Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

In 2011, Dr. Wayne Lavender accepted a teaching assignment at the University of Human Development in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. During his time there, he established a chapter of the Foundation 4 Orphans. Wayne worked with university students from his university and colleges nearby to create a mentor program for orphans and vulnerable children in Iraq where ongoing wars and conflicts continue to claim many lives. F4O continues to work throughout the region—and has expanded its mission from mentoring children in need to visiting refugee camps for those fleeing either the Syrian regime or areas overrun by ISIS. The situation is different in Iraq than it is in Africa: instead of construction of orphanages, many orphans in Iraq have extended families ready and able to take them into their care. Yet these orphans are still vulnerable children and benefit tremendously from mentorship programs.