Consider recent university graduates in small towns in the Iraqi Kurdistan region who are ambitious, capable, and eager to start their professional journey. They dream of applying their skills or launching their own business. However, when searching for practical knowledge, training, or mentorship, they hit a wall: nearly all resources are available in foreign languages. The tools to advance exist, but not in the language they know best. What should be a pathway forward becomes a daily struggle to translate, adapt, and make sense of a system not built for them.

For years, many generations across the region have faced these kinds of barriers (gaps in access to language, knowledge, and learning). These challenges can leave communities feeling isolated and unable to fully shape their future. Jawtana was born from a simple but powerful idea: everyone deserves the opportunity to access knowledge, learn and thrive in the language they know best. We started with a vision of bringing down these barriers, like opening a window to a world where language, knowledge, and learning become bridges rather than walls.

From the beginning, our journey has always been about people’s lives and futures. We have seen how a story told in one’s native language can inspire pride and confidence; how access to a library or online course in Kurdish can ignite a lifelong love of learning. We have watched a teacher adapt materials into a local dialect so her students finally see themselves in their lessons. These moments are the heart of Jawtana’s story. They remind us why we do what we do to ensure no child, no adult, and no community in Kurdistan is held back by a lack of access to language, knowledge, and learning. This is the world we strive to create every day through our work.