What did we do between 2018-2023 with our child protection projects supported by UNHCR?

mkalem 23 January 2024 News, Newsletter Leave a comment 458 Views

In the last 6 years, we have reached 123,390 people in Istanbul, Kocaeli and Adana with our 6 child protection-focused projects supported by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

In our projects, we carried out child protection activities aimed at enabling children to reach their needs. We produced and implemented activities to support gender equality. We carried out social cohesion activities to strengthen the relationship between refugees and local people in the community.

We have categorised all these activities under the following themes: access to rights and services (protection), strengthening gender equality, strengthening relations between communities (social cohesion), research and impact reports.

Supporting refugees and persons from the local community to access rights and services (protection)
5,256 children were supported to access services and services

Support services were provided to strengthen the well-being of 3624 children: As well-being enhancing activities, both individual psychological interviews and group psychosocial support activities were carried out with children.
Legal counselling services were provided to 1500 people: In 2021-2022, guidance and/or petition writing support was provided by a lawyer to non-Syrian refugees and Syrian refugees within the scope of legal counselling on issues such as their legal status in Turkey, marital status, legal document requirements.
13,953 people received social counselling on their demands and needs: The needs and demands of the people who contacted the institution were received. Then, relevant information and guidance were provided. In addition to benefiting from the general counselling service face-to-face by coming to our offices, clients also benefited by calling our hotline after September 2020.
e- 249 children were supported in cash and in kind within the scope of the emergency fund

Efforts to strengthen gender equality (development/implementation)

a- Men’s Participation for Women’s Empowerment Series: A series of 5 workshops targeting Syrian men in 2018 and 2019. This series is implemented in Arabic language and by an academician specialised in working with men on violence, parenting, women’s participation in the workforce and gender equality. 182 men benefited from this work.

b-A Family Father’s Adventures Game (2021): It is the only game developed by a local civil society organisation that promotes gender equality and is aimed at men. There are Arabic and Turkish versions. It can be downloaded from Google Play and IOS app stores. By the end of 2023, it was downloaded and played by more than 4,000 people in total.

c-Workshop for Empowering Girls Against Violence: It is a workshop that supports not giving information to girls but encouraging them to think and recognise violence. The activity developed in 2022 was implemented in 2023. 173 girls were reached.

d-Empowering Girls Workshop Series: This workshop series, consisting of 6 separate sessions adapted to Arabic in 2018, was implemented in 2019. 168 young girls were reached with this study, in which a girl participated in all 6 sessions. Girls were informed about puberty, gender equality, violence and protection, healthy sexuality, harassment and protection, health, and nutrition.

e-ToTs: 89 civil society and local government employees were trained on the Male Participation Module (2019-2022 and 2023). 57 civil society and local government employees were trained on the use of the Women Write Beautiful Stories tool (2023). 43 civil society and local government women employees were trained on Girl Child Empowerment ToT in 2019 (2019-2022).

Strengthening the relationship between refugees and local communities (social cohesion)

a- Minus 18 is a Child Campaign: The campaign, which was implemented in 2017-2018 and 2019, consisted of bilingual (Arabic-Turkish) messages. These messages were that individuals under the age of 18 are children, that individuals under the age of 18 should not marry, and that individuals under the age of 18 should not work. These messages were disseminated through different printed materials, considering different people with different roles in society. Some of these people were mukhtars who have a big role in the local community, shopkeepers, men who spend time in coffee shops and women who receive counselling from MaviKalem. The campaign was disseminated with different materials such as Eid handkerchiefs, magnets, notepads, pens, kitchen aprons and brochures, with a message on each product.

b- Establishment and functioning of community volunteer groups: 22 volunteer groups consisting of 10 people were formed, one of these groups was a “children’s work advisory group” consisting of children. 21 volunteer groups referred to MaviKalem for the dissemination of children’s rights messages and for the support of children they recognised to be vulnerable.

c-Child Rights and Respect for Differences Workshop: It is a two-part workshop with children. This workshop aims to empower children against peer bullying. In 2022 and 2023, it was implemented in MaviKalem project offices, Fatih Municipality neighbourhood houses and Leyla Bayram Primary School, reaching 566 children.

d-Information sessions on services provided by the state: Various information sessions were held on the services provided by public and local governments. The agenda also determined the theme of the content. In 2020, information was also provided to take precautions against Covid-19. Information sessions reached 13,759 people.

Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Agfa RSX II’

Research Reports
Child Rights Awareness Survey and Report: In 2018, 352 people in Istanbul and in 2019, 165 people in Istanbul were surveyed and two reports were published. In this report, what local people know about the concept of children and children’s rights was analysed. The second report compares the results with the first report. The study was conducted with 455 people reached between February – 31 December 2021.

https://www.mavikalem.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MK_Fark%C4%B1ndal%C4%B1k-Ara%C5%9Ft%C4%B1rmas%C4%B1-Raporu2.pdf

Covid-19 Vaccine Attitude Analysis of Refugees: Research and report writing was carried out to analyse the attitudes and opinions of Syrian people about Covid-19 vaccine.

https://www.mavikalem.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ENG-Final-Web-Mavi-Kalem-Rapor-Final-ENG-WebMail.pdf

Adventures of a Family Man Game Impact Analysis Report: Developed in 2021, this report shows and analyses the impact of the digital game on gender equality among men who play it.

https://www.mavikalem.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FinalFinalFinal-MK-Oyun-Analizi-Etki-Raporu-ENG.pdf

Child Rights and Respect for Differences Workshop Impact Report

2022 is the report that measures the impact of the workshop produced and implemented between January and November. The impact report was written based on the feedback of 365 children who participated in the workshop in 2022.

https://www.mavikalem.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/MK-Children-Right-Workshop-Report-Rev.pdf

Emergency Activities
Edirne Pazarkule Border Study: In February 2020, on the evening of the day when it was heard that refugees were going to the Greek border crossing, two social workers and a protection specialist went to Pazarkule border. We worked there for 3 full days. After observing the area and preparing a needs report, purchasing and distribution work was carried out in coordination with international and national non-governmental organisations working in the area, especially for the nutrition and cleaning needs of women and children.
6 February Kahramanmaraş Earthquake activities: Between April and 31 November 2023, we provided financial support to 103 earthquake-affected children within the scope of the “earthquake-affected special needs fund”. Earthquake refugee families who contacted the MaviKalem Counselling Line or came to our offices were directed to benefit from the financial support offered by UNHCR Ankara. In this study (according to 28 November data), 289 earthquake survivors received financial support.

Cooperation with Public and Non-Governmental Organisations and Capacity Support Activities

a-Working with Eurasian Turkish Associations: In the second half of 2021 and the whole of 2023, we worked with refugee-based associations affiliated to the federation. In these activities, general counselling, legal counselling and capacity building support was provided to non-Syrian refugees.

b-Working with the Repatriation Centre: These activities were held between April-17 July in 2019 and between August-25 December in 2023. There were 42 visits in total. A total of 534 children and 177 women were supported during these visits.

c-Working with Child Support Centre: In September 2019, 4 information activities were carried out with non-Syrian boys aged 14 and over in Tekirdağ Child Support Centre by visiting the institution. In this study, the boys were informed about their rights and what they can do in Turkey when they leave the institution after the age of 18. In this context, 28 boys were reached.

d-Trainings on child protection and child rights: Both online and face-to-face trainings were provided to other public institutions and organisations, civil society employees and clients, especially on child rights and child safety. With these trainings, 933 people were reached.