Happy New Year!

Greetings Friends,

We thought we’d remember what we did this year as it ends and a new one begins.

2014 has been a time voluntary work kept going and new friends added to voluntary work for us.  Our women and children programs kept going as of previous years, with the wide participation of volunteer energy.  Every month orientation meetings for new volunteers and evaluation meetings for voluntary activities kept going on.  We especially planned and implemented our children programs together.

We also had volunteer friends from European Voluntary Service and universal internship, giving us the opportunity to strengthen intercultural communication among youth.

Our children programs went on especially on local basis.  In addition to support to school education in Fener/Balat area of Istanbul, we also held, art activities, museum/theater tours, picnics etc.  We supported the children’s personal development and learning processes in contact and cooperation with the families, with volunteer psychologist support when needed.

In our “Girls’ Club” consisting of teenage girls; we held workshops on confidence, self-impression, body development and reproductive health.

In our women program, widespreading of reproductive health and sexual health information and awareness activities for women’s health rights have been our main concerns.  We have been in cooperation with various NGOs and women groups, and held women health/rights workshops.

Our local activities go on as “monday meetings” with women of Fener-Balat area in Istanbul.  Also Turkish classes go on for the few Syrian immigrants (women&children) in our area in Istanbul.

Human oriented disasters caused migrations to Turkey this year too.  Syrian immigrants are struggling in border cities as well as the big cities.  We both held support activities in our local field as well as evaluations and observations in cities that receive the most migration.

There are lots to do in 2015, wide spreading of voluntary work, increasing our experience and support in children, youth and disaster fields are our goals.

With the wishes of 2015 being a more free, more equalist year than 2014, in which we share our skills and knowledge with solidarity spirit,

Mavi Kalem Association

www.mavikalem.org

Mavi Kalem,

does not define itself in political, religious or ethnical identities.

Is only a side on subjects of Freedom, human rights, democratic rights, health rights, public sexuality inequality, women’s rights, LGBT rights, children’s rights and prevention of discrimination.