W.I.N.E Kurdistan

WHO WE ARE

Women’s International Network Erbil or W.I.N.E Kurdistan are your one stop female support system, if you are living or planning to locate to Erbil – Kurdistan.

Initially a Facebook group where you can post any question, query or concern, if the administrator doesn’t have the answer there is always a lovely lady who does. From a local recipe to a where can I find post, there is always a reply,with over one thousand members we support each others businesses and interests. Within the community we team up with local companies, Celebrities and Charities to improve and contribute to the onward movement of Kurdistan.

The beauty of the group is that we are from all corners of the world, we all have a different reason for being in Erbil. Once a month we meet for coffee at various locations and come together to share our stories. Regardless of religion or race we support listen and advise each other.

MEET THE FOUNDER

Angelina Miran

Angelina Miran, a British ex-patriot, who made Kurdistan her home six years ago founded W.I.N.E on the October of 2010 after a lonely start to life in Erbil, relocating with her Kurdish husband and daughter.

I realised I needed a pair of tights of all things, the only local supermarket I knew of didn’t have much of a ladies section. Where do women buy tights from? I asked myself. My husband who was also finding his feet here didn’t know which direction to point me in either. Luckily having bumped into a returning Kurd, she was Scottish Kurdish we became Facebook Friends, after a walk and talk about tights. I added her to the group and she added someone and when we had a staggering five members we went for coffee. It was the most emotional cappuccino I have ever sipped, we complained,laughed and cried all about life here in Erbil Kurdistan.

Over six years on I am blessed with a son and a career in Radio. We are still meeting once a month for coffee and regardless of who we are or where we are from,we have one thing in common. We live safely here in Erbil, Kurdistan and its’s our home.

EVENTS

WINE and our sister group Mothers International Network Erbil (MINE) have monthly gatherings at various locations around Erbil. Previous events include The Big Clean Up a litter campaign where we teamed up with Dashni Morad, the Iraqi Kurdish- dutch singer, songwriter presenter, TV journalist and Human rights & environmental activist, to hit the mountain side and clean it up.

We also took part in the Ice Bucket challenge raising money for IDP’S sleeping in tents outside Babylon Media.Other events include
the closing down of Erbils worst Zoo and relocation of the animals with Helan Abdulla, a kurdish – finnish singer ,dancer, actress and model.