2. June 2026 – SPACES TO GROW
SPACES TO GROW: DIGITAL EDUCATION AND INNOVATIVE LEARNING SPACES FOR DISPLACED CHILDREN AND YOUTH
For children, growing up in displacement camps often entails not having appropriate access to educational facilities and materials, recreational spaces, or even quiet spaces to study. In Sharya Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, over 3,000 displaced children and youth face daily challenges due to trauma, limited educational opportunities and a lack of safe and stimulating spaces for learning outside the classroom. This has major outcomes on their academic progress and leaves them with few opportunities to explore their creativity and develop life skills, ultimately increasing their vulnerability.
SPACES TO GROW by HÁWAR.help builds on our work with the Sharya community since 2022 and supports internally displaced children’s emotional wellbeing and access to education by offering them safer, inclusive, and innovative spaces for learning
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As part of the project, a dedicated Digital Lab was set up, where students, primarily girls aged 10 to 17, took part in weekly workshops on digital literacy, basic programming skills, coding, and creative technology, conducted by the Algorithmics International School of Programming. The workshops were mainly conducted using the micro:bit computer kit, a widely recognized educational tool used in classrooms around the world.
To conclude the project, we held a graduation ceremony where participants received certificates and presented their work to their families and peers. A special focus was placed on showcasing what they had created using the computer kits, including small interactive games such as rock-paper-scissors programmed with the micro:bit kits.
Through SPACES TO GROW, students develop essential computer skills and become familiar with modern technologies, helping them build confidence and strengthen their problem-solving abilities. In addition, they gain access to new educational pathways in technological or engineering fields that would otherwise not be available to them. A second component of SPACES TO GROW is the transformation of an unused outdoor area into a community garden and playground, featuring green spaces, raised gardening beds, shaded seating, and play zones.
With new skills and confidence, the project opens doors to education, opportunity — and a future our participants can shape themselves. Together, the digital lab and community garden provide more than extracurricular activities. They create nurturing environments where children can learn, grow, recover from traumatic experiences, and imagine brighter futures.
With financial support from the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg and the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg through the Baden-Württemberg Foundation for Development Cooperation, as part of the partnership initiative between Baden-Württemberg and northern Iraq.
