Holy Family Nursery
The occupation of ISIS left many parts of Iraq in ruins. This included the Christian town of Qaraqosh. With the help of ACN, the local Catholic community in rebuilding. This includes Holy Family Nursery which has now been able to reopen.
By ACN Staff
The children at Holy Family Nursery, Qaraqosh. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
In 2014, ISIS took control of much of Iraq after a sudden military offensive. The territory that was lost to the Islamist terrorists included land in Iraq’s historic Christian heartland, the Nineveh Plain. One of the towns in the Nineveh Plain that fell to ISIS was the Syriac town of Qaraqosh (Baghdeda).
Holy Family Nursery, Qaraqosh. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
The vast majority of the residents of Qaraqosh come from a Syriac Christian background, with over 90% of the population being Catholics. Not wanting to be at the mercy of the Sunni extremists of ISIS, most of Qaraqosh’s Christians fled into Kurdish controlled territory in the north of Iraq. Many of the Christian refugees eventually ended up leaving Iraq and went to western countries.
After heavy fighting, ISIS was ejected from Qaraqosh in 2016. In 2017, some of the former residents of Qaraqosh began to return. The Fighting and the occupation of ISIS had not been gentle on the town. ISIS had desecrated the town’s churches and the fighting left other buildings in ruins. Pope Francis recently visited Qaraqosh and led the Angelus in one of the churches Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) helped to rebuild. Another building badly damaged in Qaraqosh was the Holy Family Nursery. The nursery was next to a convent of the Ephrem Sisters, who ran the facility. ISIS had vandalised the nursery building, but worse yet damage had been done to the building in heavy fighting to expel ISIS from Qaraqosh.
ACN is determined to give the support that is needed to Iraq’s Christians to allow for them to stay in their ancient homeland. ACN pledged the help rebuild five kindergartens, a nursery and two schools, costing in total over €2.3 million. This included Holy Family Nursery. Two of the floors of the nursery have now been repaired, including the creche for the youngest children.
There are currently 47 children been cared for at the nursery. The provision of childcare is required in Qaraqosh, as extended families have been broken up by the conflict. This means that less families have grandparents, aunts or uncles that can help to look after children while their parents are at work.
Sister Mariam Yako, who runs the nursery, also believes the nursery is vital in helping the children recover from the trauma of the last few years and develop as part of the returned Christian community in Qaraqosh. Sister Mariam said the following:
“We are grateful to ACN for its support and contribution to the Holy Family Nursery here in Baghdeda/ Qaraqosh, and to everyone who has given money to help this centre, which is vital to the children so that they can develop by interacting together and working together with one another.”
ACN is determined to help Christians stay in Iraq. If you would like to help us in our mission, please consider making a donation.