OUR MISSION
COLLECTION OF YAZIDI TESTIMONIES
In 2025, Father Patrick Desbois, founder and president of Yahad – In Unum and the
Back to Life program, together with the organization’s field teams, returned to Iraqi
Kurdistan to continue supporting Yazidi victims recently freed from the detention
networks of the so- called Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
EXPANSION AND PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE PROGRAM
The year 2025 marks a decisive milestone for
the Back to Life initiative, at a time when Iraq
faces a significant demand for skilled labour to
support national reconstruction, particularly in
construction, sanitation, and basic
infrastructure. This momentum creates a
concrete opportunity for Yazidi communities,
over 90% of whom have been displaced and
who remain largely excluded from the labor
market due to the absence of recognized
qualifications.
It is precisely at this intersection of structural
economic needs and humanitarian challenges
that Back to Life operates.
Building on this very real demand, the program
develops targeted, practical vocational training
programs, enabling Yazidi survivors to acquire
directly marketable skills, earn an income, and
take an active part in rebuilding their country.
In 2025, Back to Life thus reached a new
milestone with its permanent establishment in
Sinjar and the significant expansion of its
vocational, educational, and psychosocial
support activities.