Access to Higher Education Empowers Yazidi Youth

In 2014, ISIS seized Sinjar, and with it, the promising futures of countless Yazidi youth. Manal was one of many who was forced off the track in their pursuit of a brighter future and a higher education.

As much as Manal valued her education as a top priority, the genocide caused her to struggle to finish school. Manal considered it "one of the most challenging conditions" to bear throughout her displacement.

Her passion for pursuing education led her to JWL’s courses. "I enrolled in JWL English classes to better communicate with others. I believe that learning a new language is the same as learning a new culture. And I like learning about the cultures of various nations by reading about them in English. "

Access to quality education allows displaced youth to acquire new skills to improve their lives. We believe that youth empowerment through quality education has a positive influence on the region's local labor market and beyond.

"My primary objective for the future is to improve my skills, so that I can assist the people in my hometown of Sinjar in reestablishing their lives and creating new livelihoods.”

Learn more about our youth education empowerment initiatives: Youtube Video