Vote for our Founder Taban in the National Diversity Awards
Our Founder and CEO Taban Shoresh has been nominated in this year’s prestigious National Diversity Awards - and we would love you to vote for her! Taban has been nominated in the Lifetime Achievement category, and all you need to do is visit this link and place your vote.
If you’re aware of Taban’s story, you’ll know just how appropriate the Lifetime Achievement nomination is. After surviving genocide as a child during Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in Iraq, she was imprisoned with her family aged just four, and they narrowly escaped being buried alive. They were flown to the UK by Amnesty International to start a new life, but in April 2014, Taban was horrified to see ISIS waging another genocide in her homeland. She gave up her City of London job and bravely returned to Kurdistan as an aid worker – and within two days was delivering provisions to displaced Yezidis trapped on Mount Sinjar.
Please vote for Taban!
Fifteen months later, Taban returned to the UK, knowing she had to do more. In 2016, she launched the Lotus Flower, and today, it has four centres for women and girls within the Duhok region of Kurdistan. Our projects have to date impacted on more than 40,000 women, girls and community members, and they fall under three pillars aligned to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: Education & Livelihoods, Health & Safety, and Peacebuilding & Human Rights. If that’s not an incredible lifetime achievement, we don’t know what is!
The National Diversity awards celebrate the achievements of grass-root communities that tackle the issues in today’s society, providing recognition for their dedication and hard work. Founded in 2012, the concept arose when Founder, Paul Sesay and his team identified an urgent need for more positive role models to be actively promoted, with the aim to empower and inspire diverse communities.
Voting closes on May 20th, so do be quick and cast your vote today! The awards ceremony will be held in September this year, and you can watch a clip of last year’s event below…
Thanks so much for your support!
Sisters’ Stories: How English classes have inspired Aveen
Our English language project has been running since 2017, and remains one of our most popular programmes to date. With beginner and intermediate-level classes for women and girls, each course is informative but also fun, and lasts from one to three months.
As the world’s most common language, we believe being able to communicate in English gives participants the best chance of embarking on their own career and achieving financial independence. Running alongside girls’ studies at school, our classes also complement their learning, significantly improving their skillset and wider knowledge.
Aveen is one teenager to have benefitted from our programme, which she began in February 2022. As a young Syrian refugee who came to Domiz 2 camp with her family in 2018, Aveen had searched in vain for a long time to find a place where she could learn English. “Now with the support from the Lotus Flower, my English is becoming noticeably better. The classes help me become better at school, because when we have a school exam, our teacher here at the centre practices with us, which makes a big difference in my language level and school marks.”
She adds: “I also like the awareness sessions we take after our classes because they focus on things that are important in my life.”
Aveen has found learning English extremely helpful to her school progression
Providing an immersive learning environment, our English courses introduce a range of vocabulary and expressions which are essential for every-day life, as well as grammar and other principles of the language. The classes also develop students' verbal skills – including reading out loud, discussion and debate – and help promote their understanding of and appreciation for books and writing. Vitally, we create a safe and flexible classroom environment, which is conducive to optimal student learning, and which encourages the students to work independently and collaboratively in groups.
At the end of the course, each participant receives a certificate, and it's always a joy to see how students have flourished and grown by the end…
Our Ramadan appeal led by Wasan Shoresh reaches more than 200 children
In the past few weeks, we’ve been raising money to buy displaced and refugee children special Eid outfits to mark the end of Ramadan.
As a result, we’ve taken several groups of children on shopping trips, where they have been free to pick out their own clothing, shoes and accessories to commemorate the end of the holy month.
And as you can see from the wonderful gallery of photos below, the shopping expeditions provided some truly joyful moments for the children, who were thrilled to receive such a rare treat.
We’re so thankful to our supporters who have donated so generously to our appeal, including Khaima and the Presbyterian Church US. We’d also like to thank the individuals who raised funds for us – including the incredible Wasan Shoresh, who put her heart and soul into raising funds for the appeal. It honestly means such a lot, and these sorts of fundraising activities from our individual supporters make a huge difference to us a such a small organisation. (If you’d like to do something similar, you can do so here!)
