Empowering 80 people with disabilities in Iraq

To increase physical and emotional improvement, Operation Mercy encourages the many participants we serve to join a peer group along with one of their family members. By bringing together people with disabilities and their families who have similar diagnoses and ages, peer groups provide encouragement and the knowledge that is needed to thrive not just physically, but also emotionally and relationally. We have seen trust being built up in these groups even as mothers of children with disabilities and participants find community and a sense of comradery as they do exercises and activities together. Sustainable community is formed as participants visit each other in their homes and share a part of life together. Below a story of one peer group:

Four men with special needs were brought together by Operation Mercy to get to know each other and for encouragement. It took time to get to know each other but slowly they gained each others trust when they shared stories from their life and how hard it is to live with a disability. In this peer group the Operation Mercy team facilitated discussions about different topics such as that they have value and about perseverance in life. We shared that they have strength which is shown by their perseverance in doing exercises, despite the difficulties they face. When we started to work with each of these men, they were without hope, but through these discussions and sharing life they started to see how valuable their life is.

This group of 4 men became eager to meet each other and friendship was formed. Every week they meet with the Operation Mercy team and talk about certain topics. How to look for hope in the most difficult circumstances, how to encourage each other, how to care for each other, how to respect other opinions, how to listen well to each other. Trust is being built and each of them shares deeply about their life: feelings and stories that they had not shared with anyone else before.