Prior to the first Gulf War in the early 90s, Iraq’s educational system was considered to be “one of the most advanced in the region,” according to UNESCO. Primary school enrollment was at 100% and literacy levels were high. Education in Iraq has suffered greatly since, struggling with the fallout of war, international sanctions, occupation, and general instability. Major problems include the politicization of the educational system, uneven emigration, internal displacement of teachers and students, security threats, corruption, and a severe lack of resources.

Baghdida, located in the district of Hamdaniya in northern Iraq, is also known as Qaraqosh. Its population once surpassed 55,000, but during the ISIS crisis, it plummeted to only a couple thousand.

The Chaldeans in Iraq have decided they won’t go away, as they lay even more roots in their communities, resettle as refugees, and build institutions. The latest efforts to preserve the life and freedoms of Christians in the Middle East comes out of the Catholic University of Erbil (CUE) and Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda. A few months ago, CUE launched a media outlet called ACI MENA (Association for Catholic Information Middle East and North Africa) in collaboration with the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN), which covers the Catholic Church as well as Catholic issues around the world. ACI MENA will shed light on the plight of Middle Eastern Christians and their untold stories.

The land remembers us. On the streets of Ankawa, from the moment your feet touch the ground, you are instantly transported to an alternate reality. In this reality, this little pocket of northern Iraq, there exists a church on every corner, stores and restaurants with signs written in Sureth, and the humdrum of a vibrant daily life that persists in spite of all the hardship and pressure, both internal and external.