The donations from this appeal mean we’ve been able to escort 147 children from the three camps where we work to Duhok’s Moda Mall, as well as more than 70 youngsters from the city itself.
With few home comforts and little opportunity for displaced children to receive gifts or new clothes, our annual campaign means their families are able to recreate the special Eid experiences they once enjoyed in their own homes. Not only have families been unable to provide much in the way of celebrations in recent years, but the pandemic has badly impacted on their finances, making such luxuries unaffordable.
When Eid begins, it brings four weeks of dawn-to-dusk fasting to a close. But after years of conflict, many families find this time of year highly challenging – especially if they have lost loved ones to the war. And for all those still unable to return to their homes and communities, it’s a time of mixed emotions and retrospection.
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who has donated to the cause…
Men and Boys' Trauma Project: Rakan shares his story
While most of our work focuses on women and girls, our recent Men and Boys’ Trauma project is having a powerful impact on males who have lived through equally difficult times of war and conflict.
Now in its second iteration due to the huge success of the pilot, the project is taking place at Domiz 2 camp for Syrian refugees, offering sessions in subjects like English, art and music therapy, as well as much-needed mental health counselling.
Rakan, who is 37 and originally from Qamishlo in Syria, fled his homeland in 2013 as the devastating war engulfed the region. He sought refuge in Domiz camp, and decided to sign up to the second run of our Men and Boys’ Trauma project – which is being delivered alongside our partners Khaima so that he could make friends and learn new skills.
He says: “It has made me feel better mentally and socially. It’s great to receive psychological support and to explore my feelings through art therapy. I’ve never done that before! During the project, I have also been taking English language lessons and attending awareness sessions, which makes me more knowledgeable and develops my skills.”
Rakan adds: “I love being here, and I like the focus on men and boys’ mental wellbeing. I appreciate the efforts of the organisers of such programmes and I hope these opportunities continue for other refugee men and boys.”
Previously, men and boys have had little opportunity to address their hidden inner trauma, with strict social norms making it almost impossible for them to find an outlet for their pain and anger. During the war, many men witnessed terrible atrocities and were themselves beaten or threatened, while they commonly also saw women being subjected to violence and abuse.
Prior to our project, there have also been no services specifically supporting men and boys’ mental health and education in Domiz 2 camp. These services are especially needed as according to local authorities and community representatives who participated in consultation meetings last summer, mental health disorders and suicidal tendencies rose sharply during the pandemic.
Our project was accordingly designed to encourage healing through the sharing of past experiences – and we’re so pleased it’s continuing to make a difference.
Sisters’ Stories: Surian’s healing journey with the Lotus Flower
This week, we wanted to share the story of Surian, a beneficiary from one of our latest projects, which is providing much-needed women’s livelihoods, awareness and mental health support.
Surian is aged 20, and has been living within Essyan camp since 2014 after fleeing the ISIS attacks with her family when she was just a young teenager.
Adjusting to life in camp after the huge trauma of war has of course been difficult over the years. And like so many young women, Surian has often felt like she had nowhere to turn for emotional support. When she heard about the Lotus Flower’s women’s centres she signed up for various different training courses and classes – including our latest project.
She says: “I have been attending awareness sessions on gender-based violence and group psychosocial sessions at the centre. I decided to take part in these activities because I had anger issues, and always felt down. I knew I needed to see a psychologist, and also wanted to make friends with other women. With the group therapy sessions and gender-based violence awareness, I am feeling calmer now – especially when I practice the activities from the sessions.”
She has also found her understanding of key issues affecting women has also increased. “I know more about my rights, and my obligations as a female to reduce gender-based violence against other women within my community,” she says.
