Meet Dunya, our General Protection Project Manager "I enjoy working with the team to find creative solutions to new challenges."
Dunya, a dedicated advocate working on the General Protection project. In partnership with CARE Iraq, funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid, which increases access to essential services for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Duhok Governorate. She says, "My father suffered arrest and torture by the Ba'ath Party. Those experiences shape my drive to help others."
Dunya, on the left with a delegation from CARE Iraq
In 2015, Dunya began her humanitarian aid journey and joined Lotus Flower in February 2024 as a project assistant. Within just three months, she was promoted to project manager within the same project. "The Lotus Flower promoted me to project manager, recognising my qualifications. It reminded me of the quote, 'Opportunities don't happen; you create them.’ She says.
With a degree in science in the biology department, Dunya hadn’t always envisioned working in humanitarian aid. However, after the crisis in 2014 and many people seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region areas, she became passionate about making a difference. Now, as project manager, she leads a general protection project in partnership with CARE Iraq. Her dedication to transforming lives through increased access to services fuels her passion for her work, as she says, "True leadership is fuelled by a passion for making a difference."
Dunya finds the most rewarding aspect of her job is seeing the direct impact her work has on the lives of IDPs. She loves collaborating with her team to overcome challenges and appreciates the continuous learning her role offers. One thing many may not realise about her job is how essential relationship-building is. Dunya spends significant time getting to know the communities she works with, which helps shape programs that truly meet their needs. She reflects on a quote that guides her approach: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The strong team spirit at The Lotus Flower is another highlight of her role. "Everyone supports each other, creating a positive and collaborative work environment." She said.
"It's motivating to be part of a team that values cooperation and shared goals."
In the very beginning of her journey, there were misconceptions about gender-based violence. Dunya shares the story of a woman who once walked out of a GBV awareness session, claiming the information would turn women against their men. Later, the same woman returned to the centre, saying, “I remembered what you said in that seminar. I’m experiencing domestic violence, and I need support.”
Dunya, during a women’s safe space session
Dunya’s work has not only benefitted the communities she serves but has also contributed to her own personal growth over the past eight years. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue making meaningful change and to build a stronger, more supportive community. During her free time, Dunya finds enjoyment in travelling to explore diverse cultures and participating in agriculture.
We are happy to have you on the team!
Meet Our Child Protection Officer, Mohammed Ali: “Seeing the positive changes in children’s lives is the best part of my job.”
Meet Mohammed Ali, our dedicated Child Protection Officer, collaborating with UNHCR to bring a personal touch to conflict resolution in his work. “I was just three years old when my family and I were internally displaced due to fears of bombings in our city. My grandfather, a well-known Peshmarga, was wanted by Iraq, which led my family to seek refuge in Iran.”
Mohammed's journey to The Lotus Flower began when he was a volunteer for two years in NGOs. “I heard about a small NGO that has done outstanding work; they coordinated with many other NGOs, including the one I worked with. He joined The Lotus Flower in July 2022;
“The Lotus Flower appreciated my volunteering experience and hired me.”
Mohammed holds a degree from the College of Basic Education, English Department, at the University of Duhok. In his current role, he works on the child protection project in collaboration with UNHCR, delivering essential services in refugee camps and urban areas across Duhok Governorate, including locations such as Zakho, Batifa, Akre, Daratoo, Amedi, Khrab Babke, and their suburbs. The project extends its reach beyond camps, also providing services in areas such as Batifa, Akre, Daratoo, Amedi, Khrab Babke, and their suburbs.
“My work involves providing transformative services for children, whether they are recreational, educational, or protective,” Mohammed shares.
An aspect of his position that may not be widely recognised involves empowering refugees in areas outside of camps to participate in awareness campaigns and initiatives. Mohammed also supports government entities in integrating child protection practices, enhancing their staff's knowledge and skills, and establishing a pool of trainers within each entity to address internal gaps and challenges.
“One woman participant in our parenting skills programme had protection concerns for her child. The Lotus Flower provided the necessary support, and she then became involved in community outreach as a volunteer. Eventually, she participated in our Cash for Work project and secured a job with another NGO!”
In a reflection on his journey, Mohammed shares, 'Starting from an entry-level position, I now lead an important aspect of one of our largest projects at The Lotus Flower.' Looking back to 2022, I am grateful for how far I’ve come and excited to see where my career will take me next.”
