Pictured above: Bushra with two of her children.
I'm some way up in the mountains around Duhok in northern Iraq. The temperature is more pleasant up here than further south around Erbil, where the temperature is currently around 40 degrees. There is also a cool breeze in the garden where I, along with a local pastor and project staff, have been invited to tea with parents whose children are receiving schooling with support from donors of the Danish European Mission.
Parents and students are involved in project development
Before this meeting in the garden, we visited the school and met with students and parents. The parents thanked us warmly for the support for their children's schooling and gave suggestions on how the project could be further developed, including permanent support for a school bus service for children in villages even higher up in the mountains. It's great to see how parents and students contribute their opinions and participate in the development of the project. 
Pictured right: Parents and students thanked us for our support and made suggestions for further development of the project.
"Thank you so much for the support. We are so grateful that someone is taking on this burden so that our children can go to school." Bushra, Iraqi mother
Interview with Bushra
Back in the garden, I interview one of the mothers, Bushra, whose children go to school. Together with her husband, she has 11-year-old boy Nestores, 10-year-old girl Ankena and five-year-old boy Anke. I ask her:
What does it mean to you that your children can go to school?
"We are very happy and delighted. If our children did not get schooling in this project, it would be very difficult, And we might need to borrow money, so that they could go to school. My husband is a day laborer in the construction industry, and we don't have much money".
What would you do if you didn't have this offer of schooling?
"Education is very important", Bushra exclaims. "If ours children do not ka Get training, we would consider emigrate, and I'm guessing, that the majority of other families at the school would do the same".
What does it mean for the country that Christians stay?
"There are many Christians, the emigratebut it's good for the church, If stillthe Christian stays. In addition to that contributes the Christians also contribute positively to society. They are loyal, show love and are peaceful. That's the most important thing, What they have in common".
Bushra concludes by thanking the Danish European Mission's donors who have ensured that her and other vulnerable families' children can go to school: "Thank you so much for your support. We are so grateful for, for someone to take on this burden so that ours Children can go to school".