Surian is one of many women and girls to benefit from these sessions, which are part of our collaboration with The Big Heart Foundation and NAMA. With escalating mental health issues and a sharp rise in gender-based violence and exploitation in refugee and IDP settings, the project includes awareness sessions plus psycho-social support with a professional psychologist.
The year-long project is also providing financial support and business mentorship for new and existing women-led small businesses. Priority for this element of the project is being given to female heads of household, widows with children and ISIS survivors.
We’re so pleased our projects are making a difference to women like Surian, who so richly deserve these chances in life…
The Lotus Flower hosts a panel at philanthropy forum
The Lotus Flower was delighted to host a very special panel on the topic of Smart Philanthropy last week.
As part of the Face/Forward Ecosystem event at the renowned Skoll World Forum, our virtual panel explored ways of making giving smarter in future and addressed the effectiveness of philanthropy.
The panel was hosted by our founder and CEO Taban Shoresh, and included Atalanti Moquette, Founder of Giving Women, and Sophie Pelka, Co-creator of the Give It Forward Trust (GIFT). Our Regional Director Vian Ahmed also took part in the debate, describing the lack of sustainable funding that organisations encounter on-the-ground.
During the hour-long talk Atalanti spoke of the need for donors to be more trusting of charities in order to maximise impact. “We must respect our beneficiaries and listen to them so they can find their own answers,” she said. “There is a need for trust on both sides, and sharing and exchanging knowledge is the most important thing.”
Atalanti also explained why she is a long-term supporter of the Lotus Flower, saying: “A lot of people who run the projects are local and that's something I look for – local communities who are engaged. It relates to the idea of trust and listening. Seeing robust organisational structure and on-the-ground support is also really important to us.”
Meanwhile, Sophie emphasised the importance of donors providing unrestricted funding for charities. “We don't know how to transform lives, and so we need to let the organisation decide how to spend their funding,” she said. “That's why I was attracted to the Lotus Flower – because their programmes are designed to meet the needs of the beneficiaries.”
From L-R: Taban, Sophie, Atalanti and Vian
Sophie added that donors should be more willing to fund core costs such as overheads and staffing. “Philanthropy is all about human capital,” she said. “Overheads are the wrong metric, and I don’t really look at them. By not funding admin costs, it might mean an organisation can’t deliver their projects properly.”
She also stressed her reasons for championing the Lotus Flower, and added: “We look for mission alignment and strong leadership, and in Taban I saw a great leader. We also look for an impact-driven approach, which is at the very centre of the Lotus Flower.”
Sisters' Stories: Widow Fatima finds healing in language classes
There are still so many women and girls affected by the Syrian conflict, almost a decade after they were first forced to flee their homes and loved ones.
We work with many survivors at Domiz 2 camp, one of the biggest camps for Syrian refugees which opened in 2013. We’re always incredibly inspired by the number of women who are willing to throw themselves into new experiences – despite having lost so much in their lives.
One such woman is Fatima, who is originally from Qamishlo in Syria. Now 56 years old, she is a widow who was bereft when her grown-up children married and moved away. “I was left alone in the camp, and was so lonely,” she says. “Due to anxiety, stress and depressive thoughts, I decided to visit the Lotus Flower centre, where I knew the manager.”
That was in 2019, and Fatima has been attending awareness sessions on a variety of topics at the centre since then. “These gatherings help me get rid of negative energy, and I am always happy to attend because the centre has such a kind and supportive team.”
Our awareness sessions cover all kinds of issues, from gender-based violence and exploitation to women’s rights and peacebuilding, as well as various physical and mental health topics.
Showing that it’s never too late to start learning, Fatima recently also signed up to our adult language classes. “I have been participating with my friend, and am very happy to be able to study Arabic and English,” she adds. “I feel good that I am going out to do these things.”
While life is still not easy for Fatima, we’re so pleased we can support her and other women in the same situation, so that they can finally start to put the pain of the past behind them…
Join our event: What is Smart Philanthropy?
