Locally rooted,
globally engaged
About us
We support women and girls to build sustainable futures beyond conflict and displacement.
The Lotus Flower was founded in 2016 by former child genocide survivor Taban Shoresh OBE, and has impacted over 84,000 lives to date. Our mission is to help vulnerable women and girls to heal, learn and grow.
“Resilient and strong, the lotus flower grows its roots in muddy water, only to blossom into something incredibly beautiful. Our name was chosen to represent the amazing women and girls we work with who move through their struggles and rise up and bloom in some of the world’s harshest environments.”
— Taban Shoresh, Founder and CEO
We are co-creators and problem-solvers
They speak and we listen. Community voices are central to shaping our solutions. By empowering the community to tell us what they need, we support long-lasting transformation.
Change is a collective challenge
Gender equality is at the heart of our work. We support women and girls by engaging the whole community, which includes men, boys and community leaders.
Big solutions require strong roots
We use innovation to drive solutions. We focus on solving problems across our four pillars, which are aligned to Sustainable Development Goals: Education & Livelihoods, Health & Safety, Peacebuilding & Human Rights, and Climate change.
We turn our actions into insights
Our local knowledge leads to global learning
In 2024 our Founder and CEO, Taban Shoresh, was awarded an OBE for “outstanding” services to refugees and conflict survivors. She is a regular speaker for refugee-led initiatives on the international stage, including the Global Refugee Forum and Action Network for Forced Displacement.
Meet our Founder and CEO
Taban Shoresh OBE is a trailblazing changemaker, leader, and former child genocide survivor.
With a political activist father during Saddam Hussein’s regime in 1980s Iraq, Taban was imprisoned aged just four, and she and her family escaped being buried alive before Amnesty International flew them to safety in the UK as refugees. Having witnessed first-hand the ISIS attacks of 2014, Taban was inspired to start The Lotus Flower out of her desire to make a difference to other women and girls who have suffered the horrors of war, conflict and displacement.
Our team
Our unique Human Resources structure highlights our commitment to being locally led in Iraq, with nearly 150 tireless team members working on the ground. The UK team supports activities in Iraq and also leads on UK initiatives.
Where we work
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Iraq
We work in some of the most challenging areas of Iraq and Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
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UK
In 2023 we opened our first UK hub in Hastings, on the southeast coast of England.
