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WORK IN IRAQ
HEALTHCARE
During 2013, AMAR supported six mobile health clinics, one health post and 23 primary health care centres in Iraq, including four clinics which specialise in tuberculosis. The mobile clinics support maternal and child health through vaccinations, food supplements and health consultations for children, mothers, pregnant women and all others in need.
They also help improve water sanitation through the distribution of chlorine tablets, and deliver health education through lectures and educational materials.
52,244 vaccinations were delivered, and 285,598 health consultations were carried out across Iraq.REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
AMAR’s Women Health Volunteers (WHVs) continue to provide reproductive healthcare throughout Iraq. In 2013 the project ran in Basra, Maysa and Thi-Qar provinces and 240 WHVs reached approximately 8,500 families and 30,000 individual beneficiaries.
The WHVs discuss family planning with women, as well as supporting pregnant women and new mothers. They also work to address the harmful effects of traditional social beliefs and practices, for example restrictions on women seeking medical advice without male relatives present; avoidance of discussions about puberty; or use of kohl on new-born babies’ eyes. HEALTH EDUCATION
AMAR’s Health Education in Schools programme was implemented in 100 primary and secondary schools during 2013. More than 4,000 sessions were conducted in schools during the year, directly benefitting an average of 4,100 pupils every month.
The curriculum, designed by AMAR in close partnership with the Ministries of Health and Education, provides regular teaching on health issues that affect pupils, their families and local communities. By building knowledge and raising awareness of available public health services, the programme supports long-term improvements to the health and wellbeing of the community.
Alongside health education in schools, AMAR continued to support health education in the community. Over 550 sessions were conducted during 2013 and more than 6,000 educational materials were distributed within the visited communities. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
25,000 Iraqis received regular education and training, including children, students, widows, female heads of households and prisoners and prison guards.
AMAR was selected as one of three UNESCO implementing partners for the Educate a Child Initiative, which aims to enrol 8,500 out-of-school children into the mainstream education system in Baghdad and Basra Governorates.
By the end of 2013, AMAR had identified and set up classes in 50 schools, enrolled the first 2,538 children, and recruited and trained 20 master trainers and 178 teachers. AMAR also organised field visits for the children and carried out four workshops and multiple community mobilisation activities to win the understanding and support of families for their children’s education. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW
(HRRL) PROJECT
AMAR pioneered an award-winning education programme to teach prisoners, their guards and other beneficiaries about human rights and the rule of law.
The scheme ran for three years and ended in November 2013. It provided training for 1,882 prisoners, including 351 women, 569 juveniles, and 711 prison guards. 550 of those prisoners also received literacy and numeracy training to provide them with opportunities to improve their livelihoods on release.
The respected British human rights lawyer and Queen’s Counsel, Baroness Kennedy, carried out an independent evaluation of the programme and gave it the highest praise.
In early 2014 AMAR won the International Aid and Development category at the prestigious UK Charity Awards for developing and implementing the training, which is now a part of everyday life in a number of prisons across Iraq.
In total, more than 28,600 people were direct beneficiaries of the HRRL training. AMAR set up Women’s Human Rights Committees which delivered 4,500 human rights sessions, involving elements of practical support alongside theoretical teaching.
Human rights and the rule of law sessions carried out in schools reached a total of 10,473 pupils, while 4,562 students at university received training. 6,395 government employees were educated in human rights, including workers for national departments and local directorates of health, transport, municipalities and women’s affairs. ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMME
It’s a fact that more people are killed or injured on Iraq’s roads than die in terrorism incidents in the country. This is why AMAR’s development of a road safety awareness programme for children is vital.
Working with road safety experts from Shell Iraq, the Basra Directorates of Education and Traffic Police, AMAR has produced an education programme on road safety for primary school pupils. This year, AMAR will also provide training to primary school teachers and principals from 70 schools.
EMPOWERMENT OF WIDOWS INITIATIVE (EWI)
There are an estimated one million widows in Iraq, and in a country with only 30 million people, this means a lot of women are struggling to provide for their families with very little support.
AMAR has developed this project to empower widows and female heads of household. By teaching key literacy and numeracy skills, as well as providing vocational training in areas such as IT, hairdressing and sewing, AMAR has helped vulnerable women to take control of their lives.