We’re delighted to be hosting a special panel as part of the prestigious Skoll Foundation World Forum, at 1pm on Friday 8 April.
Our expert panel is called 'What is Smart Philanthropy?', and will be chaired by our Founder and CEO, Taban Shoresh.
We'll also be joined by Atalanti Moquette, the founder of Giving Women, and Sophie Pelka, co-creator of the Give It Forward Trust (GIFT). Finally, the Lotus Flower's Regional Director Vian Ahmed will also be taking part.
As part of Skoll’s Ecosystem events, we’ll be discussing the growing need to help charities with capacity-building, learning, mentoring and community-building ideas, as well as the difference between “heart" and “impact" philanthropy.
The 60-minute panel will also welcome comments and questions on the topic of smart philanthropy.
The event is free, and you can register for a ticket here.
Sign up for our new monthly newsletter
We’re always keen to tell you what we’ve been up to at the Lotus Flower, so we’re delighted to announce that we’ve just launched a new monthly newsletter.
If you sign up here, you’ll start to receive regular updates from us, in which we’ll tell you about our latest projects, our impact, and of course, stories of some of the women and girls we support.
We know that if you’ve ever donated to our projects, you’ll be keen to know how your support is helping, and that’s why we think you’ll find the newsletter really helpful and informative.
Below you can see a couple of little excerpts from the first edition of the newsletter - just to give you an idea of what to expect. We hope you’ll be keen to sign up, as we love connecting with all of our supporters and followers as much as we can.
Of course, you’ll be able to unsubscribe at any time, and we promise not to overload you with too much information!
Sisters' Stories: Shaima’s shop helps her provide for her children
As you may be aware, our Women’s Business Incubator livelihoods training programme has just won a major innovation award from UNHCR.
Our project provides business training, mentorship and start-up grants so that women can start small businesses of their own choosing, and earn a sustainable income to support themselves and their families.
We’re thrilled to have received the award, so thought we’d tell you about another of the women we support who has started her own successful business thanks to the programme.
Shaima is 32, and a single mother of three children. Things have been hard for her since she first arrived at the Rwanga camp seven years ago, and she says: “Life has been very harsh for me and my kids in the camp – especially when we lost my husband. I’ve often struggled to provide the food that my children need.”
In 2019 Shaima was selected to take part in our business training programme, and received a grant so she could launch her own business. She chose to open a shop that sells all kinds of clothing, underwear, accessories and hair and beauty products.
“It helped me hugely in sourcing my own income,” she says. “It was an exceptional experience and gave me the opportunity to be empowered, and to provide what my family most need. Now I don't have to depend on anyone else, and women really like to come to my shop. They are more comfortable to purchase items from me than other shops.”
However, it has not all been plain-sailing for Shaima, and in 2020 the pandemic forced the closure of her shop for two months, which meant her income suddenly dried up and she struggled to provide for her children once again. But when things were safe enough to do so, the Lotus Flower stepped in to provide further support and training so that she could restart her business, and she is once again welcoming customers to her store. “It has been incredible,” she says.
After all she has been through, we’re so happy to have been able to support Shaima and her family, and to enable her to start rebuilding her life after years of unimaginable trauma. With your support, we hope to expand our business training and grants much further, so that many more women can receive the same opportunity...
Our livelihoods project wins major UNHCR award
We're delighted to announce that we've been selected as one of the seven winners of the UNHCR Iraq Innovation Award for 2022.
The award celebrates the efforts and achievements of NGOs who have each developed innovative approaches for protecting and delivering services to refugees, IDPs and other persons of concern to UNHCR Iraq.
Our award has been granted in recognition of our highly successful Women's Business Incubator project, which provides business training, mentorship and grants so that women can start small businesses of their own choosing. The project is designed to enable vulnerable women to earn a sustainable income so they can support themselves and their families, and move out of a life of poverty.
