Project Summary
Grantee	: Research and Development of Social Issues Association(TOKAGEDER)
Purpose	: Training unemployed young women in Kocaeli for home care services for persons with disabilities and employing them and enabling persons with disabilities to have access to high quality care services
Location	: Kocaeli
Grant Amount	: 84.571 TL
Project Partner	: Kocaeli Municipality, Modern Women Association
Period	: 1 June 2009 - 30 March 2010
Status	: Completed
Project Year	: 2009

Background

It is a fact that there is a need to create new employment sectors to contribute to economic participation of young women in Turkey. “Home care services” are very limited since there is a limited number of experts and training material and course in that field. (TOKAGEDER, 2008)

Project Goals

• Trainings for 28 unemployed young women regarding “home care services” will be organized.
• At the end of the trainings the half of the participants will be employed.
• A best practice on home care services will be created and the model will be disseminated.

Project Results

• A 256 hours training program have been created by 5 experts form the home care services field
• 30 young women have been trained.
• The training material received a certification from the Ministry of Education.
• Trainees who have completed the program participate in the internship program in rehabilitation centers and received certificates.
• Employment opportunities for the trainees have been explored and a resume inventory has been created.
• 16 employment opportunities have been created and 4 trainees have been employed.
• The training material used in the project is now taught in the Public Education Center in Kocaeli.

Testimonials

“Because of my son I have been a part of disability world since 18 years. The biggest challenge in institutions was lack of love and taking care. The institutions are doing their best within the limits of resources. Those kids with disabilities have more light of love and hope in their eyes than other people. Their pure love and innocent cuddles… It is very hard to forget them…”

Trainee, Mother of Child with Disability

“At the beginning of the program my only aim was to get the certificate and be employed. But as time passed, the impact of the training program on me was far more than what I expected. Before the course I had no idea about the issue of disability, like many others I was ignoring them. But now I know that there are no barriers for persons with disabilities”.

Trainee