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In 2017, under support of Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Mennonite Central Committee, REACH started the project, which will improve food security and household income in rural, isolated villages that are not getting assistance from the government or NGOs and are hosting displaced persons in Sulaimaniya and Erbil governorates. This will primarily be achieved by collaboratively constructing kitchen gardens and small dams with households and communities. The project will also include small-scale implementation of other food security and household income activities, using careful targeting selection according to beneficiary needs and geographical locations appropriate for each activity.  

This project design balances the immediate effectiveness of proven activities (kitchen gardens and small dams) with a long-term agricultural development perspective through beekeeping. These activities will take place across a projected 50 villages and a total of 500 households (allowing for some overlap of participants in multiple activities).  Many of the villages in the project area are hosting refugee and IDP families, with these displaced families making up 8-10% of the total inhabitants. All activities will continue using REACH’s model of collaborative contributions that solicit participation with and contribution to the project from the individuals, households, and leaders within each community.

Currently REACH implemented the following activities:

• 70 kitchen gardens for 460 beneficiaries;
• 2 beekeeping projects + boxes;
• 4 trainings on beekeeping, drought and compost in Chamchamal and Mawat districts of Sulaimaniya;
• the small dam in Sangaw is 50% completed.