need. 

As the world was getting to grips with remote learning during 2020's Covid restrictions, a special message was sent from NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir on the International Space Station. This message was sent to the children being supported on the Iraqi Children Foundation's Hope Buses. 

For everyone who took part or donated to the Iraqi Children Foundation's "In Their Shoes 5K" run in September, it was announced in October that the ICF's school for Yazidi children is now open. This school was built in partnership with other NGO's in Iraq. 

There are currently 240 students enrolled at the school, which opened at the end of September and is located in the Sinjar region of Northern Iraq. This new education facility is expected to see the number of students increase and will ultimately accommodate 400 children at the school. 

Efforts on the ICF's Hope Buses and the opening of the new school in Sinjar mark a positive turning point for the Iraqi community. We love education and we hope that you will keep on supporting the Iraqi Children Foundation, as they work to improve the lives of children and young people.