Community Based Solutions from the Ground Up

The Issue

In Northern Iraq, especially in the Syrian refugee camps near Duhok and in poor neighbourhoods such as Daratu in Erbil, communities face serious hardships. These areas often suffer from poor infrastructure, including damaged schools, unsafe streets, and a lack of basic services like lighting and clean public spaces. Many of the people living in these areas are refugees and displaced families who face daily challenges. They are rarely included in decisions about improving their communities and have few opportunities to take part in planning or leading local development efforts. Combined this has led to a weak culture of volunteering and limited trust between communities and local authorities.

The Project

The project helps people in refugee camps and poor neighbourhoods in Erbil and Duhok, Northern Iraq to take the lead in solving problems in their own communities. Instead of waiting for outside help, local groups are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and carry them out. They receive training, guidance, and small amounts of funding for local initiatives. Such initiatives include renovating schools, improve safety, or clean public spaces. The goal is to give people the tools and confidence to work together, take action, and improve their lives from within their own communities.

The Change

The project brings a big shift in how communities respond to their own challenges. Locals are given the tools, training, and support to act themselves. They form volunteer groups, come up with ideas to improve their surroundings, and lead small community projects, encouraging a culture of volunteering and teamwork, where people work together to solve problems. Equally important, this project further helps women, youth, and people with disabilities get more involved in community life.

The project strengthens relationships between communities and local authorities, making it easier for people to speak up and be heard.

The Result

The project has over the years enabled a series of community-led initiatives across Duhok and Erbil governorates, including camps and host communities. These projects improved school environments, public spaces, and infrastructure while fostering inclusion and volunteerism. With modest grants and strong community contributions, the initiatives demonstrated local ownership and rapid response to urgent needs. Activities ranged from repairing classrooms and installing water systems to enhancing public safety and hygiene, supported by collaboration with authorities and civil society actors.

The Partner

DCA Iraq works together with Judy Organization for Relief and Development (JORD). JORD was established in 2012 by six Syrian refugees who wanted to help members of their community and has since grown to support several vulnerable communities in Erbil and Dohuk. JORD and DCA have since 2019, delivered psycho-social support, educational classes, livelihood trainings and survivor- and community-led responses.