As part of its mandate to support the communities to enhance their own protection with direct support and engagement, the Youth Bridge Organization in partnership with Geneva Call has started a community-based project for enhancing the protection of children in the Sinjar district. The Sinjar district is a disputed territory in Iraq and there are cases of children recruitment and occupying schools and education facilities by armed actors in general.
The main goal of the implementation of this project was to raise awareness and; First, to increase awareness of Children, Young People, and other adult community members of the children’s right to protection during armed conflict. Second, to improve civil society organizations and the local community knowledge about child protection and are mobilized to advocate better and protect children and young people’s right to protection during armed conflict.
This project included many protection community activities inside the Sinjar district and Sinuini sub-district which are training a group of volunteers, an open session with the presence of media outlets in Sinjar, house-to-house visits, sessions with local NGOs, sessions with community leaders, school sessions to raise awareness of the teachers and students about the rights of the child during armed conflicts and its aftermaths, painting messages related to child protection and welfare on the walls of 2 schools in Sinjar and Sinuni, and campaign of hanging posters with 5 relevant messages on “child protection” on the walls and electrical poles throughout the towns of Sinjar and Sinuni.
All the mentioned activities are aimed at the protection and awareness raising of the community in Sinjar to protect their children from joining armed groups in the area and encourage them to pursue their education.
Geneva Call (GC)
