We’re so pleased to share with you a new short film, Free Human, which explores the story and courageous journey of our founder Taban, as well as the Lotus Flower’s work to date.
The video has been made by Sorelle Amore, an influencer and content creator who visited our projects in Kurdistan last October. As you’ll see in her powerful 25-minute video, her trip made quite an impression.
Sorelle’s beautiful film shows many of our programmes for women and girls in action, including child protection sessions, art therapy, music and literacy classes, while she also visits our renovated greenhouses and some of the women’s businesses we’ve supported in recent years. “They will receive a little bit of money after they’ve done a three-month business training programme,” she explains in the film.
“The demand is so high because these services are just not here, so all of a sudden they become super-busy… [These women] can sustain themselves and their families in the community, so it’s pretty special.”
After meeting members of our team as they go about their daily work, Sorelle also comments: “Every single one of the people on the ground is local… These people are so in love with that they do, they’re so proud of what they’ve created. They’re so proud of the organisation – you can see it.”
In the film, Taban also shares her moving story of surviving genocide as a child, being imprisoned with her family and almost buried alive in a mass grave, as well as her later struggles with an abusive marriage and years of chronic illness.
Reflecting on our work and results, Sorelle says in the video: “The most amazing thing about the Lotus Flower that I'm still digesting is that this is a pretty new organisation and the scale of this organisation is huge, and the impact is enormous.”
And recognising the fundamental ethos and strategy of the Lotus Flower, she tells Taban: “Now you have 200 staff, that are helping all these women, children, some men, that are going through these very isolating moments, and you’re helping to free them. But you’re giving them the tools, you’re not doing it for them. You’re helping, you’re assisting… you’re asking what do they need.”
We’re so delighted with the story told by Free Human, and are incredibly grateful to Sorelle for shining a spotlight on our story in this unique way…
You can follow Sorelle on Instagram and watch the full video below…