In the future, Mohammed hopes to help build a community with the capacity and resilience to address protection concerns. Outside of work, he enjoys football and is a passionate coffee lover, showcasing his expertise in brewing espresso, latte art, and creating unique coffee blends!
Support the Lotus Flower’s "Rise and Thrive" Campaign: Your Donation and Impact Doubled This Week through Big Give!
We are thrilled to announce that the Lotus Flower will be launching an exciting new project – Rise and Thrive – and we need your help!
Thanks to the extremely generous support of the Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund, if we raise £5000 they will match every pound up to £5000! Bringing us to our total target amount of £10,000. Make any size donation between 10th - 17th October and the impact will be doubled, helping us empower under-represented women and girls in East Sussex.
What is Rise and Thrive?
Rise and Thrive is designed to help local women and girls who struggle to access stable employment or grow their businesses. Through tailored workshops at our central hub in Hastings, participants will receive job-readiness training, career support, and business growth skills. These opportunities will help participants gain confidence, secure jobs, and contribute to the local economy.
Our goals are to:
Provide job-readiness skills to participants, boosting their confidence and employability.
Support local businesses by connecting them with skilled workers from our community.
Create a community-led ecosystem that fosters economic self-sufficiency.
Encourage long-term growth through job placements, resilience-building, and collaboration.
In the short term, we aim to empower women and girls to take control of their futures by offering them access to skills, resources, and networks. In the long term, this project will reduce unemployment, stimulate local business growth, and lead to more engaged, thriving communities.
How Can You Help?
We need to raise £5,000 in the next 7 days to meet our £10,000 goal. By donating during the campaign window, your contribution will be matched by Big Give, meaning your impact is immediately doubled. This match-funding initiative is a fantastic way to amplify your generosity. No amount is too small - every donation counts towards transforming lives.
For example:
A £20 donation becomes £40
A £50 donation becomes £100
A £1000 donation becomes £2000!
The Campaign Details:
Dates: 10th October - 17th October 2024
Match Funding: every donation will be doubled during this period.
How to Donate: Click here to donate! (Live from 12pm on 10th October)
We are incredibly excited to get the Rise and Thrive project off the ground, and we are so grateful for your support. Whether you can give £10 or £100, your donation will go twice as far this week to help us uplift women and empower our community.
Thank you for standing with us!
The Lotus Flower team
Our new livelihood project is live in Sinjar
We are happy to announce the launch of our latest project, the Women’s Business Incubator Project in Sinone, Sinjar district, implemented by The Lotus Flower in partnership with SEZ and funded through the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.
This project aims to empower 100 women and girls from the Sinjar district by equipping them with essential skills such as financial management, marketing strategies, and business development knowledge. Over a three-day period, the participants will gain key abilities to help them open and successfully manage their own businesses. This training aims to foster financial independence and entrepreneurial confidence among the women, creating opportunities in a region recovering from significant challenges.
After the training, 24 women and girls with strong business plans, evaluated based on their feasibility and impact, will receive financial grants to establish or expand their businesses. These grants are aimed at supporting various business projects that contribute to promoting sustainable development within the community.
The primary goal of this project is to empower women and girls in Sinjar by equipping them with the necessary tools to become independent business owners and decision-makers, fostering a future where they lead sustainable businesses and drive economic growth in the region. By providing financial support for their businesses and professional growth, we aim to help build a future where they not only succeed as entrepreneurs but also emerge as influential leaders within their communities, driving sustainable development and lasting change.
We’re excited to see the positive changes this project will have on the women and girls of Sinjar. Join us in supporting their inspiring journeys towards financial independence and leadership by staying updated on our progress and getting involved in our initiatives.
Meet Our M&E Officer Issa: “They encourage staff here to share their ideas”
Issa, an M&E Officer at The Lotus Flower. He and his family were impacted by the conflict, being an 8-month-old infant, in 1991 and were displaced to the city of Dashtan in Turkey. He says, “ I’ve been told that my grandmother was holding me on her lap in a salon car, my milk was distributed among family members so I don’t die from hunger.”
“The conflict also affected my father, who was looking after our family as well as my uncle's. Because the Iranian regime arrested my uncle after he was forced to fight in the Iraqi-Iranian War by the Iraqi government.”
