As parts of Iraq are freed from the grip of the terror group ISIS, one Sikh man from Victoria decided to travel overseas to help people recover from the hardships they now face. Boota Singh is in the northern part of Iraq for one week in Erbil, with the international humanitarian group Khalsa Aid Canada. […]

As parts of Iraq are freed from the grip of the terror group ISIS, one Sikh man from Victoria decided to travel overseas to help people recover from the hardships they now face.

Boota Singh is in the northern part of Iraq for one week in Erbil, with the international humanitarian group Khalsa Aid Canada.

“Khalsa the word itself means a humanitarian word, anytime anybody needs help we go there to that community that country that people,” told Boota to CHEK News from Iraq.

“This organization started in 1999 and since then Khalsa aid international has helped people in Zambia, Greece, Iraq, india, bangledash, lebanon and hati and so many other countries”

He is visiting recently freed villages which were devastated under ISIS control and will help provide essential supplies to refugee camps, as well as meet with the Yezidis recently escaped or freed from ISIS-controlled areas.

“Its a place we have been going to since 2014,” said Jindi Singh, Victoria’s representative for Khalsa Aid Canada. “Boota is there with our CEO from the U.K. … we usually operate in the Kurd controlled areas of Iraq, they are a lot safer.”

“We try not to send things across international borders, just because that has a lot of issues and delays,” said Boota. “We try to go into the area and help the local economy, and purchase whatever needed and wherever we feel there is a gap we will try to fill that as best as possible.

“These people have been really living as slaves, and this is an attempt to empower themselves,” Jindi added.

But the trip is also dangerous but Singh, who became a Canadian citizen this year, says its worth the risk.

The situation was really heartbreaking and really needed help.

The group has been working in Iraq since 2014, and also has aid missions in Haiti, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and Zambia.