EDUCATION
LIGHTHOUSE LEARNING CENTER
Denice teaching two of our older students, who love their lesson & their teacher.
Denice teaching two of our older students, who love their lesson & their teacher.
Under the educational branch of The Restoration Act, husband and wife team, Ron and Denice, are giving hope to families by loving on many children with special needs.
They have developed three programs to meet the needs in the community. The first program is a weekly encounter for mothers and their infants. Then there is a 3-day program for young students, ages 2 ½ to 5 years old. The third program is aimed at older students, 6 to 8 years, who meet 2 days a week. Along with classroom time, they visit the homes of families who have a child with special needs.
The heart and passion that Ron and Denice carry comes from their experience with the Little Light House in Tulsa, OK. https://www.littlelighthouse.org/ They are grateful for the Little Light House Global Classroom who encourage them with their friendship and professional guidance.
Local Yezidis have been hired to help with translating and assisting in the classroom; however, there is a shortage of special education teachers, physical therapists, speech therapists and experienced administrators. Short and long-term volunteers are needed that can love well and provide the specialized assistance needed.
SHINE & STRENGTH
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The SHINE Program is a solution-focused personal development program that empowers women regardless of their cultural, educational, or socio-economic background.
The goal is to help individuals on their journey of discovering their personal value, resilience, and potential. It is about equipping women with the knowledge and skills to discover who they are and the person they want to become.
Shine focuses on three key principles throughout its duration:
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Worth: Discussion and activities center on the intrinsic value of a human being
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Strength: Building resilience through problem-solving skills, making healthy choices, and managing emotions
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Purpose: Encouraging women to discover their potential and pursue their hopes and dream
This program has been facilitated in many of the host communities and IDP camps with various different groups. We are now also providing Strength classes for teenagers and men.
ENGLISH EDUCATION
Many people consistently want to learn English. In order to help those that already know how to read English but do not know how to speak it or are very shy, we have found our English Reading Groups to be very successful.
English Reading Groups: Small groups of 4 to 5 people plus a leader - they meet regularly to read short stories out loud in order to practice speaking English and improve reading comprehension.
One of the ways we've encouraged local teachers is by holding Teacher Training Workshops. These are always fun, and classes give teachers ideas on how to teach in other ways besides rote learning.
As funds and staff/volunteers are available, we love providing English classes for all ages. In collaboration with a local organization, we provide English classes for young people in Shingal City at our Shingal Educational Center.
CROCHET PROJECT
Purpose: The crochet project is to provide psychosocial support for survivors of Daesh (ISIS), those deeply affected by the genocide and/or depressed and providing an opportunity for those with nothing to do.
Location: Duhok region of Kurdistan, Iraq & Shingal/Sinjar.
Action: This interactive project provides an opportunity to learn the skill of crocheting from a local instructor. In addition to acquiring a potential trade, classes foster an environment for social interaction.
Details: Each class is 2 hours long, meeting 3 times a week for 4 weeks.
Impact: Integrating survivors back into their communities, helping those with depression and/or needing a social activity. Providing a skill that has the potential to provide an income. Giving an opportunity for a focused, creative activity that allows emotional and mental healing.
Cost: Each series of classes cost between $400-$600 to host, with between 10 to 20 attendees per class. The cost includes supplies as well as paying the local instructor. Classes are free.
SUICIDE PREVENTION CLASSES
With the increased rise in suicide rates among the Yezidi community, TRA hosted a suicide prevention class for both locals and foreigners.
The class was taught by a professional working in the field and was designed to create a safe space for people to begin to speak about the leading causes of suicide and how to begin the conversation in a shame and honor culture.
We also encourage and work with those that have attempted suicide or have spoken about wanting to commit suicide.