UNHCR Iraq said this award was focused on women-led NGOs with “strong organisational values, principles and commitments to gender equality and accountability to women and girls, as well as those that promote women in positions of leadership.”
Since its launch in 2019, our Women’s Business Incubator (WBI) has led to many women-run start-ups – including snack shops, food markets, beauty salons and a barbershop, plus businesses selling stationery, women’s clothing, tailoring and cosmetics.
While many of the women already have the skills and abilities needed to start a business, most lack the capital and support to launch them – which is where the WBI steps in. As well as receiving mentoring and a financial platform, the women attend awareness sessions on gender-based violence and legal rights, as well as our educational and wellbeing programs that further boost their confidence, skills, and social networks.
Vian Ahmed, our Regional Director, says: “The financial independence brought by the WBI is very important for women because it empowers them both within their families and their communities, and it also helps reduce the amount of gender-based violence they face.”
Crucially, any profits the women earn through their businesses is paid directly to them, so they have full control to support their families and re-invest in their own enterprises.
The UNHCR Innovation award is the second major recognition our WBI has received in recent months, and last autumn it also won the iValues award for Economy and Jobs.
Read more about the UNHCR Iraq Innovation Award and why we were chosen here, and if you can, please do support us so that we can help more women start viable businesses…
Sisters' Stories: Support women like Amira this #IWD
As you may be aware, for this International Women’s Day, we’ve teamed up with brilliant artist Raz Xaidan, known as the @thedarlingbeast, to bring you an exclusive print that will help fund our vital literacy work with women and girls.
The artwork is called ‘Rise’, and celebrates the empowerment of women and girls through reading and writing. Each £20 donation provides you with a high-quality digital download of the print, while funding three months of our literacy classes for a female conflict survivor. Your donations will go towards providing a literacy trainer, plus stationery, curriculum books and refreshments.
If you need any more reason to get involved, let us tell you about Amira, a 27-year-old conflict survivor from Sinjar. She now lives in Rwanga camp for displaced people, and has never had the chance to go to school or learn due to acute poverty and her mother’s longterm illness.
“I always dreamed of being able to attend school and become educated,” says Amira. “So when I found out that the Lotus Flower provides opportunities to help women learn to read and write, I decided to find out more. I was thrilled to see that one of their activities was literacy classes, and in the beginning of 2021, I joined up and still continue today.”
She adds: “I have learned a lot and can now confidently read and write letters and sentences. This really helps me be more aware of what's going on in the world, and I enjoy meeting other women and girls who have also always been illiterate. I hope I will be able to continue these classes, as one day I would also love to learn new languages with the help of the amazing teachers.”
With 100% of all monies raised being generously donated to the Lotus Flower by the Darling Beast, your support will make a real difference to women and gilrs like Amira. So please do support us this #IWD by clicking the link below….
SUPPORT WOMEN AND GIRLS THIS #IWD WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW ARTWORK
To mark this International Women’s Day, we’ve teamed up with renowned artist Raz Xaidan, AKA the Darling Beast, to create an empowering new print which will fund literacy classes for the vulnerable women and girls we support.
The stunning artwork, called Rise, highlights the importance of literacy in every female’s life. Each £20 donation will provide you with a high-quality digital download of this exclusive print – and fund three months of our literacy classes for one female conflict survivor. A limited number of physical prints are also available on Raz’s site.
Your donation will provide a vulnerable woman or girl on the course with a literacy trainer, along with stationery, curriculum books and refreshments. Equally importantly, the course offers participants a safe and supportive environment for learning at our women’s centres, and enables them to bond and heal together.
Londoner Raz, who is based in Kurdistan, uses her emotive art and photography to empower female voices and creativity. Her work as the Darling Beast explores the meeting of time, identity, resistance and cultural surrealism, and has been exhibited all over the world.
She says: “I’m proud to be partnering with the Lotus Flower through my art. They are doing incredible work in supporting women and girl survivors, and these literacy classes are vital in giving them a chance to learn, grow and thrive.”
