The centuries-long persecution of ethnic-religious minorities in northern Iraq, especially the crisis which began in 2014, has motivated OlamAid in recent years to implement various support programs for Yazidi refugees in Germany. The project HAND IN HAND BRANDENBURG supported Yazidi survivors through direct therapeutic, psychosocial support, protection against gender-based violence, and the empowerment of women.

The psychosocial support was realized through semi-verbal art therapy processes. To overcome language and cultural barriers, OlamAid worked with Kurmanci-speaking intercultural facilitators. In the context of empowerment and integration, existing OlamAid projects could be carried out by and benefit successful graduates with a refugee background and local networks could be utilized.