Empowerment Projects in Nebraska
The Yezidi community in the U.S is a low-income community, bearing scars of trauma, due to the 74th genocide of the community, this time at the of hands of ISIS in Iraq. Many family members of those who are Yezidis and US citizens perished during this genocide. Our goal at the Yezidis International(YI) is to comprehensively help and empower the community making them productive citizens. Our organization has come out with several projects which attends to the most vulnerable.
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Grandma Project
Grandma Project: this project started in March 2016. It attends to grandmas who are senior citizens and have spent most of their lifetime in Iraq but are today U.S citizens. Because of non-existing language skills, driving skills, math skills, the grandmas feel isolated, financially non-productive and depressed. Due to YI’s systematic efforts some of the grandmas have passed the learners permit test thereby motivating many.
In a well-knit family system as those of the Yezidis, any member of the family feeling depressed can lead to a demoralizing effect on the entire family. This is particularly true if the person happens to be an elder member of the family as the grandmas. Empowering the grandmas, who do not know English or to read or write in any language, with skills that will help them interact easily, drive cars can inspire an entire community. We use technology, customized and individualized attention through expert teachers, collaborations with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln professors to impart skills to grandmas who had never taken part in any academic endeavor before. The success of some of the grandmas in passing the driving test is a testimony to the possibilities that lie before us.
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Dance Away
Dance Away Program: many Yezidi children between ages 6-13 cannot afford enrichment programs. YI members believe that children if they are inspired to serve the community selflessly from an early age, wonders can happen to the society. Dance classes and community service programs for girls have already started.
The aim of this projects is to infuse a sense of team spirit and selfless service for the society among members of the community. As children dance and discuss topics that can help them to become better human beings, the effect of this project can have a very deep impact on the community and the society as a whole. They are expected to inculcate a sense of service, dignity of work and mutual respect for each other through community service such as caring for senior citizens.
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Partnerships for These Projects
YI members will continue to work with the following established organizations which share our desire of making the community stronger. The Asian Community Center, provide services and programs to increase the stability of refugee families who face economic and cultural barriers to self-sufficiency, has partnered with us provides transportation for 6 of our students.
Lincoln Literacy, a multi-award-winning charitable provider of literacy services trains our teachers & mentors.
Aging Partners a provider of information and services for older adults, gives lectures on health to our students.
University of Nebraska- Lincoln is working to make our Grandma Project more effective by developing scope and sequence .
Renae Nieman from Girl Scouts, have contacted us and plans on working with our instructor for Dance program on January 2017.
SEWA, a global organization provides us with legal advice on taxes and record keeping to ensure that YI maintains its 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
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More Programs Coming Soon
contact us if you are interested in being part of these programs
