The prison of former terrorists turned gorgeously into a home for youth
December 29, 2021 Culture and education
The United Nations Population Fund said that the agency and its partners have transformed a once gloomy detention center that was used as a prison by the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) into a bright sunny place for young people.
On December 25, UNFPA, the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports and relevant departments of Anbar Province attended the reopening ceremony of the Ramadi Youth Safe Space.
Before ISIL confiscated it in 2014, the building was a youth home under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It suffered severe damage during the war.
Unveiling ceremony
A space once reminiscent of sorrow and pain has been reshaped and opened up, and has been transformed into a space full of hope and strength.
At the unveiling ceremony, Governor Ali Farhan Al-Dulaimi of Anbar Province expressed his gratitude to UNFPA for its continued support and investment in the young people of the province.
The UNFPA representative in Iraq, Rita Columbia, emphasized the importance of empowering youth and involving them in community life.
She is proud of those young volunteers who have dreams and turned them into reality.
She stated that thanks to their determination and the support provided by UNFPA, Canada, the General Administration of Youth and Sports of Anbar, the Governor of Anbar Province, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the center has become a popular and truly youthful space.
United Nations Population Fund Comparison of the Ramadi youth security space before and after the war in Anbar Province, Iraq
Activity space created by young people
The youth safe space is a place where young people receive training in life and leadership skills, peace-building, education, and entertainment.
Before the war, the building was a special place for Anbar youths to establish friendship and learn new skills such as music, art, and science.
After repelling ISIL and being liberated, the young people there decided to restore the building to its original purpose and rebuild it as a youth-friendly home.
Young volunteers led the process and made a decision on how to make it easier for all youth in the surrounding community, including the most disadvantaged youth, to use this place.
In 2018, UNFPA first helped young people repair two rooms used for peace-building activities.
As the community’s demand for youth services grew, UNFPA, with the support of Canada, the Governor of Anbar Province, and the Iraqi Joint Medical Association for Relief and Development, completed the restoration of the youth safe space.
Newsessentials Blog 
Posted on January 2, 2022
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