Issa, now 34, graduated from the Computer Science Department at the University of Duhok and is working at The Lotus Flower. "I had heard about The Lotus Flower but wasn’t aware of their work. After a sports-related knee injury forced me to leave my previous job, I planned to take a few months off to rest. However, many of my friends spoke highly of The Lotus Flower’s healthy and friendly environment, so I decided to apply. Within a week, I moved to my new role at The Lotus Flower."
Issa’s primary work location is The Lotus Flower office in Duhok, but he also occasionally visits all of the centres and implementation sites. “I am working for all of the projects; sometimes it depends on the project, like how big it is and how much time it will take, but I work for all of them.”
“The best thing about my job is my colleagues, especially the ones working with me directly, Muslim and Vian.” Says Issa.
Issa values the trust and support he receives at The Lotus Flower. “They encourage staff here to share their ideas; there is a lot of trust between them and their staff, and they are always looking for ways for improvement. They really value the skills of their staff members.”
Issa finds comfort when supporting others; he mentions that his nice memories are “Some of the volunteers that worked with us were very intelligent and skilled, and I helped them get jobs by giving them orientations and advice; they have secured great jobs now!”.
Issa plans to work for The Lotus Flower until his retirement. “I want to work here until I retire and enjoy a simple life with my family." Outside work, he enjoys practising his hobbies: singing, playing guitar, football, and calligraphy.
A proposed law change in Iraq may allow girls as young as nine to marry
The Lotus Flower is shocked and appalled by proposed amendments to the Personal Status law in Iraq, which could effectively legalise child marriage for girls as young as nine years old.
A formal proposal to change the 1959 Personal Status Law of Iraq was made in Iraqi parliament on August 4. The amendment would put young girls at risk of early marriage, which could detrimentally affect their education, health and wellbeing. Moreover, the proposed amendment seeks to empower religious authorities in other family matters, potentially undermining legal protections that shield women and girls from forced marriage, restricted inheritance rights, and discriminatory treatment within the legal system.
The approval of this amendment could reverse the strides made in women's rights over the years, jeopardising advancements in education, employment and the autonomy of women. Furthermore, it would lead to disjointed legal structures for diverse religious groups, exacerbating existing societal rifts.
The Lotus Flower has been wholly committed to protecting women and girls' rights since we began in 2016, but as our Founder and CEO Taban says of the law amendment: “If pushed through it would have devastating impacts on the lives of girls, women and women's rights organisations in the region… It makes our work so much harder and more dangerous.”
As an organisation, we have been working tirelessly at grassroots level with women, girls, men and boys, plus religious leaders and government bodies to enhance protection for women and girls, and Taban stresses: “We do not want our work to be undone.”
In a video appeal posted here on social media, she adds: “We need to ensure that we protect the lives of women and girls in the region. Girls have a right to education and safety, but most of all to experience their childhood.” Taban also shares more on the context in this video.
In response to the amendment, widespread protests have erupted throughout Iraq, with citizens and advocacy groups voicing concerns over the future of women's and children's rights in the nation. These demonstrations underscore the risk of diminishing legal safeguards, heightened vulnerabilities, and a decline in the status of women and children.
The Lotus Flower is dedicated to creating safer, more just environments for the most vulnerable. Our key Child Protection Project funded by UNHCR operates in camp and non-camp areas across Duhok Governorate and Zakho, and focuses on providing support and safety to children affected by conflict. Meanwhile, our General Protection project with Care International and ECHO provides support and awareness for vulnerable women, girls and children. And our seven women’s centres offer awareness, workshops and community outreach to raise awareness on critical protection topics.
“The amendment to the Iraq Personal Law will unfortunately undo decades of progress on gender equality and women’s rights in Iraq,” says our Regional Director Vian Ahmed.
“The lives of thousands of Iraqi women and girls will be under threat when better facilitation is given for child marriage, restricting women’s rights in divorce and custody in addition to making polygamy easier to practice.”
With our interventions based on community needs, our Protection monitors work within different communities to raise early marriage as a major protection concern. The amendment to the Personal Status Law will accelerate such concerns, so it’s fundamentally important that women's rights, children's rights NGOs , government entities, as well as politicians who support human rights stand firmly against this law change.
