Island of Hope – Giving Children Hope and a Future
Supportive Education Services for Traumatized Children and Adolescents in Iraq – Your Support Makes a Difference!
Text and Photos: Thomas Freiwald
Children need protection, a sense of security, and people who believe in them. But for many children in the Kurdish refugee camps in Iraq, war, displacement, loss, and fear are part of their life story. Many of them have experienced terrible things and have had to leave their familiar surroundings. What they need now is safety, care, and the chance for a hopeful future.
In Zakho, northern Iraq, the organization “Island of Hope” is dedicated to helping children and adolescents who have been particularly affected by war, displacement, and traumatic experiences. Here, they receive support, human connection, and opportunities to regain their strength. The goal is to help them regain trust, discover their abilities, and find the courage to move forward with their lives.
My own support for this important work is grounded in 25 years of practical experience in supportive education with children and adolescents in an intercultural context in Germany. I was able to share these experiences with the “Island of Hope” team as an equal partner. The primary focus is on better understanding traumatized children, recognizing their individual needs, and supporting their development through reliable relationships, playful activities, and clear structures.
After all, every child is more than what they’ve had to endure. Even under difficult living conditions, every child possesses abilities, strengths, and potential for growth. When they find people who listen to them, take them seriously, and provide them with a sense of security, they can gradually build new trust.
The staff at “Island of Hope” do invaluable work toward this goal. They support the children with great dedication and create spaces where the children feel accepted and are allowed to be children again. This work requires not only professional expertise and human compassion but also a reliable financial and philosophical foundation.
Become a sponsor – give children hope!
By becoming a sponsor, you help sustain the vital work of “Island of Hope” over the long term. Your support ensures that children and adolescents can continue to receive guidance, support, and a safe environment. Every contribution (not just money!) counts, because behind every act of support lies the opportunity to open up new horizons for a child.
You don’t have to be on-site to make a difference. Through your sponsorship, you become part of a network of people who take responsibility and stand by children facing difficult life situations.
Help turn hope into a future!
Become a sponsor or support “Island of Hope” with a donation or educational services (including online). Together, we can help children – despite their painful experiences – to laugh again, learn, regain trust, and believe in a better future.
If you have any questions, please contact Thomas Freiwald directly by email or the staff at “Island of Hope.”
For more information about the organization and ways to support it, visit the “Island of Hope” website.
