Education logo

26,000 Homeless Children from Syria in Istanbul

#ProjectMatchbox aims to send educational kits to a local non-profit in the Tarlabaşi neighbourhood.

By Flame OnPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
Like
Introduction to #ProjectMatchbox @flameon.co
With 26,000 Syrian Refugees struggling to live in Istanbul, we want to give these children an opportunity to build a better life.

Who's behind #ProjectMatchbox?

FlameOn is a social enterprise that connects people with the same passion (or “flame”) to work on solutions to global issues. We believe that collaboration and deep curiosity are the key to solving many of the world’s greatest problems.

Our first project, “Project MATCHBOX” has been created to improve the education system for Syrian Refugee children in Tarlabaşı, Istanbul (Turkey). By sending high-value educational kits to a local non-profit in Istanbul (Tarlabaşı Toplum Merkezi -TTM), we will be able to inspire the children to ignite their inner passion (hence the name, “matchbox”) and learn how to pursue a career in their desired field.

Let's talk about the problem.

In Istanbul, a small group of children can be found tapping on car windows selling bottles of water. These Syrian children form a community known as the Dom, and an estimated 26,000 of them remain homeless, due to the crisis in the Middle East. Sadly, the Dom children face a great deal of prejudice. When asked why, a shoekeeper commented: “It is a prejudice, yes. I can’t explain it though. I just don’t like their complexion.”

Many of these Syrian children from the Dom community do not get an education. “They struggle to break out of this life because when they go to school, teachers discriminate against them, and they don’t have the environment to study in when they come back home,” says a social worker at the centre.

One organisation, TTM (mentioned above), is trying to help by providing educational and psychological support for nearly 5,000 children and 3,000 adults in Tarlabaşı. However, this support network may not exist for much longer. Many of the buildings are being demolished, forcing the children to move.

“They will have to move to wherever they can afford, and when they go, we will have to go too. Our centre is one of the few places where it’s safe for children from these communities to play, and where women can discuss their problems. There’s nowhere else providing that.”

And what about the very poorest of all, the Dom children who beg on the streets of Taksim Square, where will they go? “We don’t really know. And I don’t think they know either.”

Our Solution

Project MATCHBOX! We are working to create high-value and self-sustaining (60 shoebox-sized) educational kits, comprised of textbooks, practical learning kits, hands-on tools, and career pathways for the children (three to 10 years old). By packaging material in Mathematics, Science, Geography, English, and Business, these children will be able to have a fundamental understanding of the major subject areas for school. Additionally, the learning material will span across an eight to 10 year range, allowing the children to continue learning as they grow older.

These matchboxes will then be sent to TTM (@tarlabasitoplummerkezi), where the employees and volunteers will distribute the kits to the children in the area. We are working to purchase the educational material, package the boxes, and pay for the delivery to Istanbul.

Since most Syrian children from the Dom community do not begin school, we are bringing the school to them. Ultimately, we want to reduce unemployment and dropout rates in the area. The children are the future, and we are giving them a chance to use their gifts and passions to change our world.

A special thanks to AIRBUS Operations Ltd, for already donating 100+ books for the children and to CrowdfunderUKfor helping us raise funds for the project.

How can you help us? :)

  • Share this article.
  • Or select a "Stay Passionate" hoodie here
    • All of the proceeds will go directly to #ProjectMatchbox

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us:

Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

LinkedIn / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube

student
Like

About the Creator

Flame On

FlameOn is a social enterprise that connects people with the same passion ("flame"​) to work on solutions to real-world problems.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.