World Refugee Day: A New Beginning in France for Viyan and Her Family

On World Refugee Day, we honor the courage of people rebuilding their lives after conflict and displacement.

Viyan grew up in Sinjar, Iraq, where she built a life with her husband and children surrounded by family and community. In 2014, everything changed. During the Yazidi genocide, Viyan survived captivity while protecting and caring for her young children.

After surviving and spending time displaced in Iraq, Viyan and her children were welcomed to France in 2019 through a humanitarian resettlement initiative for Yazidi single mothers and their minor children. Through this program, more than 400 Yazidi women and children were relocated to France that year. Nadia’s Initiative supported women and families through this process as they sought safety and the opportunity to begin rebuilding their lives.

Today, Viyan and her children are building a new chapter. Her children attend school, the family has access to healthcare and a stable home, and they are creating a future shaped by safety, routine, and possibility.

Refuge is more than protection. It is the opportunity to heal, to belong, and to begin again.

This World Refugee Day, Nadia’s Initiative honors Viyan and all refugee and displaced families rebuilding their lives with dignity, resilience, and hope. 

We remain grateful to France for opening its doors and offering safety and a new beginning to Yazidi women and their children.