Thanks to the Fédération Genevoise de Coopération’s Knowledge Sharing fund, three Iraqi colleagues were able to travel to Uganda, where they took part in workshops and visited projects. The exchanges, particularly on how to support children affected by violence, proved invaluable. Amjed Al-Rufaye gives us some feedback.
I’ve always been fascinated by the projects supported by Omoana in Uganda, but during my time there they continued to exceed my expectations.
My name is Amjed Al-Rufaye and I am originally from Baghdad, Iraq. In the past, I have worked for various NGOs in Iraq and Turkey. I am currently working as a technical advisor for Omoana and Aid Gate Organization in Iraq.
Our trip to Uganda began in Gulu with a four-day workshop bringing together teams from the NGOs currently supported by Omoana in Uganda. Along with other colleagues, we led visual art exercises for psychosocial support as part of the creation of the ‘Drawing Together’ manual. The workshop continued with Adrien and other drama coaches presenting drama exercises (for the ‘Theatre Together’ manual). It was a creative and interactive experience that filled the room with laughter. At the end, we listened to the feedback, discussed the importance of art, how it can benefit children and how it can be adapted to local projects and culture.
In the days that followed, we had meetings with Omoana’s NGO partners. We had a presentation of the teams behind the projects, exchanged questions and learned about each other’s experiences. After that, they took us out into the field and showed us how they interact with the local communities.
During these visits, I gained valuable information about the history and needs of the local community, and how Uganda and Iraq have gone through similar circumstances. For example, I loved what vivo is doing in Gulu to help victims overcome the trauma of being abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army as children and the horrors they were forced to see or do. Hearing these experiences reminded me of the time of the Islamic State in Mosul and the stories I heard from the locals. It made me think about how we can adapt what vivo does to help young people in detention centres and the community. The same goes for St. Moses and Hashtag Gulu and the psychosocial support projects they run in the community, and how we can implement similar projects by supporting and revitalising community centres for neglected young people in Iraq. Omoana House and St. Francis and their support for people living with HIV have opened my eyes to a serious problem facing Iraq. The lack of awareness about HIV and the growing number of undisclosed cases in the community make it a potential time bomb.
We learned a lot about the processes of various development NGOs, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. It provided me with information about Omoana, highlighted the importance of art and how it helped beneficiaries to express themselves when words were not enough. It also opened my eyes to new ideas and projects that can be adapted in Iraq. It was a very artistic experience filled with traditional dances and theatrical performances. In a fortnight in Uganda, we feel like we’ve gained ten years’ experience! We exchanged invaluable knowledge, immersed ourselves in a new culture and formed solid friendships, all the while escaping the 50°C temperatures in Baghdad.
Amjed Al-Rufaye
Technical Counsellor, Omoana
