Reintegration and educational opportunities for children in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye
In the Turkish-Syrian border region in Şanlıurfa, many children have no access to schooling because they have to work in agriculture. Together with the Bonyan Organization, we are committed to reintegrating 300 children into the formal education system.
A sustainable learning environment is created through targeted school enrollment programs, individual learning plans and educational campaigns for parents. In addition, recycling initiatives, a football league for social integration and hygiene kits to support school children are provided.
INITIAL SITUATION
The Şanlıurfa region is characterized by economic and social challenges. Many refugee families from Syria live in precarious conditions and children often have no access to school. A lack of educational opportunities means that many Syrian and Turkish children have not been educated for years.
Particularly girls are disadvantaged by a lack of sanitary facilities, which is particularly a problem during menstruation.
After the earthquakes in 2023, the situation became even worse: schools were destroyed or need urgent renovation. At the same time, there is a lack of awareness of the value of education, which further reduces school enrollment rates.
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
Children in Şanlıurfa miss valuable educational opportunities due to work in agriculture, lack of infrastructure and lack of awareness among families. In order to break this cycle, the project relies on three central measures:
- School enrollment & individual learning curricula: 300 children are officially registered and receive a four-month intensive program to acquire basic reading and arithmetic skills.
- Education & psychosocial support: Parents and carers are sensitized to increase awareness of education. Psychosocial support also supports the children in their reintegration.
- Additional educational and social projects: A football league promotes integration, 50 recycling stations promote environmental awareness, and 500 hygiene kits improve the children’s living conditions.
Local Partner: Bonyan Organization
The NGO Bonyan Organization, founded in 2014, supports migrants and conflict-affected communities. She is particularly committed to education and humanitarian aid in crisis regions. With her experience in educational projects, she has already reached 450,000 students and is our local partner in the implementation of this project.
ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
Integration into the school system
In Şanlıurfa, 375 children were successfully (re)integrated into the school system: learning, health and participation were promoted through individual education plans, distributed hygiene items, a joyful graduation ceremony and regular follow-up visits.
Soccer Tournament
A soccer tournament was organized to strengthen the socialization between the supported children and their classmates. The national director of education also visited the project.
Support for the students
Selection and briefing of the children involved in the project
Our local partners visit families in Harran to inform them about the goals of the project and educational opportunities in the region. Children take placement tests and are then grouped into courses with individual curricula.
