The Project in Kurdistan Iraq

650 women benefitted

Over the course of 12 months, the project reached and benefited more than 650 women. Anna Rósa, a clinical herbalist, visited Iraq twice to provide hands-on training sessions. During her absence, Eman, the local Kurdish herbal teacher associated with Helping Herbs, continued to lead the workshops. A survey conducted among the participants revealed highly positive feedback. On a scale of 1 to 10, attendees rated their satisfaction with the program at an impressive 8.2. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of the women expressed a strong desire to expand their knowledge and continue learning about herbal medicine.

We handed out 687 products

We held many workshops in three refugee camps and handed out 687 products. Products were chosen by the women based on their needs – for example, remedies for pain, burns and wounds. Additionally, we supplied many cups of herbal teas and tea recipes for various complaints. Many women told us how useful they found these products for all sorts of ailments.

The project came to a halt

After one year, authorities in Kurdistan halted the project, citing safety concerns about teaching “uneducated women,” suggesting they might harm themselves or others with this knowledge. However, this reasoning appears questionable, given that the curriculum focused on creating harmless products like chamomile ointment and herbal teas. The decision seems less about product safety and more about limiting women’s empowerment and their ability to care for themselves and their communities. Despite this setback, we remain optimistic about finding a way to continue the project in the future.

Herbal Sisters

Our project called Herbal Sisters was in collaboration with the Lotus Flower organisation. The Herbal Sisters project integrated well with the organization’s goals, as it provided women and girls with the tools to empower themselves and their families through better health. Even though the project has come to an end, we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to work with The Lotus Flower staff, who were a source of inspiration and help throughout our time there.

Terrific course!

Bahar Mirza lives in the Esyan refugee camp in Kurdistan. She is 47 years old. She grew up in Sinjar district in Iraq but the ISIS invasion in 2014 forced her to flee along with her family. She spends her days taking care of household work and tending a number of sheep she owns. This is what Bahar has to say about the ointment course of Anna Rósa: „To me it was absolutely terrific. Something I had never experienced before. On top of that I could keep the ointment we made. I love this ointment.“

Women attending the workshops

In the words of the Icelandic poet Tómas Guðmundsson the hearts of people are much the same anywhere in the world. Anna Rosa expressed that there was no distinction between teaching women in Iceland and in refugee camps in Kurdistan. The enthusiasm and joy were the same.

The Lotus Flower

If it wasn´t for the cooperation with the Lotus Flower we would have been completely sidelined. Their super helpful staff made this project possible. A lot of people gave us their help and assistance and here you can see some of them.

Women beyond the refugee camps

Women at the local markets provided us with some of the native herbs used in the workshops. This project extended beyond the refugee camps and into the surrounding community, creating a positive ripple effect.