We are working closely with other organisations and women’s right groups in Iraq to make our voices heard, and greatly need support to share our message and urge the Iraqi government to refuse the amendment. We desperately need to ensure that safeguarding women and girls’ rights is an immediate priority, and that any legal reform moves toward gender equality, rather than away from it.
Thank you for your support.
The shock rise in violence against women and girls in England and Wales
Alarming new data has revealed that violence against women and girls in England and Wales has soared by nearly 40% over the past five years, with two million estimated to be affected every year.
The increase of 37% has been described as a "national emergency" by senior police officials, and has prompted calls for urgent action.
The figures have been revealed in the first national analysis of the scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). They show that incidents including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence now account for roughly 20% of recorded crimes in England and Wales.
The rise in violence has been attributed to a combination of factors, including misogynistic online content, the failure of existing systems to protect women and the rise of young men being radicalised.
Specific environments, such as public transport, have seen a dramatic rise in violence, with attacks and assaults on women on railways more than doubling since 2021, particularly during commuting hours.
What’s more, women’s advocacy groups and charities believe these figures underrepresent the true nature of the problem, as many victims do not report their experiences due to fear or lack of confidence in the criminal justice system.
The report states: “We estimate that at least one in every 12 women will be a victim of VAWG every year (2 million victims) and one in 20 adults in England and Wales will be a perpetrator of VAWG every year (2.3 million perpetrators). These are cautious estimates as we know much crime goes unreported and in policing we often only see the tip of the iceberg.”
In response, many are calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the current response to addressing violence against women and girls, including specialised policing hub and more inter-agency collaboration. The British government is also being urged to prioritise the crisis and implement more robust strategies to protect women and girls, while also bringing perpetrators to justice.
At the Lotus Flower, we are increasing our fundraising efforts so that we can urgently implement more support and projects for those in the community who most need it. Please help us if you can, by visiting our donation page here…
THE KEY STATS
Nearly 3,000 violent crimes against women and girls in England and Wales are recorded daily.
One in six homicides in England and Wales are linked to domestic abuse, or 100 out of the 590 homicides in the year to March 2023.
More than a million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded between 2022 and 2023 alone in England and Wales.
One in 12 women in England and Wales are impacted by crimes including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence.
Child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% between 2013 and 2022.
Violent attacks on women on UK railways have more than doubled from 7,561 incidents in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023.
More than a third of women who commute by rail have experienced some form of assault.
Domestic abuse-related arrests increased by 22% in the year ending March 2023.
On average, it takes a woman seven attempts before she can leave an abusive relationship.
It’s estimated that around three women die by suicide every week in the UK as a result of domestic abuse.
20% of children in the UK, or one in five, have lived with an adult perpetrating domestic abuse.
Around 41% of girls in the UK aged 14-17 experience some form of sexual violence from their partner.
93% of defendants in domestic abuse cases are male; 84% of victims are female.
The findings of our post-Covid 19 needs assessment
In May this year, our team conducted a needs assessment to identify the true impacts of Covid-19 on the vulnerable populations we support. We recently published the findings from the report, which included the following results:
· A 50% increase in reported cases of gender-based violence among respondents, including verbal, physical and financial violence.
· 82% of respondents reported psychological problems related to the pandemic, with anxiety disorders being especially prevalent.
· 97% of respondents reported being financially affected, with 151 individuals saying that they had to sell their car or furniture to cope.
· 398 respondents reported losing their primary source of income.
· 793 respondents noted increased levels of debt.
· 48 respondents reported the loss of a small business.
The assessment was conducted as part of our three-year project with UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which included mass awareness-raising of gender-based violence and mental health support and case management services for victims. It also delivered women’s small business training, enabling beneficiaries to earn incomes for themselves and become community leaders
You can read the report in full here.
Take part in our new Coding Sisters project
We recently ran a Coding Sisters project with UNHCR Iraq, which taught women and girls essential skills in computing, tech and web design.
Coding is all about creating sequences of instructions for computers, which are needed in every single thing we do in the digital world.
We’re now beginning another four-month Coding Sisters project for girls, this time from Domiz 1 and Domiz 2 camps as well as Waar City. It will take place from September to December 2024.
If you would like to apply, the registration page is here.
Please complete the form by August 25th at the very latest.
Thank you.