Sisters' Stories: Boxing Sister Rahiba – “I always wanted to be strong”
Continuing our ‘Sisters’ Stories’ series, this week’s close-up on the women and girls we support turns to 16-year-old Rahiba.
As one of the participants on our Boxing Sisters programme, Rahiba lives in the Rwanga camp, which has a population of around 13,000 displaced individuals. The camp is crowded with tents and basic cabins which have little heating in winter, and get fiercely hot in summer.
Although life is unrelentingly difficult, Rahiba decided to get involved with Boxing Sisters, which aims to help women and girls impacted by conflict rebuild their lives through boxing and self-defence.
Taking part in the training provides a useful release for stress and past trauma, and Rahiba says: “I'm a girl who has always wanted to be strong, and to be able to defend myself from any kind of abuse. I love boxing and it has now been several months since I first came come to the Lotus Flower’s centre to participate.”
Boxing Sisters classes not only improve women and girls’ mental and physical wellbeing, but also foster self-confidence and enable strong friendships to form between the girls. We originally set up the programme with the help of Cathy Brown, a retired professional British boxer and certified Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.
Rahiba adds: “This kind of sport is incredible and inspires me every day. I would love to be a boxing trainer in the future, and to teach and encourage other women and girls to try it.”
Boxing forms part of our wider holistic programming at our women’s centres, and we also provide regular sessions in women’s fitness and yoga, as well as mental health counselling.
Please do keep supporting us so we can continue to offer these vital services…
“There is no honour in honour killings”
After a spate of honour killings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, there are growing calls for an end to violence against women and girls.
Last weekend, a 21-year-old woman tragically died after she was allegedly set on fire by her husband. She was the ninth victim of fatal domestic violence this year in the region.
Meanwhile, a Kurdish transgender woman Doski Azad was shot dead by her brother in January, after she went into hiding following repeated death threats. Her body was found in a ditch outside of Duhok city, with her hands tied and two gunshot wounds.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a statement on Wednesday: “I’m deeply troubled by recent violence towards women in the Kurdistan Region. I reiterate what I have said; there’s no honour in honour killings.”
He added: “Nine innocent women have been taken from us by domestic violence this year. That’s nine young potential leaders stolen by unjustifiable abuse; nine families shattered, and nine murders in a society that should know better. This must stop.”
PM Barzani also said he was determined to “protect every woman, girl, and child from abuse.”
Qubad Talabani, the Deputy Prime Minister, also said: “It hurts me that in 2022 we still live in a society which includes men who think it is normal to threaten, hurt and kill women. Society's shameful inaction hurts even more.”
Perpetrators of gender-based violence frequently use the term ‘honour killing’ or ‘social dispute’ to justify murdering their mothers, sisters, daughters, or wives. Worryingly, Iraq also has the highest incidence of intimate-partner violence (IPV) in the world.
Our deepest sympathies rest with all of the victims’ families, and we will be redoubling our efforts to raise awareness of such evil crimes over the coming weeks. As ever, we will also continue to provide mental health support for the many female victims of domestic and GBV who regularly seek our help.
In addition, to tie in with International Women’s Day on March 8th, we will be conducting a series of activities to press for women’s rights and end to violence and abuse. We’ll bring you more on that soon…
Sisters' Stories: Naam’s tailoring shop prospers despite Covid struggles
There’s no denying that Covid-19 has had a critical impact on women’s livelihoods in Iraq. With the pandemic resulting in business closures and widespread loss of income, many women have been left with little or no way of supporting themselves and their families.
As part of our ‘Sisters’ Stories’ series, we turn our attention this week to one of our big focus areas - enabling women to start their own small businesses through grants and training. Despite difficult times, we’re delighted to have been able to support entrepreneur Naam in this way.
The 30-year-old mother, who lives at Essyan camp, took part in our business training initiative in 2020, and with the skills she learned decided to open a tailoring shop. “I have excellent skills and experience in this, but poverty meant I was never able to afford a sewing machine or the necessary equipment,” says Naam.
