SEED, with the help of the United States Government, the KRG, and NGOS, has been working to combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Kurdistan since 2016. TIP is a form of modern-day slavery where people are exploited for the profit of others. The global slavery index for 2018 estimates that there are over 40 million [...]

On March 26th, SEED Foundation in collaboration with its partners Jerry Joseph and Nomad Music hosted the first day of guitar lessons for the youth living in Dohuk.  Jerry Joseph is an American musician and songwriter, he has played his music around the globe in places such as Ireland, England, and France. Joseph and Nomad [...]

At SEED, while we strive to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable today, we believe it’s critical to invest in helping to transition to a more sustainable approach to mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS). Much of our efforts are through our Center for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) at [...]

SEED presents its 2017 Annual Report and 2018 Strategic Plan. SEED had many significant achievements in 2017, including the start of mobile services in Dohuk and Erbil, the opening of its new office in Dohuk, the creation of a Center for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) at Koya University and the first [...]

SEED is proud to present part 1 of six interviews with two trauma specialists from the United States: Holly Aldrich (Director of the Center for Homicide Bereavement) and Barbara Hamm (Director of Victim Services at the Department of Community Health Improvements). The interviews were conducted by SEED’s Co-Founder and Vice President, Tanya Gilly-Khailany. In this [...]

When learning is interactive, it gives the learners the opportunity to think about the information in a new way and practically apply it to their lives. At universities throughout the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, we often see that classes are taught in a traditional way using lecture as the primary teaching mechanism, leaving little room [...]

Interview with Dr. Azad Ali, ­ Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Koya University. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has known a long history of violence and persecution, with decades of war, oppression, genocide, and dictatorship. Trauma is passed over from generation to generation and talking about mental health issues is still taboo. [...]

By Ann Knapp, STARS Program Director. It’s said that time heals all wounds, but that isn’t the reality for many who’ve experienced unspeakable trauma. Men, women, and children who’ve been impacted by the horrors of ISIS; individuals who have endured violence on the basis of their gender; whole communities that have suffered decades of conflict [...]

The Center for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) at Koya University graduated its first 24 students from the Psychosocial Support Services (PSS) Training Program on Sunday, November 19th at Koya University. The Graduation Day included a morning of learning where we brought students and supervisors together in focus groups to learn more about [...]