Meet Our Admin Assistant Shang: "I’m always excited to go to work"
Shang is an Admin Assistant at the Lotus Flower, who has personally experienced the horrifying effects of conflict. As a very young girl in 1991, she was displaced to Turkey with her family, and recalls: “My father was a doctor back then, working in displacement and curing wounded people there.”
A decade later, the family faced further displacement, and by 2003 were living in Amedi in Kurdistan. “People were fleeing again, schools stopped providing lessons and were emptied because those who fled to rural areas moved into schools due to fear of bombardment and chemical weapons,” she says.
“I remember my father teaching us how to use face masks we made with coal in case of chemical attacks in our town. He also taught us how to run to the nearest shelters quickly in case of emergency. We knew this knowledge could save our lives one day.”
Many years later, Shang studied English Literature at Duhok university, and then successfully applied to become a team leader in our Earth Sisters project. Explaining her role within the six-month project, she adds: “We provided climate-related training for women and girl IDPs, refugees, and host communities in Duhok. The special part of this project was that the participants were from a very diverse group, and those women and girls then became leaders themselves, each in her respective community.”
She was pleased to see the Earth Sisters make considerable progress as a result of the training. “I helped many women and girls enhance their skills, learn more about climate change and gender-based violence. Additionally, some of them were able to find new job opportunities.”
After Earth Sisters concluded, Shang began working as Admin Assistant with us, a role she has had since January this year. “I work with different sectors and departments within the Lotus Flower, including HR, Logistics, and Finance, doing a lot of documentation and archiving.”
She has found the role to be personally rewarding, saying: “I especially value the opportunities for self-improvement here, and when I wake up in the morning, I’m always excited to go to work.”
Shang has developed a good working relationship with senior staff members, saying: “The management team is very understanding, creating a comfortable environment. I have also acquired new technical skills and expanded my knowledge during my work. I used to approach new job opportunities with caution, but now I embrace them as chances for personal growth. Now I am confident in my ability to adapt to various roles and responsibilities, and feel prepared to tackle any challenge.”
We’re so glad to hear it!
Our livelihoods and mental health project with IF Foundation gets underway
We’re so pleased to have begun a major new project in partnership with If! Foundation, focusing on economic empowerment for displaced and vulnerable women, as well as mental health support and awareness of gender-based violence and gender equality.
Our ‘Women’s Business Incubator & Mental Health Support’ project is taking place over three years in camps as well as host communities across Duhok, and will also include a research component to provide insights on rising cases of youth suicide and severe mental health disorders, the effectiveness of prevention strategies and gaps in support.
Building on the success of our existing, award-winning Women’s Business Incubator, the project will deliver livelihoods training and financial grants for 120 women over three years, enabling them to start their own sustainable small businesses.
Young women and men who have experienced trauma will also receive mental health and suicide prevention support, and take part in creative therapies. Older women with chronic illnesses and disabilities will benefit from psychological and holistic therapy such as yoga and meditation, while awareness-raising of GBV and protection issues will reach thousands in the community.
To mark the start of the project, we have spent the past few weeks focusing on building and developing the capacity of project staff, who will deliver mental health services including individual and group mental health support, plus art and music therapy and awareness-raising.
The training has covered a range of topics, including specialised sessions for the psychologists in aspects such as case identification and referrals, psychological first aid, professionalism at work, report writing, PSEA, code of conduct, safeguarding and protection principles, counselling skills, case diagnosis and NET therapy. Such intensive training helps us ensure high quality and ethical service delivery for vulnerable people.
It’s been a busy time, as you can see, and we’re so excited to be up and running with this much-needed intervention. We’ll certainly keep you updated on our progress over the coming months!
Apply to take part in our new Earth Sisters project
The Lotus Flower is soon to begin the second round of our successful Earth Sisters project.
With support from the German Federal Foreign Office through the German Consulate General in Erbil, the project will be focused in Zakho city, and aims to upskill and enhance the capacity of women and girls on pressing climate change issues.
The project will also address the correlation between gender-based violence (GBV) and climate impacts, and it will include initiatives led by the Earth Sisters to raise community awareness about urgent environmental issues.
If you wish to be an Earth Sister and participate in our training sessions as well as lead climate change and GBV-related initiatives in Zakho city (depending on the availability of funds), please complete the application form below.
Please note that this opportunity is solely for female applicants.
