Iraq is home to 3.4 million displaced Iraqis and provides sanctuary for a quarter of a million Syrian refugees. Agencies can get children who have fled from war back into school, but many children suffer from toxic stress and find it difficult to learn. Standing in front of her class of Syrian refugees, teacher Shirin asks her students to close their eyes. The children oblige and begin taking deep breaths in and out. Shirin describes how they should picture themselves blowing out five candles, inhaling the scent of a flower, and then when exhaling ‘imagine you are blowing out a candle.’ She repeats this five times, until the children have blown out five candles. Emotional learning techniques rebuild healthy brain structures and neurological connections damaged by trauma-induced 'toxic stress'. Benefits include improved academic performance, better social skills, positive self-image, as well as decreased aggression and emotional distress. Across the region, there are 6.5 million child refugees like Shirin's class.