In Sinjar, where genocide devastated the Yazidi community and threatened its very survival, sport has emerged as a powerful force for healing and renewal. Women and girls – many of whom are stepping onto the field for the first time – are at the forefront of this transformation. They are shaping new social norms, redefining what’s possible, and using their strength to drive change.
Watch our video to learn more about the transformative power of sport in Sinjar.
Read MoreIn 2025, Nadia’s Initiative advanced a survivor-led vision of recovery in Sinjar — supporting women and girls, advancing justice for survivors, and helping rebuild the Yazidi homeland through integrated programs grounded in dignity and long-term sustainability.
Watch our 2025 programs overview video to learn more.
Read MoreAfter years of displacement following the 2014 genocide, Yazidi families are returning to the Guhbal complex of Sinjar – only to discover that their community’s water systems, including the wells they once relied on, had been neglected and damaged as a result of prolonged conflict.
After Nadia’s Initiative rehabilitated the wells and restored the water network, more than 100 families now have safe, continuous access to water for drinking, cooking, washing, and caring for their homes.
Read MoreThis week marks a historic milestone for the people of Sinjar. Nadia’s Initiative (NI), in partnership with project owner La Chaîne de l’Espoir, and with support from the Government of France, completed the construction and full equipping of the new hospital in Sinjar, known as the Sinjar French Medical Center (SFMC). The facility was officially handed over this week to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the Nineveh Health Directorate.
Read MoreThis year, with support from the ALIPH Foundation, Nadia’s Initiative restored the Pirafat Temple site in Qeni village. The project safeguards one of Sinjar’s most important Yazidi sacred sites while ensuring it endures as a dynamic hub for remembrance, healing, and cultural continuity.
Read MoreAfter the trauma of the genocide, a powerful transformation is underway in Sinjar. At the Women’s Center, a new generation of women and girls is coming together through sport – building confidence, connection, and resilience.
Read MoreIn 2014, ISIS decimated Sinjar’s farms – cutting off Yazidi families from their land, their livelihoods, and their hope. Today, survivors and returnees are reclaiming what was taken from them.
Read More“We can’t change the past, but we can build the future.”
In the aftermath of genocide and conflict, rebuilding is about more than just bricks and mortar – it’s about restoring dignity, security, and opportunity. In Al-Qataniya, a Yazidi-majority sub-district in Ba’aj, Ninewa, Nadia’s Initiative (NI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Government of Japan, have taken a critical step toward this goal.
Read MoreRecently, survivors gathered at the Women’s Center in Sinjar to meet with representatives from the General Directorate for Survivors’ Affairs (GDSA), offering attendees a meaningful opportunity to be heard and to share their ongoing challenges. This session, organized by the NI team, reflects key components of the Center’s mission, ensuring that survivors are informed, empowered, and supported in claiming their legal rights – in this case, those guaranteed under the Yazidi Survivors Law.
Read MoreFor more than seven years, Nadia’s Initiative has supported Yazidi genocide survivors by centering their voices and advancing justice, recovery, and healing. In 2024, after receiving advocacy training from NI, Yazidi families met with Iraqi officials in Baghdad to voice their demands about their missing loved ones. Their testimonies led to new exhumation efforts, and with NI’s support on the ground, over a dozen mass and individual graves were uncovered in early 2025, representing an important step toward truth, dignity, and closure for families of the victims.
Read MoreThe NI Women’s Center is the first of its kind in the region – a transformative space dedicated to empowering women and girls, including survivors of genocide and conflict-related sexual violence. It’s more than just a building – it’s a safe haven where women can heal, learn, and reclaim their futures.
Because when women thrive, entire communities thrive.
Read MoreIn Sinjar, girls and young women face significant barriers to leadership, physical activity, and access to safe spaces. Over the past year, Nadia’s Initiative has partnered with Free to Run to change that—empowering 300 adolescent girls and young women through running, leadership, and life skills. Using the NI Women’s Center as a key venue, the program created a safe environment for growth and connection, where participants built resilience, developed confidence, and redefined their futures.
Read MoreTo support families of genocide victims and the broader community, Nadia’s Initiative (NI) organized a consultative session at the NI Women’s Center, bringing together government representatives from four key directorates responsible for victims’ affairs.
Beyond providing holistic support to women and girls in the region, the Women’s Center serves as a key venue where the community can access essential resources and gain insight into pressing issues affecting their daily lives.
Read MoreToday, a team from the Iraqi Directorate of Mass Graves Affairs began the critical work of exhuming mass graves of Yazidi genocide victims in Sinjar City. This essential step is critical to uncovering the fate of innocent individuals who suffered and died as a result of some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in recent memory.
We stand in solidarity with the families who are desperately seeking answers–answers that will bring them peace of mind and restore the dignity of their loved ones.
Read More“I felt a sense of belonging and safety at the NI Women’s Center.”
Read the story of Naveen, a survivor and recent graduate of the salon training program implemented at the new Women’s Center in Sinjar.
Read MoreEarlier this month, Nadia’s Initiative celebrated a significant milestone at the Women’s Center in Sinjar, hosting a graduation for the inaugural class of participants from the “Women’s Empowerment Through Education and Vocational Training” project. More than 120 women and girls successfully completed various courses at the Center, which opened earlier this year.
Read MoreWith generous support from UAE Aid, Nadia’s Initiative (NI) worked with Dorcas Aid to rehabilitate WASH infrastructure in 10 villages across Sinjar. This support provided a lifeline to families (nearly 20,000 individuals in total) throughout the region, helping them access clean water and meet their daily needs.
Read More"Our living situation has improved greatly since receiving the interim reparations, as has my psychological state. I am now managing my business, and I feel happy when I realize that I can support my family and community through my business," Safia said.
Read MoreAs the Yazidi community in Iraq continues to rebuild in the wake of genocide, construction of a cemetery and memorial in Solagh, Sinjar, has officially commenced. Launched by Nadia’s Initiative (NI) in 2021 in response to requests from the Yazidi community, NI spent the last two years designing the cemetery and memorial in partnership with community members and a Yazidi architect. This week, construction is officially underway with support from IOM Iraq and USAID.
Read MoreIt's been a long road, but we have finally reached the finish line! Basharoz Primary School has undergone a complete transformation, with a new look, new classrooms, and updated facilities. We are confident that our students will have the best possible learning experience in this new environment.
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