If you are interested in taking part, please apply as soon as possible here.
Our CEO Taban honoured at GQ Heroes 2024
Our Founder and CEO Taban was thrilled to be honoured at the GQ Heroes event at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire recently.
Hosted by British GQ and BMW UK, the event brought together a range of international speakers and guests to exchange ideas around culture, style, business and politics, with the two-day schedule crammed with inspiring talks, round tables and performances.
In recognition of being named one of the magazine’s Heroes for 2024, Taban was interviewed by longtime friend and advocate Josie Naughton, the CEO of Choose Love, which is one of the Lotus Flower’s key supporters.
During their talk before a packed auditorium, Taban recounted her story as a child genocide survivor, powerfully describing her experience of fleeing persecution and being a political prisoner at the age of just four.
Referring to an old photo of herself on the screen above, she added: “By this point, I’d seen what it was like to be in a prison, I’d seen what it was like to see your family members cry, scream, wail and beg soldiers not to kill them. I’d seen them scream at the diggers in front of the buses because we were going to be buried alive.”
Taban also told how of her decision to give up her city job in London to return to Kurdistan as an aid worker during the ISIS attacks in her homeland. “By the time I came back after 15 months, I’m sure you can imagine I couldn’t go back to a normal job,” she said. “There was no way that I could go back to a 9-to-5.”
“So I set up the Lotus Flower with zero money on my own, and today it’s just flourished into an amazing organisation. I’ve got 200 staff in Iraq implementing projects, and seven in the UK. We’ve gone from zero to impacting on 84,000 women, girls and community members directly.”
Other speakers at this year’s GQ Heroes included Hollywood actors Russell Crowe, Emma Corrin, Joseph Quinn and Anya Taylor-Joy, as well as footballing legend Ian Wright, F1 star Jenson Button, campaigner Esther Ghey and paediatrician Seema Jilani, whose incredible work with children has taken her to conflict zones including Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, Sudan, Gaza and the West Bank.
There was also musical performances from DJ Charli XCX, Jordan Rakei and Rachel Chinouriri, and loads of brilliant opportunities for building connections and starting important conversations.
Thank you so much to everyone at GQ and BMW for allowing the Lotus Flower to be part of such a special event – we hope to be able to return next year with updates on our growing impact!
Meet our Protection Monitor Zeravan
We spoke to Zeravan, the Protection Monitor in our General Protection project with CARE Iraq and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, to find out more about his role and personal journey…
Hi Zeravan. Have you or your family been personally impacted by conflict?
“In 1988, my family fled to Iran fearing the Iraqi Ba’ath regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilians after committing genocide against the people of Halabja. My mother gave birth to me in displacement and I spent eight years of my childhood as a refugee in Iran. That caused me to drop out of the 1st and 2nd grade of primary school because I didn’t have the right ID as a refugee.”
How did you end up working at the Lotus Flower?
“I previously worked with another NGO, so after that came to an end, a friend suggested the Lotus Flower, which had multiple job opportunities at the time. One of these was for a Protection Monitor position so I applied, got shortlisted and after being interviewed, was offered the role. I was also familiar with the organisation through social media long before applying for the job.”
What’s your educational background?
“I graduated from Zakho University’s Faculty of Humanities in English Language and Literature. I then started my career in the humanitarian field after graduation.”
What does your job involve?
“The General Protection project covers four centres: Khanke, Shariya, Seje and Derabon. I go to all four locations and conduct protection monitoring activities at them. I observe protection concerns, and report and share them with the authorities and service providers, including at monthly meetings with the gender-based violence cluster of Duhok Governorate.”
What’s the best thing about your job?
“It’s that I get to make a significant impact by ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people who fled from conflict-stricken areas. For example, I encountered a young woman who had suffered significant trauma, and recognising her need for specialised support, referred her to our psychologist for counselling and emotional healing. Our aim was to assist her in rebuilding her life and restoring a sense of stability and hope. Then I learned that this intervention had a positive impact on her wellbeing.”
Tell us something people might not know about your role…
“People might not know that it’s not only handling protection concerns and risks, but also involves working to prevent conflict before it happens. This is done by analysing factors that increase GBV and taking actions to mitigate the risks, and also by providing awareness sessions.”
What else is good about working for the Lotus Flower?
