Iraq's First Fully Solar-Powered Village in Kulak Is Now Operational
The village, being inaugurated today, Tuesday, May 20, stands as a model of innovation—integrating renewable energy systems, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation practices. The initiative arrives at a critical time, as the region is facing escalating environmental challenges, including extreme heatwaves, water scarcity, and rapid desertification.
'This project proves that we can protect our environment, empower our people, and build a future rooted in resilience, dignity, and hope. Our vision is to see this model grow across Iraq—one village at a time—until sustainability becomes the standard, not the exception."—Idris Nechirvan Barzani, founder and president of the Rwanga Foundation
The Kulak Solar Village is powered entirely by solar energy, which provides round-the-clock electricity. Solar-driven irrigation might also be possible, and there are plans to provide hands-on training programs in regenerative agriculture. The project serves as a replicable model designed to empower communities facing the harsh realities of climate change with the tools needed for energy independence, food security, and ecological restoration.
With Iraq recently ranked by the United Nations as the country that is fifth most vulnerable to climate change, this project represents a scalable solution to the urgent environmental and humanitarian crises facing the region.
The Kulak Solar Village is now fully operational, with plans underway to expand the model across Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030. This effort will be implemented in partnership with regional authorities and international organizations, forming the cornerstone of Rwanga's broader Green Kurdistan campaign.
This milestone builds on Rwanga's long-standing environmental work, which includes the planting of over 200,000 trees across the region in the past five years, alongside ongoing investments in education, youth empowerment, and climate resilience.
Contact Info:
Name: Rwanga Foundation
Email: Send Email
Organization: Rwanga Foundation
Website: https://www.rwanga.org/
Release ID: 89160481
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Many parents now work hard to be trauma-informed, to honor neurodiversity, and to interpret behavior as communication rather than defiance.' 'When we understand where these miscommunications come from, we can move away from defensiveness and towards collaboration,' she continues. 'This is much better for the relationship between the parent and the grandparent and also much better for the children involved.' This one comes up constantly, especially when a grandparent swoops in with advice that they consider well meaning and helpful but that feels more like judgment, says Dr. Cynthia Edwards-Hawver, PsyD. 'For example: Grandma shows up with a big bag of candy after you've finally cut sugar to help with your child's ADHD symptoms,' she says. 'You say something like, 'We're trying something new,' and she responds, 'I'm just trying to help!'' In this instance, grandparents often carry deep pride in how they raised you and struggle to understand why your parenting looks different, explains Dr. Edwards-Hawver. 'So when Grandma offers 'help' it can feel like she's second-guessing the thousands of micro-decisions you've already agonized over,' she continues. 'It's not about the candy, it's about feeling unseen and unsupported.' For older generations, some kids may have been raised to hold back their emotions; expressing them might have been seen as weak or lead to abuse from parents who weren't interested in their mental health. 'This one stings because it hits right at the heart of modern parenting: We're trying to raise emotionally attuned, self-aware humans, not just obedient ones,' explains Dr. Edwards-Hawver. 'You calmly ask your toddler to take a break after a meltdown and grandpa mutters, 'In my day, a good smack would've fixed that.' You hear: 'You're coddling your kid and failing as a parent.'' 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"In another example, a parent might have a hard and fast 'no screen after dinner,' rule, but a grandparent, not even knowing that they are assisting or rewarding the child, plays Peppa Pig to keep everyone calm while doing dishes,' she illustrates. To the grandparent, the situation might seem innocuous; after all, its just one episode of television while the adults do chores. 'But to the parent, it can seem like an attempt to undermine their authority or flout their well-planned routine,' says Esmaeilpour. Esmaeilpour says there's often a conflict over the kids' sleeping habits or routines, as many modern parents choose to follow strict bedtime rituals, while grandparents may recall simply putting them to bed when they seemed sleepy. Parents' nighttime routines might seem too rigid, though the parents themselves may have created these routines to help their children get more rest, and allow themselves some freedom at the end of the night. 'Grandparents were raising children in an era with fewer facts but more experience or practical methods, and they can look at contemporary methods of parenting as excessive or too programmed,' Esmaeilpour explains. 'On the other hand, contemporary parents are saturated with masses of research on children's development, online communities, and pediatric guidelines that shape their behavior and they feel compelled to get it right more often in a culture of criticism.' The grandparents might want the kids to stay up late so they can all spend more time together, not realizing that again, their parents feel undermined or judged when the grandparents question their parenting style. People from older generations who were not necessarily taught how to express their emotions in a healthy way might make passive aggressive remarks to signify their disagreement with a parent's choice—the parent might respond in kind when they feel attacked. Erica R. 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