Iraqi Teenager Donates 9,000 Face Masks To Ireland

We at SCOOP first met Shahab in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Iraqi Kurdistan where he had been living since the Yazidi genocide of 2014.

In 2018, we established an IT programme for young people in the camp, and a then 17 year old Shahab became our most eager student, excelling in programming and game design. We lined Shahab up with a mentor from Techfugees, a global organisation who empower displaced persons whilst supporting tech innovations, which further helped Shahab fulfil his potential and obtain a digital scholarship for a degree in computer science.

Last September, tired of spending his best years in a camp and unable to return to his home, Shahab decided to make the trip to Europe to reunite with his mother and sister who were claiming asylum in Germany. Shahab reached Germany at Christmas and settled into his new life, turning 18 just two weeks after he arrived. We kept in touch and he was very aware of our COVID-19 response campaign for Direct Provision and Homeless services in Ireland. Then one morning, a very excited Shahab messaged me. Always an advocate of paying it forward, Shahab had spoken to the people of Hansemaske in Hamburg and arranged a donation of 9,000 face masks, Shahab’s way of saying thank you to Ireland for helping him get to where he is today.

Through our friends over at Expert Removals and AB Logistics, the face masks arrived last week and were distributed to Focus Ireland, The Capuchin Day Centre, Daisyhouse, Muslim Sisters of Eire, Friends Helping Friends and Direct Provision centres in Bray, Newbridge, Clondalkin and Dublin City!

Many people came together to make this happen and we’d like to thank all at Hansemaske, Sam Mead, Shahab’s sister, Damien and Graham @ Expert Removals, Dave Bergin @ AB Logistics, Buzz O’Neill, Al Feeney, Denis Dwyer and most of all Shahab himself! Shine on you crazy diamond!