“The collaborative environment and shared dedication to a common objective. Being a Protection Monitor has also personally benefitted me by enhancing my problem-solving abilities, increasing my situational awareness, and providing a sense of fulfilment from ensuring the safety of others.”
What do you hope to achieve through your work in future?
“I aim to ensure the safety and rights of vulnerable populations, collaborate effectively with stakeholders, improve humanitarian response efforts and empower communities to protect themselves.”
Our UN Trust Fund project supports Ghazal's bakery
Ghazal is a 42-year-old Yazidi woman originally from Sinjar who was displaced in 2014 due to the conflict impacting on her village.
She settled in Derabon camp, and for many years has been the only one working within her family. “I handle my whole family financially and take care of six kids,” she says.
During awareness outreach conducted door-to-door, our team met Ghazal and identified her as a possible candidate for business management training through our three-year project with The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.
Ghazal was selected to participate in the four-day business management training course, as well as awareness sessions around gender-based violence.
“I decided to be a part of the business training in order to improve my baking skills, so that I can help my family and provide everything they need,” she adds.
Like so many victims of the conflict, Ghazal has suffered from psychological problems over the years, saying: “I wasn’t comfortable because my husband is unable to work, and that was the reason I was always sad.
“But after participating in the GBV awareness sessions I felt better because I was able to share my feelings and thoughts.”
Through the UNTF programme, we supported Ghazal’s venture by providing her with a dough mixer and an oven for her small bakery. She is already seeing improvements in her business, and says: “I hope I can make my shop larger in the future.”
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls at local and national levels. Our project has also seen us providing mental health support and case management services to survivors, as well as Positive Masculinity workshops which are designed to change traditional perceptions around women’s roles and end harmful behaviours against them.
We’re so pleased to see the new opportunity the project has brough Ghazal and many other women like her.
Inside the Lotus Flower’s week at Cannes Lions
As a sign of our recent growth, four members of the Lotus Flower’s UK team were thrilled to have the chance to attend the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity recently.
We were able to take part through the Festival’s Equity, Representation and Accessibility programme (ERA), which opens doors for non-profits, disadvantaged individuals and charities like us in order to boost inclusion and diversity. It turned out to be an amazing week of creativity and networking, during which we were lucky enough to attend dozens of talks and events, and hear about key cultural shifts and movements, and the latest advances in the tech and creative industries.
Fron L-R: Jess, Sarah, Taban and Anna
Thanks to the ERA initiative, our Cannes collective included our CEO/ Founder Taban, our Development & Partnerships Manager Jess, our Community Manager Sarah and our Comms & Fundraising Manager Anna.
As always, the Festival drew the world’s biggest brands to the famous Croisette, which runs alongside the glorious Cannes seafront, and everyone from Amazon, Meta and Spotify to Google, TikTok and Pinterest had their own beautiful spaces to share ideas and practice and inspire conversation.
The Lotus Flower was primarily in Cannes to network and highlight some of the pressing issues around gender-based violence – especially with our findings from our successful GBV project with the UN Trust Fund. Insights from this project have shown us the role that tech can play in global solutions, and so Taban met with tech innovators to progress such discussions and explore possible innovations for the future. While at the Festival we also wanted to demonstrate how long term flexible funding from brands and companies can support small organisations like ours, and at the same time uncover ways of tackling global problems together.
The idea of brands working collaboratively with organisations like ours to make the world a better place was especially important as the Festival coincided with Refugee Week. To mark the occasion, Taban gave a talk at the WACL Empowerment Café, speaking to host Lisa Goodchild about her personal journey and explaining how brands can do more to give back. “We have the solutions,” Taban told Lisa. “It’s about creating discussions with us around how we can bring both sides together… Sometimes organisations and brands have a fear of doing it wrong, but I always say, ‘It’s OK, come forward and we can figure it out together. It’s a journey, we can figure out how we make impact.’”
With the Festival providing the ideal environment for such discussions to evolve, Taban continued: “There’s a massive space for brands to be included in this. How can they do it? The first thing I’d say is, think creatively. We’re in a creative space and creativity can really provide a lot of solutions.”
Speaking of her own motivations to bringing change in the world over the years, Taban stressed that any one of us can our channel difficult experiences to do the same thing. “I believe that every individual has the power to turn their trauma and their pain into purpose.”
