NTHK focuses on six causes, see a description of the actions and their track record below.

Orphan and abandoned children

NTHK regularly supports the Orphanage of Erbil which belongs to the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq. This is done on request of the Minister, Mrs. Kwestan Maarouf and/or the Governor of Erbil Mr. Omed Khoshnaw. The work is done together with the director of the orphanage Mr Zaito Tawfiq Tahir.

Every quarter (change of season) NTHK provides sets of clothes and shoes, daily necessities (like toothbrush), some toys. NTHK knows suppliers that provide the items at a reduced cost. Each action (all kids) costs around €2,500, € 10.000 per year. The work is done with volunteers. The transport too.
The handover of the packages is combined with a little party for the children, so they enjoy themselves but also get to know the volunteers that are involved. This interaction should convey to the children a sense of reassurance that there are also people outside the orphanage that care about them.

 

 

Refugee children outside the camps

Since the end of 2021, NTHK developed quite a track record in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees and families with children, in and outside the refugee camps. While the camps are reasonably well catered for, by international organisations, there are some gaps like the provision of petroleum heaters and blankets in the winter of 2021/22.

 

Women and their children in prison

In 2022 NTHK started to provide support to mothers with young children who are in the Women and Juveniles Reform Prison in Erbil which is part of the Ministry of Social Affairs. First steps have been made to provide similar support to a women prison in Suleimani.
The Erbil prison houses around 25 women, some of them are mothers and their children (10 women and 20 children?). Sometimes the inmates are foreigners, like Asian domestic workers. They often have no outside support at all.
NTHK provides clothes, shoes and other essentials with the changing of the seasons. These actions are organized in coordination with the director of the prison Mr. Tayeb Abdul-Aziz Ahmed who highly appreciates NTHK and its donors for this humanitarian gesture for this invisible, forgotten, very vulnerable group.
Given that most women (and their children) are to be released sooner or later we want to provide the prison with some tablets and internet connection so that the women can contact family, the outside world and prepare for their return in society. We are looking at suitable communication programs for the children too.
The standard budget for providing the mothers and children with a set of clothing for the season is €2.500, €10.000 per year. Much of the goods are received from wholesalers for a strongly reduced price. In case we expand to Suleimani we would need €17.500. There is not too much space for a nice event for the kids during the handover but we hope that they are aware that there are some people outside the prison that care for them.
The tablets are refurbished, supplied from the Netherlands, and are transported for free to Kurdistan. The internet connection is subsidized by a Kurdistan internet provider..

 

Children with chronic health conditions

These are children with blood disorders, heart diseases or cancer. They require medicines, frequent visits to a hospital, sometimes an operation abroad. Some of them are from the south of the country because Kurdistan appears to have better facilities due to earlier private and international investment in Kurdish hospitals. Currently around 50 children with chronic diseases visit the hospital per day for treatment.
We respond to requests for support from the directors of the Nanakaly and Hiwa hospitals, both residing under the Ministry of Health. We can provide transport money to the (sometimes poor) parents to regularly travel with their child to the hospital for e.g. transfusions. Or to stay with their child in a hospital for treatment.
Hospitals struggle with the irregular availability and high cost of some treatments and we use our international network to identify alternative suppliers. We are developing contacts with relevant Dutch hospitals. We are looking into cheaper sourcing of some equipment. Donations of excess equipment and materials are also considered.
In terms of expenditure, working with the two hospitals, providing support regularly, requires a minimum budget of €30.000 a year.

 

 

Support to women’s shelters.

Since the establishment of NTHK, we have been providing continuous support to women’s shelters in the Kurdistan Region.
These centers are affiliated with the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government – Iraq, and it is similar to the “Blijf van mijn Lijf” centers in the Netherlands, as it provides a safe place for women facing domestic violence or divorce. NTHK provides clothing, shoes, and other essential items for about 100 women from various ages and backgrounds. Some with young children. 
Each distribution campaign costs around $1,500 USD, and the more donations we receive, the more women we can reach. We are working on providing them safe communication means. These donations are organized by Mr. Azad and a number of female volunteers from the organization, with no transaction costs. The director of the Erbil Shelter Center expressed her gratitude and appreciation to NTHK for this valuable support. We kindly ask for your support through donations, so we can continue this charitable work and protect the rights of women in our community. We hope that you understand that we cannot illustrate this work with photos due to the confidential nature of this action. More information can be provided upon donor’s request.

 

Community events

NTHK likes to organize parties for groups of children, to break their isolation, to give them a treat, to make them feel that others care about them. We invite them to parties, sometimes outside in a garden, sometimes in party halls with live music with famous artists, dance and songs by children, a Kurdish dance for adults, and food.