A New Chapter

JHK was founded in 2015 to coordinate emergency relief to victims of ISIS. The organization’s scope has grown over time to meet the evolving needs of communities affected by war and genocide in the Kurdistan region, including healthcare, rehabilitation, youth and adult education, and psycho-social support.

This summer we mark the end of Joint Help as an organization, but not the end of our work. Read on to find out about the organizations and individuals who will be carrying  JHK’s mission forward in the future, and how you can get involved. 

Goodbye JHK

Joint Help’s 9th annual general meeting on 8th June approved a motion from the board of directors to formally dissolve the organisation.

At the previous annual meeting in 2022 it was concluded that while the need for JHK’s services was still great, the Swedish association was no longer able to manage and direct operations in Kurdistan, and that the most appropriate step was to transfer ownership of JHK’s humanitarian projects to the local team themselves, in accordance with Dr Nemam’s frequently expressed hope.

During the past year, the Board have therefore worked closely with the BK team to help them gradually take more responsibility for management, planning and fundraising, and we believe they are now ready to fully take control over their own future.

Minutes of the 2023 annual meeting: English, Swedish

2022 annual report: English, Swedish

Narin, Adam, Stevie, Lena and Nazdar would like to express our thanks to everybody in Sweden and around the world who has supported our work over the years, and most of all to our dear colleagues and friends at Bajed Kandala.

Imprint of Hope

Last year our local team at Bajed decided to establish a new self-governing NGO that could take over management of HK’s humanitarian projects at Bajed Kandala. The organization held its first general meeting on 30th January 2023, approved a constitution and elected a board of directors.

The current composition of the board is as follows:

On the 31st July 2023 Imprint of Hope assumed ownership of the clinic and community centre and full responsibility for all projects in Iraqi Kurdistan previously managed by JHK.

More in formation on Imprint of Hope will be coming soon on JHK’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

For enquiries, to donate, or volunteer, please contact the chairperson at faroqhamo5@gmail.com.

The Nemam Ghafouri Memorial Fund

After Dr Nemam’s untimely passing her friends and family wished to to ensure that her good work is not only remembered but continues to live on.

The mission of the Nemam Ghafouri Memorial Fund is to support projects that promote the rights, health, education and empowerment of marginalised people, in keeping with Dr Nemam’s values and spirit.  The Fund is a registered fundraising foundation (insamlingsstiftlese) with organization number 802482-2804, operating under supervision of the Stockholm County board in accordance with Swedish Law.

Chairperson: Adam Bott

Treasurer: Nazdar Ghafouri

Secretary: Lena Insulander
Board member: Shilan Rashid

The Nemam Ghafouri Memorial Fund held its inaugural meeting in January 2023 and received formal authorization from the Stockholm county board in April. We hope to hold our first public fundraising events later this fall.

For more information please visit www.nemamghafouri.org