Let's take the opportunity this week to celebrate the opening of a large Chicken Farm in Qaraqosh, one of our key ‘Nineveh Seed’ projects in Northern Iraq. Mosaic Middle East and our sister charity in the USA, Mosaic Middle East America jointly funded the project.
As you know, ISIS devastated Northern Iraq. Everyone fled for their lives when ISIS attacked. And the destruction is catastrophic. Qaraqosh, the largest Christian community in the region, suffered terribly. Those who have returned are struggling to rebuild their lives. Businesses strive to restore livelihoods with little access to funds. Residents struggle to find gainful employment, particularly younger people.
This year we have been able to provide much needed funding to projects across the Nineveh Plain of Northern Iraq through our ‘Nineveh SEED’ projects. We successfully opened one of these projects in 2019; a Chicken Farm near Qaraqosh.
Chicken City
Since the defeat of ISIS in the area, many local people have started to return. Many are youth, actively seeking jobs. Others are previous business owners, seeking support to re-establish businesses.
Before the ISIS invasion, Qaraqosh district was known for having a large number of chicken farms. It was known as 'Chicken City'!
The owner of this farm had his business nearly destroyed entirely. The site of the Chicken Farm was devastated by ISIS. The equipment on the farm was looted and sold on the black market.
We Celebrate the Opening
Mosaic Middle East worked on the ground with an Iraqi charity Ghasin Alzaiton to deliver the project, we celebrated here at the opening. Mike Simpson, Mosaic Middle East CEO, spoke via video to the local officials.
The project has seen the Chicken Farm open, newly renovated and equipped with the necessary tools to ensure that it’s operating in a fully functional way. It now provides work for at least ten local young people. It begins to contribute positively, giving local people better access to healthy food, improving local economy and ultimately the hope is to encourage former residents to return.
Through the project and others like it, we bring opportunity back to young people.
And Look to the Future
This project is just one of the five successfully under way so far. But imagine the possibilities with 10 more, 100 more. Imagine how many businesses this could create, how many youth could regain employment, local economies recovering; how different opportunities could be.
How great a difference can we make in 2020? Can we give these people, who have suffered so much under ISIS, hope for the future? Let's imagine together as we celebrate the source of our hope, Jesus Christ, this Christmas.
Please help us to continue to give hope to those who need it most this Christmas.
You can make a donation via our donate page (there are numerous options for how to donate). Alternatively, you can send us a cheque made out to ‘Mosaic Middle East’ to: Mosaic Middle East, PO Box 229, Petersfield, Hants, GU32 9DL, United Kingdom. American supporters wishing to make a donation can do so here.
