Shakir's Story: Empowering Yazidi Youth Through Access to Higher Education

Shakir believes that studying English and becoming fluent in the language is crucial to achieving his life goals.

During the Yazidi Genocide, Shakir was forced to leave Sinjar, and spent years separated from his family.

In 2017, after the liberation of Sinjar, Shakir and his family returned home: “We decided to come back to Sinjar because it’s our homeland and we should never leave it for our enemies.”

Shakir always dreamed of becoming a translator and travelling the world, so he enrolled in JWL’s Global English Language course to improve his English skills and turn his dreams into a reality.

While his main goal was to improve his communications skills, the course has given him much more. It has helped him prepare for searching for jobs, find ways to help his community, and make new friends.

“My community needs more humanitarian organizations that can help poor people, implement projects, and provide education support, such as English language courses and computer courses.”

Shakir looks forward to pursuing his dream of becoming a translator and giving back to his community.