We run regular awareness sessions to help combat gender-based violence, as well as sexual and domestic violence. This is carried out in group settings as well as through door-to-door community visits.

As English is the main language that is spoken throughout the world, it is becoming an essential skill to learn for professional development in the Middle East.  Beginning in January 2017, the Lotus Flower began offering beginner and intermediate-level English courses for women.  Each course can last between 1 – 3 months, depending on the needs of the students.

Our awareness sessions cover all kinds of issues and topics that affect them – including the prevention of gender-based and domestic violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, plus early marriage and human trafficking. Sessions take the form of group discussions, art and music therapy, as well as community outreach and home visits. These sessions are also targeted at men and boys to encourage and enable wider systemic change.

Our centres host first aid classes in conjunction with local healthcare organisations – such as the Rwanga Community hospital. Basic first aid skills are demonstrated and then practiced by the participants so that they can use these skills in their daily lives and within the community.

In July 2019, we launched the Lotus Flower Café with the support of Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, in Essyan Camp, which is home to almost 15,000 displaced individuals.

The Lotus Flower will soon be launching our new livelihood programme, Hairdressing Sisters, to further economic and employment opportunities for displaced women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Our centres offer regular yoga and meditation classes for women and girls, in which they are taught how to incorporate these exercises into their daily lives to help them heal physically and mentally.

During the program, the girls worked together to produce a magazine called Afrandin (meaning Creation), which they wrote, edited and designed. At the beginning, some of the Yezidi and Muslim girls would not even sit together, but by the end, they were working in harmony and building lasting friendships. One of the girls has since even been hired at a Yezidi publication.

Our project provides mental health support for youths and their families, in groups and individually, with our trained psychologists, and enables them to participate in activities that build their self-confidence and reduce suicidal feelings. Participants are also encouraged to practice music, art and yoga to combat negative thoughts.

The majority of camp residents are Yezidi and have a farming background that spans generations. As the women’s centre includes a plot of unused land, we wanted to facilitate an opportunity for women to use skills that have been taught to them by their ancestors while also providing an income to support their families. The women have recently started to garden and plant seasonal vegetables.

To complement the language courses and provide additional professional skills, the Lotus Flower provides computer training courses for women and girls. This training provides a base level of computer skills, which are a valuable asset in most modern professions.  Most of the women and girls attending these courses had never used a computer before, so the instructors start from the basics, including turning the computers on and off, opening files, and using office software.

The women and girls we support come from diverse sectors, ethnic groups and backgrounds, and we strive to recognise key cultural events and holidays. We believe it is vital to respect family traditions, friendship, hospitality and community events – such as Ramadan.

Our teams provide door-to-door outreach services for families and community members – many of whom are physically unable to leave their accommodation or travel to our centres. The outreach covers all kinds of essential topics – including first aid measures in conjunction with local healthcare organisations, as well as family planning for women, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and exploitation and human trafficking.

We act swiftly to provide emergency response to any issues or crises, as well as provide information on regional and national public health guidelines. As one example, we provide warm coats and clothing to vulnerable community members during freezing winter weather, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, we provided vital information about hygiene measures, social distancing and lockdown regulations, as well as advice on handwashing techniques for children.

The Lotus Flower has partnered with Girls Not Brides and joined their global network of civil society organisations that are committed to eliminating child marriage.

Our centres host weekly awareness sessions on topics such as early marriage, domestic violence, women's health issues, the importance of education for women and girls, and gender-based violence.

The Lotus Flower operates a women’s center that provides a safe and welcoming space for women while offering various activities and training programs.  One of the aims of the center was to provide indirect psycho-social support for women who had experienced violence and/or sexual trauma at the hands of ISIS foot soldiers.  Coming together to attend these classes has enabled the women to reconnect and create a network of support and friendship.

The Lotus Flower provides ad hoc support to survivors of genocide inside and outside of Kurdistan.  The programming can include awareness training sessions, such as legal issues and women’s rights, as well as professional psychological support.  The Survivor Support program creates custom responses to individual cases based on the situation.