In another informal session called ‘Building a manifesto for equitable access’ hosted by Frank Starling and Maxine Duggins from Cannes Lions DEI team, Taban spoke more about creative solutions. “Including people with lived experience in decision-making and leadership roles is really important,” she told the audience. “If there is a room where decisions are being made then there should be people with lived experience – whatever the subject or whatever the area being worked on – they should be in that room. For example, if you’re making a policy around gender-based violence, you can’t really do that if you don’t have a few people in the room with that experience.”
Other highlights from the week included talks by the likes of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Twitter/ X CEO Elon Musk, while we threw ourselves into hearing from thought leaders and CEOs on topics ranging from AI to cutting-edge social and marketing trends, consumer engagement, the future of media – and so much more!
Check out our gallery of pictures from the week below…
Apply for our new livelihoods programme
The Lotus Flower is soon to begin a new livelihoods project with SEZ which will support women and girls through business training, plus financial grants to start new businesses and scale up existing enterprises.
We are looking to recruit 100 women and girls initially for the business management and development training. Of these, 24 women and girls will be selected to receive financial grants (12 for start up businesses and 12 for scaling up existing businesses). Scoring and selection will be conducted through a committee.
The target location is the Sinone sub-district and the surrounding area, and the preferred age for participants is from 18 to 35 years.
If you are interested in taking part, please apply as soon as possible here.
Live or work in Hastings? Have your say!
As you may know, we recently opened our first centre on the seafront in Hastings, and we're now really keen to find out what kind of community support and activities are most wanted and needed by those working and living locally.
We've created a short survey to help us explore ways of developing our services and activities, and if you’re local to the area we’d love it if you could complete it here.
As a thank you for taking part, if you enter your email address into the survey you'll be entered into a prize draw to win a beautiful rug which has been handmade by a woman in Kurdistan. This is optional and if you would like to remain anonymous you can skip this question.
We’re also looking to get the survey out to as many people as possible, so if you’re a local company or service provider in the area, it’d be amazing if you could help us with any outreach. We will be happy to share any data from our results with you, if you feel this would be helpful. There’s a flyer to download and print and social media asset here if you can help us!
Thank you for your support!
Watch our CEO Taban's second TEDX Talk
If you've seen our CEO & Founder’s first TEDx Talk from Paris, you can now also watch her second talk, which was recently recorded in Kurdistan.
This talk was for TEDx Nishtiman, and had the title Turning Pain Into Powerful Purpose.
Recorded in Erbil, it saw Taban discuss how her personal suffering has become a catalyst for making profound change over the years. Drawing on her harrowing experiences as a child genocide survivor and her battles with chronic illness, Taban illuminates how all of our adversities can be converted into powerful purpose.
She also challenges the audience to rethink their relationship with pain, offering insights into how embracing our struggles can empower us to achieve impact in our communities.
We’re sure you’ll be as inspired as ever by Taban’s incredibly moving and honest words…
Sisters' Stories: How Boxing helped Ghazalah get her life back on track
Trigger warning: contains suicide references
Ghazalah is one of the participants in our latest Boxing Sisters programme, kindly supported by Medica Mondiale.
Aged just 11 when ISIS attacked her region of Sinjar, she and her family were forced to flee their home, and they ended up at Rwanga displacement camp. Like so many victims of the conflict, Ghazalah experienced severe mental health challenges over the years, which in her case led her to question the point of life. Heartbreakingly, she says: “I once believed only suicide could offer relief from the terrifying obsessions I endured.”
But after struggling with recurring suicidal tendencies and overwhelming fear and uncertainty as a young woman, Ghazalah’s participation in our boxing course has resulted in huge improvements in her wellbeing.
The skills acquired during the training sessions have given her new inner strength and calm, while our trainer Nathifa has provided her with vital psychological support.
As the participants of Boxing Sisters usually find, the sessions also improve their fitness, confidence and self-belief, while enabling them to begin processing the complex emotions that are linked to past trauma.
Many of the girls have experienced unimaginable suffering while living through conflict and displacement, and being able to express their pent-up anger and grief in such a safe and supportive space is key to unlocking their recovery.
Ghazalah now feels much more optimistic about her future – and would like to become a boxing trainer herself in the future. Her story is just one of so many that show how this programme helps empower girls and bring them together for communal healing…