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It makes me sad to admit I first learnt of the Yazidi crisis in Iraq in August 2015 - one whole year after ISIL first abducted the Yazidi ethnic group from the Sinjar area.
On 3 August 2014, ISIL militants attacked and took over the Yazidi community in Iraq. They killed 95% of men, took boys younger than 18 to be trained as ISIL soldiers, and abducted Yazidi women and children–killing them, raping them, and selling girls as young as 9 into sexual slavery.
A year later, 3,000 women and children are still captive to ISIL. As governments aren't doing anything to rescue these women, escape largely depends on the planned efforts of locals to free their loved ones.
But I'm hopeful we can rewrite this story.
Those that have escaped are now displaced in tent camps in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, where many now without family contemplate suicide. YAZDA, the organisation I have volunteered to support, have set up 2 medical clinics in Iraq (one stationary, one mobile) to assist victims with medical and psychological support in addition to basic necessities. They are also working to pressure UK, US and Iraqi governments to take action.
For as long as it takes, I'll be running any event I can find to raise awareness and encourage donations to Yazda - including a 70.3 Half Ironman along the way. I'd love it if you could join me – by participating in a running event to raise money, sharing this story via email and social media, and donating anything you can to the cause.
Please help me in my goal to raise $20,000 for the Yazidi people in Iraq.
To see what I see, fast-forward to 8:00 minutes:
To learn more and to share the journey, please go to:
WEBSITE - http://tnpcreative.com/run-for-yazidi-women
TWITTER - https://twitter.com/RunforYazidi
FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/runforyazidiwomen
On 3 August 2014, ISIL militants attacked and took over the Yazidi community in Iraq. They killed 95% of men, took boys younger than 18 to be trained as ISIL soldiers, and abducted Yazidi women and children–killing them, raping them, and selling girls as young as 9 into sexual slavery.
A year later, 3,000 women and children are still captive to ISIL. As governments aren't doing anything to rescue these women, escape largely depends on the planned efforts of locals to free their loved ones.
But I'm hopeful we can rewrite this story.
Those that have escaped are now displaced in tent camps in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, where many now without family contemplate suicide. YAZDA, the organisation I have volunteered to support, have set up 2 medical clinics in Iraq (one stationary, one mobile) to assist victims with medical and psychological support in addition to basic necessities. They are also working to pressure UK, US and Iraqi governments to take action.
For as long as it takes, I'll be running any event I can find to raise awareness and encourage donations to Yazda - including a 70.3 Half Ironman along the way. I'd love it if you could join me – by participating in a running event to raise money, sharing this story via email and social media, and donating anything you can to the cause.
Please help me in my goal to raise $20,000 for the Yazidi people in Iraq.
To see what I see, fast-forward to 8:00 minutes:
To learn more and to share the journey, please go to:
WEBSITE - http://tnpcreative.com/run-for-yazidi-women
TWITTER - https://twitter.com/RunforYazidi
FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/runforyazidiwomen