Meet the graduates from our Youth Suicide Prevention project

We were so proud to see the first group taking part in our Youth Suicide Prevention project graduate recently.

The group celebrated with a special ceremony and were given certificates to mark the occasion, while they also enjoyed plenty of music, dance and sweet treats.

Aimed at alleviating mental health issues and reducing suicidal tendencies in youths, the project – in partnership with the German Consulate in Erbil – provides mental health counselling, art and music therapy, plus yoga and English classes.

Nazhan is one of the participants. Aged 18, he came to Essyan camp with his family as a young boy after ISIS attacked his home region in Sinjar. Now at secondary school, he joined the project because he wanted to learn English and develop new skills to complement his education.

He says: “It is important to have these types of activities to enable youths to learn more, but also to have fun. Since participating in the project, I’ve seen myself become more proactive. For instance in music classes, I dance a lot and have a good time.”

He adds: “I also really enjoy the art classes, and want to highlight that these activities make young people feel better and enjoy their days, while also helping improve our mental health and wellbeing.”

Another participant, Belar, says: “I especially love the yoga classes, and I can see I am improving day by day. These activities also help us change our thoughts and avoid thinking negatively.”

Below you can see a selection of photos from the various activities – and there’ll be more to come from the second group taking part soon…