Brighter Solar Energy Prospects for Minorities

There is a growing need for local solar technicians to help power minority communities across the Nineveh plains in a sustainable way. Recently we identified a suitable site for a solar engineering office in the Nineveh town of Teleskof. Renovation work is already underway to ensure the space is safe, professional, and fit for purpose.

At the same time, our local partner, the Friends of Youth Forum, is carefully overseeing the selection of participants who will form the core team. This process considers technical skills and training, but also intentionally seeks to open doors for those who - because they belong to minority Christian communities - are often excluded from employment opportunities within government departments and other formal sectors. Taking time over this stage matters: thoughtful groundwork now will strengthen the long-term sustainability of the business and maximise its impact for individuals, families, and the wider community.

This project aims to recruit a team of five local solar technicians who will receive direct employment, with fair and appropriate wages, in a growing and highly relevant field. Beyond them, the impact widens significantly: craftsmen, installers, suppliers, and others working in and around solar energy will benefit, as will the owners of homes, farms, and factories increasingly reliant on solar power. In this sense, the number of indirect beneficiaries is effectively unlimited.

That is why livelihoods projects sit at the heart of our regeneration work. When people are able to earn a living, provide for their families, and use their skills with purpose, they are far more likely to remain rooted in their communities, invest in local relationships, and contribute positively to the common good. Economic stability becomes a pathway to social stability and, ultimately, to sustainable peace. The new solar engineering office in Teleskof is a powerful expression of this vision.

This work is being delivered in close partnership with our trusted local partner, the Friends of Youth Forum, with whom Mosaic has worked for years to support citizens from diverse components and minority backgrounds in the aftermath of ISIS. Together, we are committed to creating opportunities that are inclusive, locally owned, and genuinely transformative.

The focus on renewable energy is also deeply significant in the Iraqi context. Iraq continues to face severe challenges with electricity supply, environmental degradation, and overreliance on unstable infrastructure. Solar energy offers a practical, sustainable alternative, one that not only meets real needs but also equips a new generation of professionals and craftsmen with future-facing skills. This project is helping to lay the groundwork for long-term, skilled employment that matches the aspirations of local engineers and technicians, rather than forcing them to abandon their professions or their homeland.

This initiative is more than a technical project. It is about dignity, stability, and the long work of rebuilding community after conflict. For minority communities on the Nineveh Plain, many of whom endured displacement, loss, and profound insecurity under ISIS, access to meaningful livelihoods is one of the most critical foundations for recovery. Without viable work, families are forced to leave in search of survival elsewhere, communities fragment, and the fragile roots of peace struggle to take hold.