Projects in Iraq
Our Vision and Mission Statements
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Projects in Iraq Our Vision and Mission Statements
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« Northern
Iraq »
ACORN has been working within Northern Iraq since 1993, setting up a
variety of services for children with physical and intellectual disabilities,
as well as educating the community about disability awareness.
The Kurdish People ACORN's projects began out of concern for the Kurdish people, who number around thirty million people and have lived in the mountainous regions crossing the borders of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria and Armenia for thousands of years. In the Bible these people were called the Medes. This group has been violently oppressed for generations, culminating in the "Anfal", the campaign of village destruction, chemical bombings and mass shootings, headed by Saddam Hussein. Since 1991 Northern Iraq has been an autonomous region for the Kurdish people, and it is in this area that ACORN works. As there are no extremist groups active within Northern Iraq, this is a safe area.
Past Projects ACORN pioneered the Children's Rehabilitation Services in Sulaimany, and was requested to replicate this programme in Dohuk. ACORN set up orthotic workshops and provided training courses to develop the skills of local physiotherapists. ACORN facilitated Child-to-Child training for disability awareness in local primary schools, as well as training for parents, and supported an income-generation project for Anfal widows.
Current Projects ACORN's current and future projects include: Supporting the development of Children's Rehabilitation Services in Kirkuk and starting a new Satellite Physiotherapy Unit in Peramagrun * in partnership with the Department of Health. Inclusive special education services for children with intellectual disabilities in Sulaimany schools, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education. Early Intervention and Family Support services will also be part of this, while the training of local special educators, speech therapists and occupational therapists is a long-term plan. Developing a degree-level course for physiotherapists, and to assist with the setting up of a nationwide Physiotherapy association.
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