After completing our specialised training and receiving financial support, she was able to start her business. “It meant I could earn a very good income for myself and my children,” she says. “But when the pandemic began I was faced with difficulty in bringing in an income as I had far fewer customers than before. This impacted on my ability to source the fabric I needed for my shop. But once again, the Lotus Flower was there to support me, and provided me with all necessary equipment that I needed to restart my business.”
We have been working hard to enable many women-led businesses to start up again following the damaging effects of Covid-19, but much more support is still needed. With a large proportion of women having lost jobs due to lockdowns and restriction of movement, they also suffer from a general lack of economic opportunity, which impacts most heavily on those who are now head of household.
Our pioneering livelihoods programme empowers women to earn a sustainable income through their own skills, become financially independent and primary decision-makers within their families and communities. Since the pandemic struck, we have also made our project more resilient by focusing on business training that can withstand times of crisis or unforeseen disruption – such as digital and online marketing, social media, crisis management, hygiene training and delivery services.
As just one of many beneficiaries, Naam adds: “I am so grateful to the Lotus Flower and hope people continue to support the organisation so that more vulnerable women and girls in camps can receive this kind of support.”
Our founder Taban Shoresh guests on 'Double Espresso with Dee' podcast
Our founder Taban Shoresh was asked to appear on the Double Espresso with Dee podcast recently - and now you can listen to the whole conversation in full.
During the incredibly honest chat, Taban speaks of her ordeals as a child genocide survivor while living under Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq - including the time she was imprisoned with her family aged four, and the moment they escaped a plot to bury them all alive in a mass grave. She also tells of the motivations that led to her starting the Lotus Flower in 2016, and revisits painful personal memories from her past - including leaving an abusive marriage.
Dee herself was incredibly moved by Taban’s tale and said: “I didn’t expect the person telling me these stories to be so frank and brave and honest. It’s extraordinary to think that someone who has seen such horror could live her life with such positivity, gratitude and strength.”
You can listen for free here or by subscribing to Dee’s podcast on Apple.
Here are a few more words of wisdom from Taban from the podcast…
Sisters' Stories: Working through the mental health crisis
The Lotus Flower works continually to provide mental health support for displaced women and girls – but as you can imagine, there’s so much more to do if we are to reach all of those in need.
Not only are the women and girls we support still traumatised following years of conflict, but the pandemic has caused a huge spike in conditions such as anxiety and depression. Many women have lost their main sources of income and are struggling to provide for their families, and there’s also been a significant rise in gender-based violence and abuse in refugee and IDP communities. Life in camp can also feel very isolating – especially when so many women and girls have no idea when they will be able to safely return home.
Thanks to support from our partners, including Zarok, our psychologists are working flat-out to provide safe, confidential therapy to women identified as being in most critical need, and thankfully it is bringing results. As part of our regular ‘Sisters’ Stories’ series, we thought we’d share a couple of accounts from women we’ve recently been able to reach…
Mrs M*, Rwanga camp
‘After my husband passed away, I became very depressed and always thought of him. I also suffered from anxiety because of our hard living situation. As a result, I was not sleeping well, had a poor appetite, constant headaches, pains in my body and difficulty concentrating. I was overthinking things and in a bad mood most of the time.
‘When I first sought therapy from the Lotus Flower psychologist, I had very little energy and even less hope that I would ever recover. But as the sessions continued, I began to feel better. Talking about my problems with a therapist really helped me, and now my symptoms are mostly gone. I have a much better quality of life than before, and feel much happier. It means I can now carry out daily life activities like anyone else, and I know how to deal with problems I might face in the future. Having more control over my mental health has really helped me.’
