Empowering Youth

Project Summary
Grantee : Mardin Women Cooperation Association
Purpose : Raising awareness on gender issues, reproductive health and intra-family communication among high
  school students, families, educators and communities at large
Location : Mardin - Kiziltepe
Grant Amount : 94.578 TL
Project Partner : Woman Life Center Association, Kiziltepe District Directorate of National Education, Provincial Directorate for
  Family and Social Policies, Provincial Public Health Directorate
Period : 8 July 2013 – 7 July 2014
Status : Completed
Project Year : 2013

Background

70% of the families in Kiziltepe district of Mardin are large families composed of 20-25 members. The patriarchal family structure in Kiziltepe intensifies the social pressure.

Project Goals

  • In Mardin, Kiziltepe:
    • Trainings on “gender”, “reproductive health” and “communication” will be delivered to 400 students from 2 high schools.
    • Meetings will be arranged with 70 families and 30 educators regarding “gender” and “communication with adolescents”.
    • Youth Desks will be established at high schools where young people will be able to express themselves.
    • The model will be disseminated all over Mardin.

Project Results

  • 400 students attended trainings on “gender issues”, “reproductive health” and “intra-family communication”.
  • Informative meetings were arranged with 43 teachers and school administrators. Further meetings were arranged with 82 families on gender issues and communication with adolescence.
  • Youth Desks were established in both high schools. Students found the chance to express themselves through art, poem and stories at the desks
  • Desks helped connect 79 students to counsellors and take personal counseling from psychologists based on their their needs.
  • Two newspapers were published including the poems, writings, paintings of students and news from the project.

Testimonials

"I shared my poems with you and they were published in the newspaper. Sometimes one needs to make an effort to be heard and you’ve supported me in this endeavor. I also know that trainings were very crucial. They will help us in becoming healthier, wiser and better in communication."

Project Beneficiary


"Students understood that it is normal to become clumsy, to be self-ordained and to have conflict with their families during adolescence. They were very surprised and stated that “we used to experience these all the time and asked ourselves if we have a problem or not”. Young people open themselves up to you when you establish good relations, they need to talk about puberty and be informed."

Trainer






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