Mrs F*, Domiz 2 camp
‘I am happily married, but big arguments with my husband’s family left me feeling desperate. It would cause arguments with my husband too, and I didn’t know how to communicate with him or his family. It left me feeling constantly unhappy and stressed, and I would cry a lot. Comparing my life to other people’s also made me even more miserable. I thought there was no way out, but then I began having therapy with a psychologist at the Lotus Flower centre. Over the next few months, I learned how to communicate better, as well as coping and problem-solving skills. Now I’m far happier with my life and my mood has elevated so much. It has helped take away all of the pressure I was feeling before.’
* Names and identities have been changed to protect the women’s confidentiality
Our Boxing Sisters are raising money - and they need YOUR help!
The Lotus Flower is taking part in 'Race The Thames Virtual 2022' – with our team of girls on the ground in Kurdistan boxing instead of rowing!
Throughout the Race the Thames event between 24-31 January 2022, our team of six girls will be boxing and completing drills for two hours every day - so please support them and donate whatever you can afford!
As many of you will know, our Boxing Sisters project is a key part of our holistic programming for young female conflict survivors. Boxing has been shown to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, foster self-confidence and enable strong friendships to form. And of course, it's important for young women to learn skills in self-defence.
Many of the girls supported by the Lotus Flower have been through unimaginable trauma following years of war and conflict, and life as a teenager in a refugee or IDP camp is unbelievably tough. We believe that our Boxing Sisters programme is a vital part of the jigsaw when it comes to helping them heal, grow and connect with each other.
Our team is made up of Salwa, Nabila, Ansar, Suad, Faiza and Sadir - and it would mean everything to them - and to us - if you could donate. Even a few pounds will help make a difference! You can donate here - and do spread the word.
Race The Thames is the annual fundraising event run by London Youth Rowing (LYR). The money we raise will be split jointly between LYR and ourselves, so you'll not only be supporting our work with vulnerable women and girls, but also LYR's programmes, which allow young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to take part in rowing and fulfil their potential.
The Lotus Flower is a restricted fund operating under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, Registered Charity Number: 1099682
You can watch the Boxing Sisters in training below:
Sisters' Stories: Our Girls’ Hygiene workshops tackle menstrual taboos
We’re constantly amazed and proud of the women and girls we support, and for this week’s Sisters’ Stories series, we wanted to tell you about two of the participants in our popular girls’ hygiene workshops.
The sessions provide girls with sustainable menstrual care solutions and health education, so that they are empowered to thrive in society with dignity, mobility and opportunity.
According to UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, at least 500 million girls and women lack adequate facilities for managing their periods. Though still taboo in many parts of the world, menstrual health is a topic that affects every woman and girl. It has a long-term impact on education, economics, public health and societal norms, but inadequate facilities and education, poverty and cultural sensitivities combine to reduce available resources in this area. It is even harder for women and girls living in IDP or refugee camps.
That’s where our workshops step in. Made possible with support from the Presbyterian Church USA, the educational classes offer awareness about menstrual management, while support from our partners at Operation Hope Australia means we also provide essential Days for Girls reusable kits. Packaged in brightly-coloured bags, the DfG kits contain pads which are washable, reusable, and built to last.
Elissa is a 12-year-old who lives at Essyan camp, and after participating in the workshops she says: “This is the first time I’ve received this kind of education, and I’ve learnt a lot about my body and its development. The kit is beautiful and easy to use. I love it."
For many girls, discussing a girl’s monthly period is off-limits, and they are subsequently surprised when it happens in their early teens. Unsure of how to deal with it, they are ashamed to ask questions or purchase supplies. In fact, during a previous assessment we carried out, we learned that girls miss one week of school per month while having their period; or 10 weeks every school year on average.
Another girl we’re happy to have supported is Bizaar, who is 13 and also living at Essyan camp. She says: “This education is crucial for us. Nobody gave me this information before. I really liked learning how periods are normal, and how they can differ from month to month. I use the beautiful kit when I can’t afford disposable sanitary pads, and I think it’s great.”
Please do support us so we can ensure even more girls have everything they need for safe, effective menstrual hygiene…